## What changed
- **World save system** — completely redesigned to use folder-based storage with chunked files instead of single .db and .fwl files
- **Modified chunk saving** — only chunks that have been changed are saved, reducing save times and file sizes
- **Character saves** — remain unchanged and unaffected by the new system
- **Backup storage** — now stored in separate folders instead of alongside world files
- **Save validation** — the system performs extra checks after saving to verify data integrity and reduce corruption risk
- **Legacy world conversion** — when loading old non-chunked worlds, an automatic backup is created first to prevent data loss during conversion
## Bug Fixes
- **Corrupt save prevention** — additional verification checks catch save errors before they cause data loss
- **Safe world migration** — legacy worlds are backed up before chunking to protect against potential new bugs
## New Limitations
- **Cloud storage file limits** — some platforms now restrict the number of files that can be saved, which conflicts with the new chunked system creating significantly more files than before
## Overall
Valheim's world saves are now chunked and folder-based for better performance, but this creates more individual files that may exceed cloud storage limits on some platforms.
Introducing a new world save system
The new save system only affects world saves, character saves remain the same.
When saving, only the chunks that have been modified are saved.
Instead of saving a world with the .db and .fwl files it’s now stored in folders and the world (.db) is split up in multiple files (chunks).
Backups are stored in separate folders.
When loading a world that is not chunked, a backup is made first so no data is lost in case of potential new bugs.
The save system performs extra checks after saving to make sure it saved properly, which reduces the risk of a corrupt save.
There is a new limitation in cloud storage, up until now it was only the total size of all saves. Some platforms have a limit in how many files can be saved, this was previously not a limitation but now there will be way more files saved.
## What changed
- **Radial menu emote selection** — you can now hold down the radial menu button and release to select an emote instead of clicking
- **Gamepad crouch** — reverted to single button press instead of press-and-hold
## Bug Fixes
- **Windowed mode resolution settings** — fixed erratic behavior when adjusting display settings
- **Vulkan startup crash** — fixed crash on Windows startup under specific conditions with Vulkan renderer
- **Ashlands audio** — eliminated stuttering in the Ashlands biome
- **Graphics settings application** — fixed settings sometimes not applying correctly after updating from older versions
- **Graphics menu UX** — fixed minor interface issues
- **Mod compatibility crash** — fixed null reference exception in version 0.221.10 when mods accessed preferences at startup through localization or other systems
## Overall
This patch adds quality-of-life improvements to the emote system and gamepad controls while addressing stability issues with graphics settings, audio performance, and mod compatibility.
Added release-to-select in the radial menu: If you continue holding down the radial menu button/key after the radial menu appears, you can select an emote by releasing the button/key.
Reverted crouching being unintentionally changed to a press-and-hold action on gamepad. Now it’s back to being a single press again.
Fixed annoying resolution setting behavior in windowed mode when changing settings.
Fixed crash on startup on Windows that triggers under specific conditions when using Vulkan.
Fixed audio stutters in Ashlands.
Fixed sometimes not being able to apply graphics settings properly the first time after updating from an earlier version.
Fixed some minor UX issues in the graphics settings menu.
Fixed a null reference exception that started happening in 0.221.10 when mods directly or indirectly accessed preferences at startup (for example via the localization system).