Stoneshard: How to Save
stone chipsThe design of is inspired by old-school RPG mechanics. In keeping with the tradition of suspenseful, gritty gameplay, it invokes a save system that’s equal parts punishing and rewarding. It’s definitely unusual, but it lends itself to the immersion and atmosphere of the game. If this game is out of Early Access, it could earn a spot on the list of the best modern CRPGs.
The save system was a hot topic in the discussion surrounding this game. Some players are requesting an “easy mode” that allows for more frequent saves. There’s a reason Soulslike games should have an easy mode, and stone chips definitely fits into this conversation. However, developers find themselves in a difficult position with this problem, as there are limitations in their procedural generation engine that often make saving next to impossible. According to a devlog released on February 8, 2020, the game’s save system “saves the seed of visited locations and regenerates the world on each load, they do not save the state of the world as it was left by the player.”
However, the “City of Gold” update released in November last year managed to make a small improvement by implementing a “Save & Exit” feature. This can save the game if it crashes and allows players to pick up where they left off. However, “Save & Exit” only goes so far. According to the patch notes, “These saves are wiped on load, so in the event of your character’s death you’ll be brought to the last ‘hard’ save made by sleeping.”
How the save system works in Stoneshard
In the prologue, there are checkpoints spread throughout the quest zone that automatically trigger a save. For example, the game saves every time players enter a new floor. However, there are no checkpoints after the prologue. Saving can only be done by going to bed or quitting the game. It’s similar to Kingdom Come: Liberation has updated its storage system.
There are beds in inns that can be rented and slept in. Also, once cleared, robber camps have a bed to sleep in.
Alternatively, a bedroll can be purchased from Bran or Bert in Osbrook or Gerlot in Mannshire.
Bandit camps and inns are few and far between, so the bedding is a very useful item. However, it takes up a significant amount of valuable inventory space and only lasts for one use. That said, it’s best used just outside of a dungeon so it’s not a liability for long.
It is possible to save and exit from the start menu. This saves the game and takes the player back to the main menu. However, when the save is loaded, it is immediately deleted, so it is not possible to use this to create a checkpoint.
Multiple backup files
stone chips saves each character in separate save files. Each new game creates a new set of save files for that character. It’s even possible to have two save files for the same character.
stone chips is now available in Early Access on PC.