"Attenzione: Unrecognized record in unpack routine" - "Logged to channel: warnings-and-errors" (FM 2015)

[apadovani]

Dear all,

I am writing here following the suggestion of SEGA support that tried to help me with an almost-blocking issue that I am experiencing since few months.

As I wrote also on a different post (https://community.sigames.com/topic/528812-fm-2015-error-cannot-proceed-with-long-time-savegame-9k-hours/) i am experiencing an error that freezes the game.

I am playing my FM 2015 save since it was released and i am now around 2190. Never encountered particular issues besides some crashes from time to time (stability is great). However, I cannot play no longer since at a specific date, a small window labeled logged to channel: warnings-and-errors appears with the message "unrecognized record in unpack routine". I tried pretty much everything (restarting the game, the PC, uninstalling and then re-installing the game, clearing the cash, verifying steam installation), but every time I reach that specific date, the error happens again.

After several experiments, I found that going on vacation for around 4 weeks allowed to pass the critical day and proceed with the game. Then I soon discovered that the error was given again after a while (alternatively after 14-16 months and 4-6 months). Eventually, I reached a point where the error occurred even if I was going on vacation... After trying several things,the only way I found to not get the error was to abandon my team and join another... after 100+ seasons there... well, it was time for a change!

However, the error came back, after around two years... and as the one that forced to change my team, it stays there, no matter what. Going on vacation doesn't work, and I cannot change team again...

So here I am, asking for help, possibly from SI team. I understand that we are talking about FM 2015, but it is also a nearly 200seasons/9500hrs game.

This is what I (think to have) understood so far:

• the error seems to be connected with the manager inbox: if I go on vacation for around four weeks (from the error date) so that inbox messages of the date the error occurs are no longer visible, the error is passed (this worked until recently)
• resigning and joining another team seems to allow to pass the error
• I started thinking the issue may be related to building a new stadium. In my former team I had already build a 140k stadium, but after 30yrs it became small (!) and then myself or directly the team board started the construction of a new one. Then after a while the construction disappeared for no apparent reason, and this seemed to occur after the error was given
• I know that the error has been related with messing-up the game database, but I would exclude this, since  I only use a live time editor to check players and recover some injuries sometimes. And I didn't changed anything recently -doing the same things since the beginning

Thank you!

Edited November 22, 2020 by apadovani

[FrazT]

From memory that error message is generated by a database error and realistically there is not a lot that can be done short of starting again with a clean database.

[apadovani]

@FrazT yes, but it is quite disarming to get this problem after 150+ seasons. DB should be much more stable if you do not mess with it.

P.S. I just realized that a part of the original message above was missing so I edited it)

[FrazT]

The game is tested for longevity for sure, but frankly, 150-200 seasons is not normal  for the vast majority of users. and is impossible to test if you use any of the editors.  Any use of the editor does carry a risk and it certainly sound like the issue is a corruption in the database.

[apadovani]

Well, yes and no. Depending on the number of competitions included in your game and on the daily time spent on the game, it is very feasible to reach 100+ seasons even in much less than a year (not my case :)) and the game stability should be granted for such a time span. Of course this is not the case for the vast majority of users. 

Then of course if you play with editors, that's a different story. Even myself cannot 100% exclude that the problem is not originated by something I did (even if as I mentioned I did the same things from the very first season and nothing more than checking CA and PA of my players and magically healing some injuries ). 

It would be at least useful to have more details somewhere on the error, instead that a general message and an empty log file. Maybe one could use those info to workaround the problem.

I like playing the game this way: lot of leagues (Italy, England, France, Germany, ...) so that I can challenge myself with different situations, take small teams and bring them on the top of the world. And I like to do it within a single, very long savegame. I tell you, if there is even a small chance to incur again in this error, this definitely prevents me to start a new game (on the latest installment as I was thinking).