Hacking Three questions that been on my mind lately

[MattKimura]

Three questions.
1. Can I backup a game & save file, rename to 3DZ, keep my save file AND play online? Then can I import the save file into the cartridge to update the save file on the retail cart without renaming to 3DS again?

2. To backup the save from the Animal Crossing rom file using the card2 tool, do I have to first rename the file from 3dz, to 3DS? Will I immediately lose the save as soon as I rename it, or does the save get written to the rom once you load it?

3. I heard that you can lose saves if you rename to .3DZ, what if I renamed it back to .3DS, will that recover the save?

 

[Relys]

I know that the save data is tied to the header information that you replace to transform a 3DS->3DZ file which makes sharing save games between formats incompatible.

 

[MattKimura]

I know that the save data is tied to the header information that you replace to transform a 3DS->3DZ file which makes sharing save games between formats incompatible.

So basically, I can't backup my save, and play the game online at the same time? I can only either have my save file with no online (.3DS), or start fresh just to enable online play (.3DS)? I'm concerned about this, because I really want my backup of Animal Crossing New Leaf, keeping both the save and online capability.

I tested the card2 save extractor, and it let me extract a save file from Animal Crossing in .3DZ format if I chose all file formats. I wonder if this save is legit.
Sorry, I'm still waiting to get my Gateway, shipping is taking forever!

 

[MattKimura]

Bump

 

[Alchemilla]

This sounds like the thing where some DS games tell you when you go online in a game for the first time that you'll lose some stuff if you go online from a different DS.

 

[MattKimura]

This sounds like the thing where some DS games tell you when you go online in a game for the first time that you'll lose some stuff if you go online from a different DS.

I find it difficult to get some real answers here on GBATemp. Completely ignored on the noobs thread. I guess noobs aren't allowed to ask anything at all :c

I'd expect everyone in this community to know things, and to be able to just answer it. I'll have to rely on self testing.

If anyone replies to a noob thread, it shows everyone else that someone already helped me. When in fact, I didn't even get a good answer. People tend to ignore topics that have at least 1 reply on them already it seems.

End of small rant. I'm close to finishing my Gateway setup, I just have these small confusions to figure out somehow.

 

[Alchemilla]

I actually don't know anything about this subject, I just wanted to give an observation in case it hadn't been considered before.

Edit: Should mention, I don't even have a 3DS.

 

[GorTesK]

in order to play online, you need to change the header, save games are tied to the header, you can backup your save but it wont work on the online version

 

[MattKimura]

in order to play online, you need to change the header, save games are tied to the header, you can backup your save but it wont work on the online version

Oh hey, a better reply!

So backups can't be used to play online, unless you give up on the save file? I thought my own backup has my own header. Im not planning on getting rid of the carts, I just want to play on my Gateway for the convenience. For example, I'd like to play Kid Icarus Uprising on my Gateway, being able to unlock a few more things and play online. Then transfer that save back to the cart when I'm done.

I dumped my online games such as Mario Kart 7, just so I can continue playing them on my Gateway.
The Gateway team should've just said: You can now play online with your backups, BUT you will lose your save file.

 

[tatripp]

I find this community is very helpful especially to noobs. I used to ask the most noobest questions of all and never got any sarcastic crap. Just be patient. I also don't think people ignore posts with just one answer. Just be respectful and you'll usually get some help. Welcome to the community.

 

[MattKimura]

I find this community is very helpful especially to noobs. I used to ask the most noobest questions of all and never got any sarcastic crap. Just be patient. I also don't think people ignore posts with just one answer. Just be respectful and you'll usually get some help. Welcome to the community.

Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate some enlightenment. I just feel ignored, because I posted on a thread, and didn't get anything back. So I posted in the noob thread, and literally got ignored (It wasn't something that NOBODY knows). So then I decided to make a whole thread dedicated to the question to be noticed.

But yeah lately I've been seeing a lot of replies here that are sarcastic (As you said). Like no effort is put in, as if they don't want to help. If you look on the "How to use scene dumps online" guide, this dude was just being rude and not giving an answer to someone. Oh and guess what, my question got completely ignored on there as well. So that's why I feel like GBATemp isn't so helpful.

I'll give this place a break tho, it's the most resourceful site around. I usually like to help others when they don't know something. It's what I do on some subreddits on Reddit. But there comes times when I have questions, and I feel like everyone is bothered by any type of questions. Like they will flame you if you don't know something that they do. Their reply "Yes. No. Use Google. Bye."

End of 2nd rant

 

[gamesquest1]

It can get a bit annoying if someone just asks questions that are covered in the FAQ's etc, when it happens every day and all it would take is to read the basic FAQ' which would answer most of the threads here, it's just a bit disrespectful to the people who have spent hours making up the FAQ's and spend a lot of time updating them frequently

But to answer your questions

1. If your talking about backing up your original cart to play on gateway......sometimes the save will be usable, sometimes it won't, (this only applies to the game being renamed to .3dz)
basically if it's a newish game and you have played it on a updated retail console (not gateway classic mode) the save will probably be not compatible,
If the save dumped from the cart is smaller than 512kb the save will not be compatible....so for example mario kart is 512kb and works, ocarina of time is 128kb and will not work
As for NAND save/card 2 games, the animal crossing save is dumped in the cart(rom file) and will always be usable once renamed to 3dz, Pokemon depends on the game only being played in classic mode

2. No it will only loose it's save if you play the game while it's named .3ds, if you remember to name it back to .3dz after extracting the save it will be fine

3. If the game come up saying the save is corrupt and will be deleted you can immediately hold the power off button(don't pick shut down just force reset) you can also just pop the gateway card out, these steps will prevent the game writing the new blank save to the sd. Card, the only game this does not apply to is animal crossing (not sure how this game deals with "corrupt" saves, but on Pokemon, it will ask you if you want to delete the save just pick no and turn off game, then go rename the file

 

[MattKimura]

It can get a bit annoying if someone just asks questions that are covered in the FAQ's etc, when it happens every day and all it would take is to read the basic FAQ' which would answer most of the threads here, it's just a bit disrespectful to the people who have spent hours making up the FAQ's and spend a lot of time updating them frequently

But to answer your questions

1. If your talking about backing up your original cart to play on gateway......sometimes the save will be usable, sometimes it won't, (this only applies to the game being renamed to .3dz)
basically if it's a newish game and you have played it on a updated retail console (not gateway classic mode) the save will probably be not compatible,
If the save dumped from the cart is smaller than 512kb the save will not be compatible....so for example mario kart is 512kb and works, ocarina of time is 128kb and will not work
As form NAND save/card 2 games, animal crossings save is dumped in the cart and will always be usable once renamed to 3dz, Pokemon depends on the game only being played in classic mode

2. No it will only loose it's save if you play the game while it's named .3ds, if you remember to name it back to .3dz after extracting the save it will be fine

3. If the game come up saying the save is corrupt and will be deleted you can immediately hold the power off button(don't pick shut down just force reset) you can also just pop the gateway card out, these steps will prevent the game writing the new blank save to the sd. Card, the only game this does not apply to is animal crossing (not sure how this game deals with "corrupt" saves, but on Pokemon, it will ask you if you want to delete the save just pick no and turn off game, then go rename the file

Thanks so much, I really appreciate the full answers to my questions. You're the only real person that takes my questions seriously and gives me a good answer.
The thing about FAQ's is that sometimes we don't want to trust it, we think we know everything on it. We believe that it won't cover really technical things, that only people can know of.
I'll give a look at the FAQ to educate myself. Thanks for pointing that out. I'm new to the site, and Im not too flexible at exploring the site yet. I joined, and came straight to questions. I've always been a spectator of GBATemp, this is my first time being apart of it.

This should cover any questions I had, I should be good for a long time now. Thanks again!!

Edit: This FAQ covers a lot: http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/3DS_hacking_faq#Which_MicroSD_should_I_choose.3F

 

[gamesquest1]

Thanks so much, I really appreciate the full answers to my questions. You're the only real person that takes my questions seriously and gives me a good answer.
The thing about FAQ's is that sometimes we don't want to trust it, we think we know everything on it. We believe that it won't cover really technical things, that only people can know of.
I'll give a look at the FAQ to educate myself. Thanks for pointing that out. I'm new to the site, and Im not too flexible at exploring the site yet. I joined, and came straight to questions. I've always been a spectator of GBATemp, this is my first time being apart of it.

This should cover any questions I had, I should be good for a long time now. Thanks again!!

Edit: This FAQ covers a lot: http://wiki.gbatemp.net/wiki/3DS_hacking_faq#Which_MicroSD_should_I_choose.3F

I don't mind answering questions that are more technical, it's just when people are like "where is the cfw, they are taking ages", or "what card should I buy" with no other details at all, if I can see people have at least tried to help themselves I have no issue clarifying information for them, but when people just expect you to rewrite the whole FAQ's every day it gets a bit annoying