codebase-save-load

Game state serialization in Rust can prevent incompatible loads by wrapping the GameState in a versioned envelope. This approach checks the version number on load and returns a descriptive error if the file's schema does not match the current game version.

A versioned envelope pattern serializes game state inside a SaveFile structure with an explicit version number. It enables reliable save file migration by detecting schema changes during deserialization and rejecting incompatible files before they corrupt the game.

RON serialization works well for human-readable game saves because it provides clear text formats for inspecting persisted data. It integrates with versioned envelopes to ensure deterministic saving and loading of complex game states while remaining debuggable.

To rebuild spatial indices and update lighting after loading game state, perform post-load recomputations during the deserialization process. The save system automatically triggers these reconstruction steps to restore derived data that is not persisted directly in the save file.

You should bump your save schema version when adding, removing, or renaming GameState fields. Incrementing the version number ensures that older save files are detected as incompatible and triggers clear error reporting instead of causing silent data corruption during loading.

Loading a migrated save file fails with a version mismatch error because the save system enforces strict version checks against the versioned envelope. This descriptive error indicates that the file's schema version does not match the current game's expected serialization format.