How do I backup my game progress?

Discussion in 'General Game Discussion and Questions' started by Sabaki, Aug 13, 2012.

  1. Sabaki

    Sabaki Well-Known Member

    Jun 12, 2012
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    #1 Sabaki, Aug 13, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2012
    Hey everybody #

    I have completed both Chaos Rings & PvZ 100% but as I only have an 8gig iPhone 4, I need to delete both in order to play Infinite Blade 1 & 2.

    Thing is that I don't want to lose my progress on either game and I would like to know if it's possible to backup the game with progress intact?

    I'm a recent convert from Nokia and I have only ever worked on Windows based pcs so I am not aufait with the Mac environment.

    Please assist if you can, it would really be appreciated #

    Thanks everybody
     
  2. Sabaki

    Sabaki Well-Known Member

    Jun 12, 2012
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    Hi guys. Nobody willing to help me out? #

    I've been trawling the net unsuccessfully for a solution.

    Please guys! Would be super appreciated
     
  3. RodGreen

    RodGreen Well-Known Member

    Mar 1, 2012
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    There's no real 'official' way to save data from an App that uses protected documents to save the game state.

    Also from what I understand once you delete the App off your phone it will wipe all iCloud and protected document data (data that isn't shared i.e. media players). So a typical sync wont backup that data.

    However have you tried something that lets you access the documents dir of the applications (http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-03-17/tech/30088221_1_ios-mac-app-store-angry-birds). This is typically how developers save progress, so if you can save this data and restore later then it should have the effect of backing up the saves.

    However some games might store the save game or other data in another (non-file based) location something like a local Key-Value store - which would be very hard to backup.

    Hope this helps.
     
  4. Sabaki

    Sabaki Well-Known Member

    Jun 12, 2012
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    RodGreen, thank you so much for the info, I really do appreciate it #
     
  5. bacon-N-eggs

    bacon-N-eggs Well-Known Member

    Mar 17, 2012
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    #5 bacon-N-eggs, Aug 14, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2012
    It's very easy if you are on a jailbroken device, there is a free app for it :)
     
  6. RodGreen

    RodGreen Well-Known Member

    Mar 1, 2012
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    I find it sad that something that really should be apart of the platform is locked away from users so the only way to access it is to do something that goes against EULA's i.e. you need to jailbreak your device to backup your save games.

    I know why they do it; to protect the developers from users poking around in the data - but really if the user wants/needs to access it, then they will find a way.

    It's the ever futile struggle between people who want to free the devices and people who must have them protected.
     
  7. extreme472000

    extreme472000 Well-Known Member

    May 25, 2012
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    USA
  8. LOLavi

    LOLavi Well-Known Member

    May 23, 2011
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    iPhone gamer
    Finland
    I use AppBackup from cydia. It's amazing. You backup any app and then once you remove it, it clears from the list, then once you install back, it appears on list. You restore from backup and it's like you never removed it! You can backup all, separately, ignore an app from backup and remove saved progress data, not from the app you removed data from but AppBackup
     
  9. Eoghann

    Eoghann Well-Known Member

    May 29, 2012
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    IT Guy/Graphic Designer/Gamer
    New York
    I use iFunBox (no jailbreak required). Let's you access the content in a game/app and backup your saves. I manage to backup like 90% of my games. It's never a surefire thing though, depends on the type of game. Some games cannot be backup up I think.

    I also use it to modify and retina ready some app icons some devs are to lazy to update or just don't support the app anymore. xD

    It's a really nifty tool.
     
  10. Sabaki

    Sabaki Well-Known Member

    Jun 12, 2012
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    It's rather interesting to note how many methods there are to backing up game data so not including this feature in iTunes is something Apple should revisit.

    Maybe Apple are protecting their developers but certainly those who want to access game files for whatever reason have enough access to tools on the Internet?

    I think it's also fair to state that the exercise of using programs to extract data in order to backup game saves also brings people closer to potentially pirate or misuse the application?

    RodGreen, as a developer, you think that's a fair comment to make?
     
  11. squarezero

    squarezero Moderator
    Staff Member Patreon Silver

    Dec 10, 2008
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    1) iCloud backup does save app data. It's not 100% effective (last time I replace my phone there were a couple of games that did not restore) but in general it works.

    2) There are several file navigation tools available for non-jailbroken phones. Someone already mentioned iExplorer (which is free) but I much prefer PhoneView, which costs about $20. With these applications you can easily and safely copy an app's Documents folder and backup your progress; to restore it, just dump the contents of the Document folder back on the new Documents folder of your app once you reinstall it.

    3) Apple has created several ways for developers to incorporate data backup into their apps, including iCloud saving and iTunes file transfer. I know some developers have run into problems with iCloud syncing, but that's no reason to skip other more reliable methods.
     
  12. Leegames

    Leegames Well-Known Member

    Jul 1, 2010
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    Ex. game journalist and EiC now PR
    Denmark
    I use iExplorer to back up my saves. No jailbreak required. Hope this helps.
     
  13. Greyskull

    Greyskull Well-Known Member

    Dec 13, 2009
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    Photographer/Social Sciences adjunct/sweet sweet l
    Fort Lauderdale
    I use IExplorer on a non-jailbroken device. I've lost progress countless times, with only a few games (IB2, GOF2) truly backing up saves to iCloud as files to store as opposed to just using those files to push to other devices.

    My question is: how often does the saved data finction when an app gets updated? Especially now, when it seems like most "live" apps get updated once a week, if only to keep them in the new release charts.
     
  14. brighteyes74

    brighteyes74 Well-Known Member

    Dec 20, 2008
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    Harrow , England
    I'm looking for something like this. Will check it out later. Unreal from a company like apple that they can't sort out something to save apps progress. Or they just want to get people to buy more of there devices but with higher storage.
     
  15. Vovin

    Vovin 👮 Spam Police 🚓

    Nov 28, 2009
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    I suggest using iExplorer 3. Fantastic functionality, you can do lots of things with it (without the need to jailbreak!) - it's a must-have anyway.
     
  16. zergslayer69

    zergslayer69 Well-Known Member

    Apr 21, 2010
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    Are you guys backing up just the document folder in each app or copying the whole app folder to you computer?
     
  17. kaibosh

    kaibosh Well-Known Member

    Jun 14, 2012
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    Haha. It greatly amuses me to see some of the responses in this thread. Apple doesn't want you to have control over those files. It is not an omission, like the other ten thousand locked down control fiascos this is very deliberate on their part. It is a sick joke to be forced to endure the nightmare of iTunes to have *any* access to your device.

    Apple only backs up what apple chooses to back up, and people who use camera+ without making sure to export their pix are in for a very rude surprise if they update iOS or break their phone or whatever - as an example. I love iOS gaming but the way apple continues to force laughable and draconian control over their devices is disgusting. They lie about everything, and even jail breaking only gives you a shred more access to your own hardware.

    Note II master race reporting in.
     
  18. Exact-Psience

    Exact-Psience Well-Known Member

    Jan 12, 2012
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    The Work-At-Home Guy
    Philippines
    Documents and Library folders. Sometimes a restore only works with the docs folder, sometimes the Lib folder, and on rare occasions, both.
     
  19. Andrey1610

    Andrey1610 Well-Known Member

    Jul 6, 2010
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    #19 Andrey1610, Dec 17, 2013
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2013
    deleted
     

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