"Ultima 3 Exodus" keeps crash

Hi everyone.

I am trying to play "Ultima 3: Exodus", but every few days it becomes unable to read the saved game (see screenshot), and I have to start over a new game.

I tried the following:
- make a copy of the *.adf file (both the original and the copy stop working)
- make sure I don't close down WinUAE while it's loading or saving (it improved the lifespan of the game, but it ultimately became unreadable).

How can I prevent this error from occurring again?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[s2325]

Try save state instead of save game.

Too easy to be true! I knew it! Thank you!
How come I didn't see the save state function? Well, there are so many functions that I never got down to the Miscellanea.

[dlfrsilver]

it is i guess a copy protection problem.....

Apparently, save states are not the solution. The saved game loads fine, but after a while, when the game tries and save (it saves automatically every time the party enters or exits a town), this is what I get:

Maybe I should not overwrite the same save state file...

[BarryB]

Does sound like copy protection dlfrsilver stated previously!

I grabbed the IPF and made an ADF and a similar thing happened in WinUAE, disk got corrupt after so many saves because the copy protection was missing.

[Toni Wilen]

ipf or whdload probably is safest option in this case. There is at least 6 different Ultima III adfs floating around. I have no idea if any of them is properly cracked.

I found the solution. I think we can call it a bug in the game.

The game saves automatically every time the party enters or exit a town or dungeon,
BUT the save-game process is completed only after the party performs one action after saving. If the player turns off the game without taking even one step away from the save-point, the saving process is incomplete, and the "disk" becomes unreadable.

All that has to be done to avoid the problem is just this:
1) enter/exit town (or save game in any way the game allows to);
2) take (at least) one step;
3) turn off the Amiga.

Save state files can be used before step 1 or after step 2. If you save on a save-state file during the in-game save process, the save-state file becomes unreadable.

[macce2]

Hopefully someone with original disk of Ultima 3 could confirm that bug...?!
Btw, isn't the "official" IPF file of Ultima 3 made from original disk ..?!
Which kind of copy protection does Ultima 3 use ?
I thought Ultima 4 to have a similar kind of copy protection..?!
Btw, I do collect Ultima originals (Amiga mainly).. Could someone sell me Ultima 3 or 4 complete original game with all the stuff included ? With a moderate price ?
Sorry, administrators.. A bit off topic

[dlfrsilver]

Originally Posted by macce2

Hopefully someone with original disk of Ultima 3 could confirm that bug...?!
Btw, isn't the "official" IPF file of Ultima 3 made from original disk ..?!
Which kind of copy protection does Ultima 3 use ?
I thought Ultima 4 to have a similar kind of copy protection..?!
Btw, I do collect Ultima originals (Amiga mainly).. Could someone sell me Ultima 3 or 4 complete original game with all the stuff included ? With a moderate price ?
Sorry, administrators.. A bit off topic

It uses a protection called Xelok if my memory serves me well.

It's basically a long track.