Read this if you are having problems saving in MGS (Updated:

[Schnapple]

There have been reports of people having problems saving their game in Metal Gear Solid using Bleemcast! for Metal Gear Solid.

The problem generally occurs when you attempt to save a second time during the course of a play session. You will probably be able to save the first time with no problem, but when you try to save again, you will recieve an error.

If you have a Sega VMU then you will notice the second, unsuccessful time, you will notice that the "!" icon on your VMU screen, the icon that flashes to indicate saving activity, is on - as if it is "stuck" in the on position. Usually this icon only flashes when there is saving activity occuring.

What appears to be happening is the first saving session did not properly terminate, and as a result the second attempt to save to the VMU fails. You will see the save you attempted when you access the memory card, but this save will not load.

This personally happened to me the first night I played MGS using bcMGS. What I did to rectify it was to remove the VMU from the controller and re-insert it, re-initializing it. Figuring that the unifinished save session would still be unfinished when I turned off the Dreamcast, I did this and saved over the bad save game I had just performed. This worked fine and I haven't had any save problems since (though I have not played the game extensively since then).

While I did remove and re-insert the VMU in the middle of a game, a practice which is undesirable, it worked fine for me with no side effects. However you must not remove a VMU or memory card in the middle of an active saving session (when the game/program is attempting to save a game).

While this is an unfortunate incident in the grand scheme of Bleem, it must be realized that it is one problem. Bleem did extensive testing of bcMGS, to the point of delaying the title over a month, so one problem in one (of three) products is more than tolerable.

However, what is not clear is why and under what circumstances the problem occurs. As I stated earlier, it happened to me. In addition to a regular (albeit Japanese) VMU, I also had a 3rd party Jump Pack inserted at the time. There is some evidence to suggest that this 3rd party perhiperial interfered with the saving session.

In addition the first time I saved the game it was right after I got to the section of the game at the top of the elevator with the snow, right after a long briefing on how the radar works. I noticed at least one other person with the same save point in the game and an error - it may be that this point is a common problem.

Many people, myself included, purchased the "Greatest Hits" version of the game - the one with the green spine (SLUS-00594/000776). The reason is simple, not only is it the only package of the game on the (American) market anymore, but it is also the package making up the majority of the copies sold over the last three years. However, while it is a common practice to slowly and quietly release new versions of a game into the market, I don't know as of yet whether the GH package actually contains a different build of the game.

Therefore, if you run into the saving problem, please try the workaround noted above, taking care to not remove the VMU while the game is actively saving. In addition, post your information here - where the save occured, how many successful saves, if any, you saved before the unsuccessful one, which package of the game you own (with model number), what if any other devices you had plugged into your controller or Dreamcast and who made them and any other info you can provide. Perhaps we can whittle down where, when and how the incident is occuring, and perhaps it's one spot in one build of the game with one hardware combination.

Finally, realize that bcMGS is not your average software product and Bleem is not your average software developer. They can't release a patch for bcMGS, although they tested it extensively they can't test it as much as, say, Electronic Arts probably tests games, and they can't do a recall - there's simply not enough money or resources to do that and it's simply not going to happen.

Schnapple

[Schnapple]

UPDATE: I just ran into the same saving problem as before, but I hadn't saved previously in the same session. However, the first save in this session and the second save in the previous session that was giving me crap was in the Tank Hangar - perhaps this is a bad location for saves?

Schnapple

[BobsShadow]

This can happen anywhere in the game but so far it happened more frequently for me in the beggining of the game. If this happens just save again and so far it has always saved the second time.

[SonicStrike3k]

Hey Guys
i talked to Rand in the chat and he says that the problem is probably a batch of sega vmus that were different from what they used to test with
abd i can vouch that nexus cards work fine ive beaten MGS 3 times already and havent had a problem yet oh and the interact masive mem card works good aswell

[goodcow]

"he says that the problem is probably a batch of sega vmus that were different from what they used to test with"

TWO of my VMUs don't work fine with it. One was bought off a friend, which was a launch VMU. (long beep with no batteries) The other is a new style VMU with the shorter turn-on without batteries beep. They aren't the same batch, yet both have problems.

[Schnapple]

Okay, but let's say Sega manufactured VMU's on more than two occasions. You probably got VMU's that were manufactured on the first two occasions and Bleem, seeing as how bcMGS is a recent product, it could have been manufactured using a third batch.

Oh, and how many of us are using controller extender cables? I just thought of that.

Schnapple

[discostu55555]

i have a clear-blue sega vmu and a sega 4x one and they both have the same save problems with TK3 and MGS, but both also work fine with gt2, so im pretty sure the problem is a code bug, rather than simply not testing a certain run of vmus with it....

[SonicStrike3k]

I havent used a sega vmu for bleem
ive only been useing a nexus card and an interact masive mem card and i have yet to run into a save problem maybe it could be a problem that only official memory cards have

[Schnapple]

Perhaps the bug only manifests itself on all VMU runs except for the one that Bleem used.

Schnapple

[Schnapple]

Un-stickying this topic - doesn't seem important anymore

RIP Bleem.

Schnapple