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Hacking ACWW Saved Letters

  • Thread starter Thread starter 13375p34k3r
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Normmatt - It takes a long while to get to a point in a new game where you could test this. It basically boils down to the fact that AC:WW implicitly does a read/write operation on the SAV file mid-game when storing/retrieving archived letters from the post office. This read/write does not save the entire game's data, just the data pertaining to the archival of letters. It does something similar when using WiFi, but I believe that is just a complete write of the SAV file.

If you want, I can provide you a SAV file that is prepped and ready to test. I could try to provide a script, but it may be easier to work with you in real time via chat, Skype, or other tool. PM me if I can be of help.
 
I'v also got an save file that can be used, if the need arises.

but basically, once you've arrived at your town, and gone through a few little things, you can buy some letters, write something on them, and store them. That should replicate the problem.
 
Update - even with the official 4.17 firmware, it doesn't work all the time. I just had it lose all saved letters. Looks like this problem is bigger than AKAIO. It's a total Acekard problem.

Normmatt, would you still be game for fixing the problem even though it exists in the official firmware?
 
my girlfriend and I just lost three years worth of animal crossing letters....Luckily her CycloDS save is still backed up....I have to revert to a save from a G6 Lite that is over 2 years old
huh.gif


I used the latest AKAIO loaders, reverted to the official firmware. and still the same problem. I wonder if the same issue will occur in Magician's Quest Mysterious Times as you can save letters in there as well?
 
Okay got some good news! I thought to myself, "I wonder if I try to use my Acekard save with my CycloDS, would the letters still be gone?". And so I fired up an old DS Lite with the save file from the Acekard and put it into my CycloDS. Went to the post office and all my saved letters were there! So apparently, the saved letters ARE still in the Acekard save file but for whatever reason they cannot be displayed on the Acekard 2i. I haven't tried to save a letter from the Acekard to see if it would pop up in the CycloDS but I plan on doing so.

So bottom word is, the saved letters look to be intact, they just can't be viewed on the Acekard 2i with AKAIO or the official firmware!
 
If correct, that's very strange. I don't have a CycloDS of my own to test on, but I do have an old R4. I might test it with that, but I'll wait and see if anyone else tried to use the Acekard save with another flashcart to see if letters that didn't appear to save, were actually saved.

Also, did you get my PM, Norm?
 
I didn't try saving a letter in the Acekard because my saved mailbox is full. But I did swap saves at least 6 times and can confirm the saved letters appeared on the CycloDS and disappeared while on the Acekard 2i.

I'm guessing you'll see the same results with an R4. I'm going to try and save a letter in Magician's Quest Mysterious Times and see if the same thing happens.
 
logical thinker said:
What if you use the other DMA modes? Do the letters appear? Try setting
the save type to 2M too.
It still works perfectly on AKRPG (NAND and SD) with 1.4.1 PROPER with 21/05 loader.
Click to expand...

It would because the AKRPG does saves in hardware and the AK2 does not. I will look into the issue and see if i cant come up with a fix.

EDIT: Problem solved by the time you read this there should be a new loader up with the fix.
 
Have any AC:WW users confirmed this works? I updated to the 5/23 loaders via WiFi and backed up my retail cart to my AK2i and I still can't see all my previously saved letters.
 
Rascal said:
Have any AC:WW users confirmed this works? I updated to the 5/23 loaders via WiFi and backed up my retail cart to my AK2i and I still can't see all my previously saved letters.
Click to expand...

Because the ak2 never actually saved them
frown.gif
it will however save and load them now though.
 
Normmatt said:
Rascal said:
Have any AC:WW users confirmed this works? I updated to the 5/23 loaders via WiFi and backed up my retail cart to my AK2i and I still can't see all my previously saved letters.
Click to expand...

Because the ak2 never actually saved them
frown.gif
it will however save and load them now though.
Click to expand...

first of all, thanks for all the help, much appreciated. Second, why is it that the save file from the Acekard 2i can't view the saved letters in the mailbox but when the same save file is used in a CycloDS, the letters "magically" appear? I transferred my save from a G6 Lite to a CycloDS with the letters intact. I would appreciate a technical theory as to why the Acekard 2i can't view the letters when its still in the same save. Of course this is different from a backed up retail cart save so I can understand why the ak2 may not have saved the letters from there.

I've updated to the 5/23 loaders and my mailbox is still empty. I don't have my CycloDS or DS Lite to test right now as I am out of town but when I return home, I'll compare the two saves again and see if the letters pop up again (theories: perhaps the new loader overwritten my old letters? or they aren't visible still?)
 
arcy said:
Normmatt said:
Rascal said:
Have any AC:WW users confirmed this works? I updated to the 5/23 loaders via WiFi and backed up my retail cart to my AK2i and I still can't see all my previously saved letters.
Click to expand...

Because the ak2 never actually saved them
frown.gif
it will however save and load them now though.
Click to expand...

first of all, thanks for all the help, much appreciated. Second, why is it that the save file from the Acekard 2i can't view the saved letters in the mailbox but when the same save file is used in a CycloDS, the letters "magically" appear? I transferred my save from a G6 Lite to a CycloDS with the letters intact. I would appreciate a technical theory as to why the Acekard 2i can't view the letters when its still in the same save. Of course this is different from a backed up retail cart save so I can understand why the ak2 may not have saved the letters from there.

I've updated to the 5/23 loaders and my mailbox is still empty. I don't have my CycloDS or DS Lite to test right now as I am out of town but when I return home, I'll compare the two saves again and see if the letters pop up again (theories: perhaps the new loader overwritten my old letters? or they aren't visible still?)
Click to expand...

No idea i only tested if it saved the letters or not. It didn't before I fixed it but does now. Again if you do have a save file that has letters than show up in an emulator or other flashcart but dont in akaio let me know or better yet post the save and I 'may' fix it.
 
I saved a couple of letters a few days ago, and so far they're still there. Before they would disappear after a while, so I'll post back here if they disappear. Otherwise, it looks like Normmatt fixed it. Thanks Normmatt!

-Bri
 
I'm trying to see letters that were saved when I played on the retail cart. When I copy the SAV to another flash card, I can see them. When I copy it to my AK2i, they are gone. If I was to copy that SAV back to the retail cart, they are there again. The only issue is that my daughters can't save letters on their AK2i's because it may overwrite other saved letters since they can't see them.
 
Bri said:
I saved a couple of letters a few days ago, and so far they're still there. Before they would disappear after a while, so I'll post back here if they disappear. Otherwise, it looks like Normmatt fixed it. Thanks Normmatt!

-Bri
Click to expand...

That is probably because you didn't have saved letters in your mailbox before. The fix fixes saving new letters but there is still a bug when viewing older letters saved before the new loaders.

And Rascal, that is the exact scenario I described when I used my CycloDS and Acekard 2i. I found it to be safe to still play the game but forget about saving any letters because it may overwrite your old ones (i have a full mail box so I couldn't test my theory). Have you played Magician's Quest yet? There is an option to save letters just like in ACWW but I haven't tried it yet. I wouldn't be surprised to see if the same bug existed. Then again I'm using the new loaders so it may work for MQMT
 
Right, but it appears to recognize saved letters that have been stored since the update. At least it has for the last 3 days. Prior to this update, I've been able to save/retrieve letters for a few days and then they would all disappear, so I'm not certain they won't disappear, but they haven't so far.

-Bri
 

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