Kiln Load Save Glitch: Stuck At Campfire

Hey fellow mod enthusiasts! It seems like some of us are running into a rather frustrating issue when trying to load a save game in Kiln, the final map of our beloved mod. I recently encountered this myself, and from the sounds of it, it's not an isolated incident. You've battled your way through the mod, reached the penultimate campfire, and you're ready to conquer Kiln. But when you load your save, instead of stepping foot into the last frontier, you find yourself mysteriously blocked by a semi-transparent wall right at the entrance. It’s like the game knows you’re there, but it’s not quite ready for you to enter. This isn't just a minor inconvenience; it effectively halts your progress dead in its tracks, leaving you staring at a barrier that prevents you from continuing your adventure. The feeling of being so close to the end, only to be stopped by an invisible wall, can be incredibly disheartening, especially after investing so much time and effort into the game. It’s a real buzzkill, and understandably, players want to know why this is happening and, more importantly, how to fix it. We’re all here because we love this mod and want to experience its entirety, so let’s dive into what might be causing this and what we can do about it.

This particular issue, where players are stuck at the campfire before entering Kiln, seems to be linked to the save-loading process. When you load your save file, the game is supposed to place you at the appropriate point in the map, ready for action. However, in this case, it appears the loading mechanism is malfunctioning specifically for Kiln. Instead of spawning you inside the map, it’s depositing you just outside the entrance, right by the last campfire. And to add to the confusion, it’s not just a simple respawn issue. The game then erects this bizarre, semi-transparent wall that completely obstructs the path forward. It’s as if the game hasn’t fully loaded the Kiln environment for you yet, or perhaps there’s a trigger that’s not being activated correctly. Compounding this problem, some players have reported that their teammates are being sent to entirely different, earlier locations, like the campfire in Caldera (the second-to-last map). This suggests a more widespread problem with how the game is handling player positions and map transitions during the save-load sequence, potentially an accidental misplacement or a genuine bug in the code. The fact that teammates are affected in different ways, with one being stuck at the Kiln entrance and another potentially sent back a whole map, points towards a significant issue that needs a thorough investigation. It’s not just about one player being blocked; it’s about the integrity of the save system and the progression through the mod.

Understanding the Kiln Entry Blockage

Let's delve a bit deeper into why this Kiln entry blockage might be happening. When you first approach Kiln, there's typically a specific trigger or event that needs to occur for the entrance to become accessible. This might involve completing a certain objective, interacting with an NPC, or simply reaching a particular point in the map. However, when loading a save, especially one made right before entering Kiln, these triggers might not be properly re-initialized or activated. The game loads your character's state, but it fails to properly load the state of the environment or the necessary quest progression flags that would normally open the path. The semi-transparent wall could be a visual representation of this uninitialized or blocked state. It's a placeholder, essentially, indicating that something is preventing entry, but without the proper game logic in place, it remains an insurmountable obstacle. The fact that one teammate might be stuck at the Kiln entrance while another is sent back to Caldera suggests that the save file itself might contain corrupted data related to player positioning or world state. It could be that the save data for the player who gets stuck at Kiln has a flag that prevents the entry trigger from firing, while the data for the teammate who is sent back to Caldera might have a more severe corruption that resets their position to an earlier map entirely. This kind of discrepancy highlights how sensitive save files can be to errors.

Furthermore, the modding environment itself can introduce complexities. Mods often alter game mechanics, scripts, and world data. When a mod is installed, it modifies the base game files. A save file created with a mod active will contain references to these modified states. If there’s an error in how the mod’s scripts handle map transitions or save/load operations, it can lead to situations like this. It’s possible that the script responsible for opening the path into Kiln is not being correctly executed upon loading the save, or it might be conflicting with other scripts loaded from the save file. The semi-transparent wall could even be a debug feature left in by mistake, or a visual cue for a condition that isn't being met. The unusual placement of teammates in different maps also points to a potential issue with how the mod handles multiplayer saves or how it determines player spawn points after a load. The game might be misinterpreting the save data and assigning incorrect spawn points, leading to these strange occurrences. Without direct access to the mod's code, it’s hard to pinpoint the exact cause, but these are the most likely scenarios.

Potential Solutions and Workarounds

While we wait for an official fix, there are a few potential solutions and workarounds for the Kiln load save glitch. The most straightforward approach, if you haven't progressed too far since the problematic save, is to try reloading an earlier save file. Sometimes, a corrupted save can be isolated to a specific point, and an older save might bypass the issue entirely. It’s worth checking your autosaves and manual saves to see if you have a viable option that predates the Kiln entrance problem. If that doesn't work, or if you don't have an earlier save, you might need to consider restarting the map or even a portion of the mod. While this is obviously not ideal, it might be the only way to continue if the save is fundamentally broken. Another common suggestion in modding communities for such issues is to try verifying the integrity of the game files. If you're using a platform like Steam, this option can be found in the game's properties. This process checks for any corrupted or missing game files and redownloads them, which can sometimes resolve unexpected glitches. It’s a good first step to ensure your base game installation is sound before blaming the mod entirely.

For those of you who are more technically inclined, or perhaps desperate enough to try anything, there are more advanced workarounds. Some players have reported success by trying to manually edit their save files. This is risky and not recommended for beginners, as a mistake could corrupt your save even further or break the game. However, if you know what you’re doing, you might be able to find and adjust player position coordinates or script flags related to Kiln’s entry. Another avenue to explore is checking the mod’s official forum or Discord channel. Often, other players will have encountered the same issue and might have found a community-driven solution or workaround. Developers or community moderators may also provide updates or patches to address known bugs like this. It’s also worth considering if any other mods you have installed could be conflicting with this one. Sometimes, incompatibilities between mods can lead to unforeseen problems, especially with save files. Try disabling other mods temporarily to see if that resolves the Kiln entry issue. If it does, you'll have to identify which mod is causing the conflict. Finally, if all else fails, and you genuinely want to continue playing this mod, reaching out to the mod author directly with a detailed report of the issue (including your save file, if possible) is the best way to ensure it gets fixed in a future update. Providing clear information, as you have done, is crucial for developers to diagnose and resolve bugs efficiently.

Reporting the Bug for a Fix

To ensure that this Kiln load save bug is addressed, reporting it effectively is key. The information you've provided is a great starting point: you were trying to load a save in Kiln, found yourself at the campfire blocked by a wall, and noticed a teammate was sent to a different map. This level of detail is crucial for the mod developers to understand the scope and nature of the problem. When reporting a bug, always include as much relevant information as possible. This includes:

• Your Save File: If you can attach your save file, it's incredibly valuable. Developers can use it to directly test the issue and try to replicate it on their end. Ensure you mention where in the game this save was made (e.g., right before entering Kiln).
• Mod Version: Specify which version of the mod you are using. Mods are updated frequently, and a bug might have already been fixed in a later version, or it might be specific to an older version.
• Game Version: If the mod is for a specific game (like Skyrim, Fallout, etc.), mention the version of that game you are running. Compatibility issues can arise from different game versions.
• Other Mods: List any other mods you have installed. Conflicts between mods are a very common cause of bugs, and knowing your mod list helps developers rule out external factors.
• Steps to Reproduce: Clearly outline the steps you took that led to the bug. In this case, it’s