<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="pattern.xsl" ?>
<?DOCTYPE pattern SYSTEM "plml.1.00.dtd"?>
<pattern patternID="auto_save" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<name>Auto Save</name>
<author>Eelke Folmer</author>

<problem>
<usability>
The player wants to restart the game from a certain point in the game but there is no save game at or close to that point.
</usability>
</problem>

<principle>Avoid Errors</principle>

<context>
Games that allow storing game progress, such as role playing games, first person shooters, adventure games etc. The player wants to replay the game from a certain point because:
<html:ul>
<html:li>The player died</html:li><html:li>The player may want to go back to an earlier stage in the game to get particular information or to make a different decision.</html:li><html:li>The player is unhappy with a certain outcome or results that have been achieved at this stage of the game. </html:li>
</html:ul>The player wants to restart from a certain point, but there is no save game at or close to that point because:
<html:ul><html:li>The player may have forgotten to make a save game at that point.</html:li><html:li>The player may have overwritten an existing save game at that point with a new save game at a different point.</html:li>
</html:ul>

The player is left with only two choices:
<html:ul><html:li>Load a save game before the desired point (if one exists) and play