[Scummvm-tracker] [ScummVM] #10134: SCUMMVM: Please add a 'Prompt to Save' feature to games.
macca8
trac at scummvm.org
Tue Aug 15 09:27:33 CEST 2017
#10134: SCUMMVM: Please add a 'Prompt to Save' feature to games.
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Reporter: macca8 | Owner: (none)
Type: enhancement | Status: new
Priority: normal | Component: --Other--
Keywords: | Game:
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Currently, whenever the player exits the game in progress for any reason
(Quit, Return to Launcher, Load), any unsaved changes will be lost without
warning. This puts the onus back on the player to remember to save before
exiting the game. In my opinion, this is really poor form.
Where a save mechanism is available, it makes sense to prompt the player
to save any unsaved changes when it's most needed.
If the feature already exists or is pending, then that's great, but if
not, here's the basic concept as I see it:
- monitoring of unsaved changes.
- an appropriate dialog to alert the player & initiate the save (if
required).
- identify the player actions to activate the feature.
**1. Unsaved changes.**
A property (**_saveChanges**) should be established & initialised/set to
**false** in these situations:
- starting a new game.
- loading a saved game.
- after completing a save.
This property is set to **true** by the first valid mouse, or keyboard
navigation, event (something changes) that follows any of these
situations. Supporting this with an appropriate conditional statement
avoids unnecessary resets (for example, if !_saveChanges then set
_saveChanges to true).
**2. Dialog.**
The dialog should contain a simple message & three buttons:
*Message: **Save changes?**
*Buttons (left to right):
- **Cancel**: return to game.
- **Don't Save**: continue player exit call.
- **Save**: open usual Save screen, then, if save completed: continue
player exit call.
Cancelling in either the Save or Load screen should always return to the
game.
This guarantees that the player can only exit a game without saving
unsaved changes by clicking **Don't Save**, the desired result.
**3. Trigger actions.**
Dialog should only appear **if _saveChanges is true**.
If true, then any of these player initiated exit calls:
- **Global Main Menu (Ctrl-F5):** Quit, Load, Return to Launcher.
- **Keyboard:** Cmd-Q (Quit on Mac OS X) & its equivalent on other
platforms.
If a game has its own unique menu, then:
- **Game Options Menu:** Quit, Load.
No doubt, implementing this feature is probably more complex than it
appears here, but then, this isn't a trivial request, so I hope it's
viewed favourably.
As an end user, I'd expect this as a standard feature for ''any'' game
with save support. As such, there's an expectation of built-in protection
against ''any'' predictable loss of unsaved changes.
Please don't leave games vulnerable to what is basically an avoidable
error.
Thanks for your consideration.
This replaces #10133.
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Ticket URL: <https://bugs.scummvm.org/ticket/10134>
ScummVM <https://bugs.scummvm.org>
ScummVM
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