Cao Cao 5 - crash loading save at some point

[SyrManfredus]

GAME INFORMATION

• GAME BUILD #: 143421
• GAME PLATFORM: Microsoft Store
• OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 10

ISSUE EXPERIENCED

Playing the last scenario of Cao Cao campaign, at some point, loading a game saved from this scenario cause the game to crash.
I have been able to reload the scenario from a previous state up to a certain point. After that point trying to loading cause the game to become unresponsive and crash (music and sound effects goes on, the fireflies on the loading screen are freezed and the game won’t load).
I don’t know if the point at which loading starts to cause crash is related to a certain amount of time or to an event occuring during the scenario In this case, it seems that the corrupted saves all occured during the 10 min when you have to hold fortifications to break the alliance.
Manual save and autosave are corrupted the same way.

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

• 100% of the time I play (ALWAYS) this scenario

REPRODUCTION STEPS

Here’s the steps to reproduce the issue:

1. Play Cao Cao fifth scenario
2. Save the game during The 10 minutes timer to break the alliance
3. Try to load the previously saved game

GAME FILES (SAVE / RECORDING)

-AUTOSAVE-.aoe2spgame (1.7 MB)

[TrustfulMango90]

GAME INFORMATION

^{These details are CRITICAL; DO NOT skip them or your issue may not be reviewed.}

• GAME BUILD 101.103.13286.0: #144358 18358599
• GAME PLATFORM: Steam
• OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows 10

ISSUE EXPERIENCED

^{DESCRIBE THE ISSUE IN DETAIL (below). LIMIT TO ONE BUG PER THREAD.}
Game is supposed to load the save without any issues.
The game is always supposed to load a save properly, but often - since the patch rolled out on may 12th 2025 - the saves get corrupted and the game freezes upon loading them. Happens often after about 20 mintues of game time.

In the included save files, 2 are broken and 1 of them is working, but after playing for a few moments and saving afterward, the new save gets corrupted too. I’ve tried it like 20 times now, and the save always breaks at 18 minutes in-game time at the latest.

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

^{How often does the issue occur? CHOSE ONE; DELETE THE REST!}

• 100% of the time / matches I play (ALWAYS)

REPRODUCTION STEPS

^{List CLEAR and DETAILED STEPS we can take to reproduce the issue ourselves… Be descriptive!}

Here’s the steps to reproduce the issue:

1. Start a scenario (Cao Cao 5)
2. Play the scenario for a while
3. Save the game
4. Load the game
5. If it loads, try playing for some time more and then repeat from step 2

EXPECTED RESULT

^{What was SUPPOSED to happen if the bug you encountered were not present?}
Game is supposed to load the save without any issues.

IMAGE

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GAME FILES (SAVE / RECORDING)

^{Attach a SAVE GAME (.aoe2spgame) or GAME RECORDING (.aoe2record) of the match where you encountered the issue. Link it below if using an external file service.}

• BROKEN_SAVE_1.aoe2spgame (2.3MB)
• BROKEN_SAVE_2.aoe2spgame (2.3MB)
• WORKING_SAVE_BEFORE_BREAKING.aoe2spgame (2.2 MB)

[TrustfulMango90]

same issue, made a bug report too:

https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/saves-get-often-corrupted-when-loading-after-may-13th-update/274941

[Lesrot8259]

Cacao? 20 characters

[TrustfulMango90]

So I can for sure say that there has to be a trigger point or something which corrupts the scenario onward. I’ve cleared the entire map except for 1 Liu Bei’s castle (not really hard), and damaged that castle so that 1 treb volley would destroy it. Then I took my time and I researched every tech, deleted some units so that I could make the 8 transports, then sent them to my ally and waited for him to appear - In other words, I made sure I “waited” long enough, then saved the game, and then finished the volley. Loading that specific save file still made the game crash.

The last time I could load a save was from about 15 minutes 55 seconds gametime, and a save from 69 minutes (nice) is corrupted

[donnapety]

hola, encontraste alguna solución?

[lutu84]

Hello, some information about it? Problem is still present in Version 101.103.14579.0 (#145651) on Windows10 Steam

[oldschoolrock95]

I am facing this issue as well for the same campaign on PC. Anyone found a solution yet?

[TrustfulMango90]

@oldschoolrock95

Anyone found a solution yet?

yeah, play through the game without loading a corrupted save. If it’s too hard for you, use slow speed and pauses during the critical moments. Also, the first 15 minutes should be fine to save and load. But you gotta finish the mission properly afterwards.

[Ironicforge]

I’m having the same issue - Cao Cao mission 5 - game keeps freezing whenever try to load a save. I’m doing it on Legendary and i’m not good enough to do it one go, gotta save scum!
Please fix this devs. I’d rather not have the only mission i haven’t done on the hardest difficulty be due to a bug…

UPDATE: oh, turns out i am good enough to do it in one go!.. just for it to then tell me i used cheats (which I didnt!) and not give me the achievement or even the credit for completing the Cao Cao campaign!! Come on devs!!

UPDATE 2: Did it again in one go, no issues this time. Got the credit and achievement. So it is possible, but still, needs fixing.

[FethrSerpent]

I also have same issue - apparently still not fixed

[ZoOlja1]

Unfortunately, this will never be fixed.

[oldschoolrock95]

Is this fixed by now? I have not tried the campaign since September, and it had crashed then.