Lost save game data

[Snorzel]

Hello I have looked but could not find my answer in another thread. Recently got a new PC that runs TPA in dx11! I really enjoyed getting a few hours in on the tournament after initially getting it going.

Now I have just tried to enter the main game and I see none of my goals transferred by 'cloud' or what ev. So I got a flash drive and went into the old PC, backed up the game files, only to open the game and find my goals all gone there too. I also dont have any personal high scores info either but to me this is secondary to the goals

I have been getting more upset trying to figure it out, than a normal person should over a video game lol. I sure hope there is some way to restore my goals progress, because judging by how long it took me to get as far as I did, I obviously suck too bad to get back to the same spot .

Hope you guys dont mind me coming on to vent. I sent support an email, but Im sure they wont look at it until next week. Any advice in the meantime from my pinball brethren would be greatly appreciated

 

[zmcvay]

*wince* Ouch. Yeah, after a bad experience, I don't trust any cloud saves to come through for me anymore in a pinch. Sounds like what might have happened is the cloud save didn't install properly on the new computer, but when you played it there it overwrote the cloud data with the new install data and transferred that to your old computer when you booted it up. Unfortunately it may be gone for good. I've found no way to reclaim old cloud saves from steam, as far as I know they're gone for good once overwritten unless support can help you.

For the future, your local high scores and goal data can be found under C:\Users\(Your Username)\My Games\Pinball Arcade

It's a good idea to manually back that folder up periodically.

Only silver lining I can give you is that I had to redo all my goal progress myself this last summer when I moved from PS4 to PC as my main platform, and though I was bummed out to lose a years worth of progress, it actually gave me an opportunity to rediscover some tables that I hadn't played in awhile. Also found it was much easier to get a goal the second time around, took me only two months of playing to get to where it had taken me a year to reach before.

So don't get too upset, really the only downside is you have an excuse to play more pinball!

 

[Snorzel]

Hey thank you very much for the reply. There is a backup of the whole computer but idk if that includes the game files? As you may have guessed, Im not too computer savy. Unfortunately, if the goals are really gone for good this may be a rage-quit moment for me, atleast temporarily I have already started over 3 times now, psvita to ps3, to ps4 now with PC.

 

[Crazy Newt]

Hey thank you very much for the reply. There is a backup of the whole computer but idk if that includes the game files? As you may have guessed, Im not too computer savy. Unfortunately, if the goals are really gone for good this may be a rage-quit moment for me, atleast temporarily I have already started over 3 times now, psvita to ps3, to ps4 now with PC.

The stars showing the table goals may have disappeared, but the Steam achievements are still unlocked. I just updated from Win 7 (Raid 0 HDD) to Win 10 (SSD) and my table goals are gone too. I see that I have 189 pf 198 achievements unlocked in Steam. I guess I just don't care that much. It is kind of fun seeing the goals completed again and gives me an excuse to go back and play some tables I haven't tried in a while, and more to the point, I have a way to actually see what tables I should be playing based on the goals remaining. I think it would be nice to have an option to reset the goals, globally or just by individual table.

Hope you find a way to recover them, though you might be surprised how much easier it is to get those goals again after you have done it once.

 

[rehtroboi40]

*wince* Ouch. Yeah, after a bad experience, I don't trust any cloud saves to come through for me anymore in a pinch. Sounds like what might have happened is the cloud save didn't install properly on the new computer, but when you played it there it overwrote the cloud data with the new install data and transferred that to your old computer when you booted it up. Unfortunately it may be gone for good. I've found no way to reclaim old cloud saves from steam, as far as I know they're gone for good once overwritten unless support can help you.

For the future, your local high scores and goal data can be found under C:\Users\(Your Username)\My Games\Pinball Arcade

It's a good idea to manually back that folder up periodically.

Only silver lining I can give you is that I had to redo all my goal progress myself this last summer when I moved from PS4 to PC as my main platform, and though I was bummed out to lose a years worth of progress, it actually gave me an opportunity to rediscover some tables that I hadn't played in awhile. Also found it was much easier to get a goal the second time around, took me only two months of playing to get to where it had taken me a year to reach before.

So don't get too upset, really the only downside is you have an excuse to play more pinball!

I actually prefer playing these tables more once I've unlocked all of the wizard goals. This just means I can finally play them my way and not have to worry about just missing that one elusive goal. I can't remember the last time I've scored a 5-way combo in WH20, or more than a 150M Super Jackpot in TG:HS2. But I do like getting two vacation jackpots in one game of WH20 (still trying for three), or losing count of how many times I've activated Red Line Mania (TG's coolest feature IMO.) Although I may never play Genie again unless I find one IRL, just to see if I could do what I did in TPA.

I don't trust the cloud either, I've just updated my copy of TPA save files after NF. They have come in handy at least once.

 

[Crazy Newt]

I only wish that both standard and wizard goals could be completed at any time, instead of having to get all 5 standard goals before the wizard goals can be completed. I usually just knock out the standard goals purposefully, than I just play the tables normally and let the wizard goals happen through normal play. I never specifically went after any wizard goals, but just from playing the tables I have been able to get most of them. Other than the last 3 or 4 tables, I think it was Starship Troopers and Phantom of the Opera that has a single wizard star missing. I almost feel as if I should end the game and restart once the final standard goal is made. So, I get it, but I'm trying my best to distract myself from my OCD completism.

I know that I can hack the .dat file to adjust the lighting and room brightness with a free hex editing tool, maybe there is a way to force the goals to be completed for each of the tables? I set all the DX11 lighting the same for every table, and I just didn't want to open each of the +60 tables to do this, but now that I will be going back and attempting to get the table goals again, I will make the adjustments one at a time.

 

[pyroxian]

Yeah, it's happened to me several times as I've gone through several PCs...

 

[DoX]

I wouldn't bother so much with those goals. After all, what they bring you? To switch off tilt? Apart from some personal satisfaction, they don't bring you anything really. I think they are just there to keep you playing longer.

 

[crazywolf]

I had the same Problem today. Last time with a new PC all games lost. This time i had a complate Backup on my NAS. I thought the game saves data on "Documents/My Games", but its in the Steam dir.
Steam\userdata\# your id #\238260\
So for now i backup this folder from time to time. But in the end, the problem stays. Why it is not possible to get saved data from cloud on first start, instead sync a new empty savegame file to steam and kill all other saves.

Edit: After restoring the My Games - Folder and the Steam files on the new PC, the Game has configuration, but still no Goals and Highscores. Steam only syncs the Steam Userdata Files, but where are Goals and Highscores really saved?

 

[rehtroboi40]

I wouldn't bother so much with those goals. After all, what they bring you? To switch off tilt? Apart from some personal satisfaction, they don't bring you anything really. I think they are just there to keep you playing longer.

"Collect all 26 tokens" comes directly to mind. I've spent more than 10 hours playing SC since getting token #22. I've earned something like 30 tokens, but none of them are the last 4 I need. Yes, I use the Vault Assault to get Token multiball too.

Those missing goals are causing me to keep playing (tables I'm getting tired of, or don't care for, or both) longer. I'm spending time playing Goin' Nuts, SC, HRC, Dracula, SST, MSF, when I'd rather be playing The Getaway, White Water, AFM, CBW, or RBioN (once FarSight fixes the instant game over bug).

 

[RSchwantner]

RBioN (once FarSight fixes the instant game over bug).

This should be fixed on PC

 

[rehtroboi40]

This should be fixed on PC

Great to know. Last time I played (long ago), I had 100M on my first ball. It drained and cut directly to the final score screen while still adding up my bonus. I've already got the wizard goals, but I'm still trying for 1B. Thank you for the update.

 

[Snorzel]

Finally got around to checking my email and support got back to me this is what they said

Try looking at that full computer backup you mentioned in the digitalpinballfans.com thread. See if you can go to C:\Users\(Your Username)\My Games\Pinball Arcade. If so, save a copy of the HighScores file and all Table __.dat files. Keep these copies saved in your flash drive and make another copy of each for the same folder on your new machine.

Problem is, this is what I tried to do when initally transfering to the new pc.

Old pc was windows 8 new one is obviously 10. Anyone know if that could be why the info did not transfer?

 

[Snorzel]

Why it is not possible to get saved data from cloud on first start, instead sync a new empty savegame file to steam and kill all other saves.

Edit: After restoring the My Games - Folder and the Steam files on the new PC, the Game has configuration, but still no Goals and Highscores. Steam only syncs the Steam Userdata Files, but where are Goals and Highscores really saved?

I get the feeling its saved to what ever computer the game is played on judging by where they said to look for the files. Please correct me if thats wrong. It would be really nice if this info were stored and retrievable by Steam Farsight or who ever. I feel the goals progress is an important aspect of the game that should be managed by the game maker if possible.