Impossible To Respawn Without Server Restart

[Croms_Faithful]

@Hugo, @Barnes and @LordKAA. Greetings all, I have now followed up with several days worth of testing, and am now ready to further elaborate. Here is a recount of what happened and how.

New Character Tests
I will begin with prior to Rebuilding the Database (DB). I saw no need to try and further test on my lvl 60 characters save game first; the results were already consistent. So I decided I would do as was suggested and reset my character, in the hope of either replicating the situation, or gathering some additional data for Funcom and Barnes. I first set about trying to reproduce the ‘Select Respawn Point’ screen getting stuck. So I died around 10-12 times and in various ways. Three occasions were by removing the Barcelet, and another 2 were by a Wight in Tundra, and a Wolf in Highlands as the being killed by them previously caused me to get stuck on the respawn screen. I event alternated between the the Bed, Bedroll and Desert options. However, not once did I get stuck on the respawn screen. Ok then, time to put Battle Standards under the microscope. I once again built it in the Deep Desert (same spot) on 3×3 Sandstone Foundations, then demolished the foundations. Thereafter, I went on a suicide spree again, again testing with Removal of Bracelet, and death by a Wolf and a Wight, and different respawn points. However, after numerous deaths I was still unable to get stuck on the Respawn screen. So I built a second Battle Standards in the Highlands, then rinsed and repeated, and still no getting stuck on the respawn screen. Woohoo. So I quit to the main menu and attempted to load up the save game to see if I would get the ‘Save File Missing’ screen. After 4 tries the answer was no. So powered off the ps4, fired it back up and fired it back up. It still loaded fine. At this point I was thinking; corruption.

The Situation Worsensens
Now came the much worse part. I restored my lvl 60 characters save data from a USB, overwriting the new characters data. Please note that at this point I had 4 backup options; pre-Journey Step loss, post Journey Step loss, a very old one from January 2019, and a complete backup of everything on the ps4 option on an external HD (pre JS loss). So before initiating the DB, I decided to reload and see it deleting the previous save data had any bearing on the situation (I know it was a longshot). However…disaster. When trying to load the save game from the CE main menu, it was now saying ‘Save Data Missing’ EVERY-SINGLE-TIME. Not just on the first attempt then working thereafter, it was now inaccessible, or not present! But how??? I begin to panic. So I restore and load up the post JS loss data and try again, but it wont load either, producing exactly the same result. But how, why??? My best theory at this point was that part of the data was missing, so hence there was not enough to load. At this point I was quite angry and panicy. I considered reloading my oldest data from January. However in my rage, I instead hastily decide to do something which I really should have checked with Barnes first, and which I had not yet done; I Completely restored the (whole systems) back-up data.

Back-up Data Restored
At this point I was not certain if everything, or even for that matter what would return to my ps4, however I was relieved to see that it is virtually intact. And so the moment of truth arises as I now attempt to load up my Conan Exiles data. I am both shocked and delighted that for the first time in weeks I do not get the ‘Save Data Missing’ message on the main menu. So I commence play and realise my base and my Journey Steps are all intact! So I immediately perform the Bed/Bedroll routine and ensure I am bound to them. I then decide to quit back to the main menu and reload in order to make sure it wasnt just luck. It wasnt! It loaded without the message first time and every time. So it was now time to try some deaths. I once again died around a dozen times; three times via Bracelet removal, twice by Wolf, twice by Wight, by falling, then various others. I also alternated between respawn options. But the ‘Select Respawn Point’ screen did not get stuck. It loaded first attempt each time. In fact, since I restored the ps4 data I have not seen either the ‘Saved Data Missing’ message appear, OR been stuck on the ‘Select Respawn Point’ screen a single time thus far! Woohoo!! And it has now had several days worth of testing. I think the danger has (somehow) passed.

So What Happened…!?
It seems as though when the ps4 was wiped and restored that the problem was somehow lost or remedied in transition. I am at a loss as to explain this. So although it doesnt really matter at the end of the day, I am now curious and have a question. Can anyone present a theory as to what the devil has just happened…?? Both this entire sequence of events and the nature of the remedy have left me thinking to myself ‘What the hell just happened here?’

Gentlemen, answers or not it looks like I am now in the clear, and able to enjoy the game I love unabated once more. Hugo, Barnes and LordKAA, from the depths of my grim grey heart, a massive thankyou to you all for all of your input and support throughout this issue. We did it!

[Barnes]

I have a certain visibility, so I’m often one foot on blowhard and the other on banana peel. I’m glad you reached out to me, Crom, because I usually err on the side of feedback when it comes to situations such as yours. You performed the nuclear option, but it proves time and again to be the best for our system.

When your PS4 resets, it does more than just the few things related to copying your data from backup. It will evaluate the drive’s health using a variant of SMART data protection built onto the hard drive, reorganize the space, and eliminate any bad clusters. Sony is unique with this process: by contrast a Windows formatting method will definitely fail more than 8 bad contiguous clusters, ensuring a drive’s ultimate loss of use before its time. When your PS4 finds defects during its format and evaluation process, it maps around them.

Considering your system is stored on a platen-based hard drive (unless you snuck an upgrade in there) there are countless ways for the disc to attenuate over time and receive what is called a “pit.” If data is saved on such a defect and retrieved successfully, yet it cannot be overwritten, the system’s internals place the GUI presently active on the Crossbar (in this case Conan Exiles) in a wait state.

Your case is one I’ll save for players who reject “starting over for the good of your PS4.”

[Hugo]

Thank you for sharing your findings with us, we’ll be sure to relay them to the team and hopefully it’ll be helpful for other players who might come across a similar issue!

[Croms_Faithful]

@Barnes

I usually err on the side of feedback when it comes to situations such as yours.

No need to err on the side of caution on this one Barnes. Feedback is good. It always pays to be more knowledgeable and better prepared for any potential situations in the future.

@Barnes

You performed the nuclear option, but it proves time and again to be the best for our system.

I will be honest here, I didnt put much thought or consideration into this decision. At that point I was in a panic, and my action was more an instinctive thing. Im just thankful that it didnt blow up in my face, especially considering that I am not generally a lucky person. Im am curious though, if I hadnt jumped the gun, whst would you have advised as the next course of action? Unless that was to be it.

@Barnes

It will evaluate the drive’s health using a variant of SMART data protection built onto the hard drive, reorganize the space, and eliminate any bad clusters.

Awesome. In that case I wont sit my beer on it tonight. Relax Im just kidding, I have never done that before. Im just being cheeky. Im kind of warped.

@Barnes

When your PS4 finds defects during its format and evaluation process, it maps around them.

The whe process you have just described to me is very interesting, and a clever design. Having used the term ‘bad clusters’, I am guessing that this was indeed a corruption issue, is that right Barnes? So it essentially mapped a path around the corruption, is that also correct?

@Barnes

Considering your system is stored on a platen-based hard drive (unless you snuck an upgrade in there) there are countless ways for the disc to attenuate over time and receive what is called a “pit.” If data is saved on such a defect and retrieved successfully, yet it cannot be overwritten, the system’s internals place the GUI presently active on the Crossbar (in this case Conan Exiles) in a wait state.

Im not sure what you mean by an upgrade. Or for that matter are available. But it is unmodified. Forgive but I had no idea what you mean by a ‘pit’ or the GUI crossbar waiting parts.

@Barnes

Your case is one I’ll save for players who reject “starting over for the good of your PS4.”

Would it have been more advisable to start again? I probably wouldnt have due to the reasons given in PM. But I am extremely appreciative of the help here. Thanks a bunch Barnes and for that matter all others. The journey shall now continue.

[Croms_Faithful]

Thanks Hugo. As of the time of this post there continues to be 0 incidents of getting stuck on the Respawn screen. Im not sure if my feedback will be of any help or not, but thanks for the support. Im just so happy to be back and enjoying the game again.

[Barnes]

I would have implored you to wipe and start from backup, even though it’s a very hard sell for some people. Because you don’t have the Cloud service, I probably would have asked you to deliberately make another backup of the whole system.

Inside every PS4 I own is a conventional hard drive – which means a hardened case, a circuit board, a reading arm with a head on it and a spinning silver disk. Few moving parts, but plenty to break. After about 9,000 hours, even if the system’s disc/disk manager hasn’t reported errors, I always advise replacing the system’s internal drive. Have it cloned onto a newer, potentially faster or larger drive, and end up with a spare, older hard drive.

When Windows uses its disk technology to analyze a hard drive, it will give a readout of the layout of the data on your drive. Since it’s a spinning disk, retrieval of data would be considerably slower if it were stored in one contiguous location, so instead it’s maneuvered into clusters, possibly spread over the entire disk. When Windows finds an issue with a hard drive, often this data will be compromised entirely, yet the system won’t immediately lock off the bad clusters. By contrast, the PS4 runs a low-level utility during boot, plus the one built onto the hard drive’s EEPROM, or durable non-volatile RAM. When the PS4’s OS finds a bad cluster it immediately encapsulates it and shifts the data elsewhere if possible.

There are on-board PS4 disk utilities you could’ve tried, and they’re about 50/50 with identifying a problem. In that case, the machine might’ve told you to format and restore from backup. If you’re curious, if you’ve ever had your PS4 running in Sleep Mode and had a power event, your PS4 will admonish you when it restarts. It will load the black-screen disk checker, and it’s during this process where it most likely would’ve flagged you to wipe and start over.

I hope you keep documenting your Journeys, and I’m delighted you’re back on them again!