Saving and loading

Every unit that carries a VtPersistentId can be captured into a save and restored: position, pools, level, equipment with durability, backpack, wallet, active buffs, quest log, crafting skills and learned recipes. Saves are plain JSON.

Setup

1. Create a Definition Catalog (Create → Vantage → Setup → Definition Catalog), drag in every item, buff, quest, currency, recipe, crafting skill and buildable that can appear in a save, and store it as Assets/Resources/VtDefinitionCatalog.asset. Saves refer to definitions by id; the catalog turns ids back into assets.
2. Add Vantage → Save → VtPersistentId to every unit that should be remembered: the player, NPCs, resource nodes, scene-placed monsters. The id is generated; give the player a readable one such as player.

Units without a persistent id, such as monsters from a spawner, are not saved and start fresh on load.

Runtime

var save = VtSaveSystem.Capture();
VtSaveFile.Write(VtSaveFile.PathFor("slot1"), save);

var loaded = VtSaveFile.Read(VtSaveFile.PathFor("slot1"));
int restored = VtSaveSystem.Restore(loaded);

Load into the same scene the save was taken in. Restore finds each unit by its persistent id and writes the saved state into it. Buildings that were placed with the builder and no longer exist are spawned again from their buildable’s prefab. Anything else that is missing goes to your callback:

VtSaveSystem.Restore(loaded, spawnMissing: data =>
{
    var prefab = petPrefabs[data.definitionId];
    return Instantiate(prefab, data.position, data.rotation).GetComponent<VtUnit>();
});

Return null to skip a unit.

One unit at a time

VtUnitSaveData data = VtUnitSaver.Capture(unit);
VtUnitSaver.Restore(otherUnit, data);

Useful for character transfer between scenes: capture the player before the scene change, restore into the new scene’s player.

What is not saved

Ability cooldowns, resource node respawn timers, build site progress, threat tables and the roaming home position. Cooldowns reset on load; nodes come back full. If your game needs any of these, capture them next to the save with your own data.

Format

VtSaveGame is a JsonUtility object: a version number, the scene name, the time, and a list of units. Add your own fields by wrapping it in your own class or writing a second file next to it. Ids the catalog cannot resolve are skipped with a warning, so a save survives content you removed.