Icarus Save Management & Backups

Managing Server Saves

Icarus save handling requires clear separation between mission and persistent world data so rollback decisions can be made quickly during crashes or bad updates.

Save Location

Your saves are typically located in:

Manual Backups

We recommend backing up the entire /Saved/ directory daily. Icarus missions are long, and a corrupted save can lose hours of progress.

Restoring a Save

1. Stop the server.
2. Delete or rename the current prospect folder.
3. Copy your backup folder into the Prospects directory.
4. Restart the server.

Recovery-Oriented Save Design

Structure your backup process around restoration speed, not only retention volume. During active campaigns, operators need to recover specific sessions fast without restoring unrelated data or causing broad progression rollback.

• Scope tagging: Label backups by mode, map, and patch version for precise recovery.
• Hot backups: Keep recent compressed snapshots ready for immediate fallback.
• Integrity checks: Validate file completeness before deleting older restore points.

Operational Checklist

Treat this topic as a repeatable server operation, not a one-time change. Schedule changes during lower traffic, announce maintenance windows, and keep a rollback snapshot before each update. If your server is modded, validate changes on a staging copy first so startup logs, world loading, and player joins are confirmed before production rollout.

Validation Steps

• Capture baseline metrics: Record CPU, RAM, and average player ping before changes.
• Apply one change at a time: Avoid batch edits that make root-cause analysis difficult.
• Review logs after restart: Check for version mismatch and dependency warnings immediately.
• Run a real join test: Confirm fresh clients can connect and complete core gameplay actions.
• Observe for at least 24 hours: Validate behavior under peak load, not only right after reboot.

Performance and Stability Notes

Most hosting incidents come from resource spikes combined with configuration drift. Keep restart cadence predictable, review world/save growth weekly, and cap optional systems that generate extreme entity counts. When performance drops, compare with your last known-good baseline and revert recent high-risk changes quickly to reduce downtime.

Backup and Rollback Policy

Use automated daily backups plus pre-change snapshots for risky operations. Keep at least one off-node copy and test restore procedures routinely. A practical retention strategy is 7 daily, 4 weekly, and 2 monthly restore points. If a change causes instability, roll back first, stabilize service, and then reattempt with a narrower test scope.

Game-Specific Hosting Notes

• Session model awareness: Align save handling with mission/session lifecycle expectations.
• Patch testing: Validate dedicated server tools and launch args after each update.
• Backup cadence: Snapshot before major world events or config changes.