# Is there any cap on save file size?

**URL:** <https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786>\
**Category:** The Bunker\
**Created:** [November 6, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786 "2014-11-06T20:47:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Thwap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4af34b/32.png) [@Thwap](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Thwap)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/1 "2014-11-06T20:47:29Z")

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If not, “Forget world outside X radius” would be a lovely option setting.

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**Author:** ![TheFlame52](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/theflame52/32/247_2.png) [@TheFlame52](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheFlame52)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/2 "2014-11-06T20:49:37Z")

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Or ‘forget world outside current map tile’. By map tile I mean the big map tile that you can tell by how the forests are in straight lines.

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**Author:** ![StopSignal](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/stopsignal/32/1923_2.png) [@StopSignal](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/StopSignal)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/3 "2014-11-06T20:53:28Z")

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I think it’s infinite until it’s so big that makes the game crash

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**Author:** ![i2amroy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/i2amroy/32/909_2.png) [@i2amroy](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/i2amroy)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 8:57pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/4 "2014-11-06T20:57:49Z")

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Yeah, only limits should be the ones on your operating system and computer.

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**Author:** ![Thwap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4af34b/32.png) [@Thwap](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Thwap)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/5 "2014-11-06T22:24:07Z")

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A kludge just in case someone is running around for years and has a multi-gig file they’d like to cut down.

1. Carve something distinctive like “thwapsux” onto some objects and drop them on the ground near things in the world that you care about.

2. Save and exit game.

3. Go to your save file, right click the maps folder, and search for “thwapsucks” inside files.

4. Note the folders in which these results occur.

5. Delete all subfolders within the maps folder except for the ones noted previously.

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/6 "2014-11-06T23:37:06Z")

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If you actually run into a problem with the save files getting too big, report it.  
So far the only reports I’ve seen have been from people complaining about it theoretically being a problem.

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**Author:** ![TheFlame52](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/theflame52/32/247_2.png) [@TheFlame52](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheFlame52)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/7 "2014-11-07T00:47:54Z")

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I might use that little trick. I make twice-weekly save backups, and when I make the backup, it takes around two hours for my computer to finish copying the world folder.

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**Author:** ![EkarusRyndren](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/ekarusryndren/32/80_2.png) [@EkarusRyndren](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/EkarusRyndren)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/8 "2014-11-07T00:58:28Z")

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I tend to play an excessively mobile game once I get one of my base vehicles built. Assuming each map tile is 96 feet squared, I’ve generated well over several hundred square miles of map and traveled through at least an eighth of that “In bubble” and I don’t think my game save ever got over a gigabyte.

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/9 "2014-11-07T01:31:23Z")

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If you’re archiving saves, compress them somehow, either a .zip or a .tar.gz should compress them ridiculously well.

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**Author:** ![Thwap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4af34b/32.png) [@Thwap](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Thwap)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 6:13am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/10 "2014-11-07T06:13:26Z")

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[quote=“Kevin Granade, post:6, topic:7786”]If you actually run into a problem with the save files getting too big, report it.  
So far the only reports I’ve seen have been from people complaining about it theoretically being a problem.[/quote]

It’s less that the save file is expanding at any sort of unusual rate and more that I plan to play this forever and like to think ahead. Like I’ve got a GearHead character from 2012 who still sees occasional action and that game doesn’t have anywhere near the “play me for eternity” mojo of this one.

But I’m quite content with my little kludge, even if I may never need to actually use it.

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**Author:** ![HunterAlpha1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@HunterAlpha1](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/HunterAlpha1)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 10:28am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/11 "2014-11-07T10:28:18Z")

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It would be nice to be able to limit how large the map is, this would help pave the way to custom maps. I have long dreamed of being able to explore my home town or state, maybe even the whole world!

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**Author:** ![Arek\_PL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b77776/32.png) [@Arek\_PL](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Arek_PL)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 11:30am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/12 "2014-11-07T11:30:42Z")

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maybe after moving realy far away only thing what will apear is ocean

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**Author:** ![TheFlame52](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/theflame52/32/247_2.png) [@TheFlame52](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheFlame52)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/13 "2014-11-07T17:45:09Z")

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[quote=“Thwap, post:5, topic:7786”]A kludge just in case someone is running around for years and has a multi-gig file they’d like to cut down.

1. Carve something distinctive like “thwapsux” onto some objects and drop them on the ground near things in the world that you care about.

2. Save and exit game.

3. Go to your save file, right click the maps folder, and search for “thwapsucks” inside files.

4. Note the folders in which these results occur.

5. Delete all subfolders within the maps folder except for the ones noted previously.[/quote]  
I’ve got a crapload of folders to search for that. I want to delete every folder except for the one I’m in. How can I find what map tile my character is in?

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 7:00pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/14 "2014-11-07T19:00:58Z")

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Do what he said, carve a unique string onto an object (like “Mxyzptlk”), drop it on the ground, and save/exit.  
Then do a file search for that string, it’ll only appear in the file where the map you’re standing on is saved. The file will be named something like “123.456.789.map”.  
Keep the directory that file is in and delete the others. If you want nearby basements, labs and such to stick around, save any folders that have the same name except the last digit. (e.g. if you’re in 0.4.0, save 0.4.-1, o.4.-2, etc…)

This will reset the world except for the overmap you’re in. If you travel back to old locations, there will be buildings in the same places, but the buildings will be new. Monsters may or may not generate properly on old overmaps after you do this.

If you want to wipe everything, you’ll need to figure out which overmap you’re in and delete all the other ones too.  
The overmap file is stored in saves/worldname/o.x.y if it’s the starting overmap it’s o.0.0, but if you’ve moved sufficiently far you won’t be in that overmap anymore.

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**Author:** ![Datanazush](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/datanazush/32/1055_2.png) [@Datanazush](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Datanazush)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/15 "2014-11-07T20:14:34Z")

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> [@Kevin Granade](#):
>
> Mxyzptlk

WAS THAT JUST A FUCKING SUPERMAN REFERENCE.  
Side note, chrome recommends “Shoptalk” as a replacement for Mxyzptlk.

But yeah, I think that it causes a few issues with static spawn generation of monsters, although that might be just around your immediate area.

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**Author:** ![TheFlame52](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/theflame52/32/247_2.png) [@TheFlame52](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheFlame52)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2014, 9:16pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/16 "2014-11-07T21:16:08Z")

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Unfortunately, despite carving something into a two-by-four and dropping it, then saving, a file search does not give any results.

EDIT: So what I did was I made a backup first just in case anything went wrong. Then I went to the maps folder and sorted all the folders by date modified. I deleted all the files that weren’t modified today. That narrows down the folders I have to search though to a manageable number.

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**Author:** ![Thwap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4af34b/32.png) [@Thwap](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Thwap)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/17 "2014-11-08T02:18:47Z")

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Just search the whole game folder if you need to. /shrug

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**Author:** ![TheFlame52](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/theflame52/32/247_2.png) [@TheFlame52](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/TheFlame52)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/18 "2014-11-08T13:58:56Z")

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> [@Thwap](#):
>
> Just search the whole game folder if you need to. /shrug

Tried it, it didn’t work. I don’t know why. Anyway, I’m content to only have 9 save file folders instead of 50-something.

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**Author:** ![Maur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@Maur](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/Maur)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 1:07am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/19 "2014-11-22T01:07:10Z")

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> [@Kevin Granade](#):
>
> This will reset the world except for the overmap you’re in. If you travel back to old locations, there will be buildings in the same places, but the buildings will be new. Monsters may or may not generate properly on old overmaps after you do this.

Hm, thats interesting. So even if i delete all map files but one, the world will have the same terrain afterwards? How does that happen, is it generated based on the existing map or something? Or do i understand it wrongly?

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**Author:** ![kevin.granade](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.cataclysmdda.org/kevin.granade/32/1316_2.png) [@kevin.granade](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/u/kevin.granade)\
**Post date:** [November 22, 2014, 11:43am UTC](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786/20 "2014-11-22T11:43:28Z")

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There are map files at two scales.  
One has detailed data on an area the size of the starting shelter, and is stored in the maps/ subfolder.  
The other stores data at the resolution of the map display, and is stored in the world folder, with names like o.0.0 or o.0.1  
If you delete everything in maps/ you’ll erase all the detail, but it will be regenerated based on the larger-scale maps. Monsters also are stored in the large-scale map files.

[Next page](https://discourse.cataclysmdda.org/t/is-there-any-cap-on-save-file-size/7786.md?page=2)