diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/App.java b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/App.java
index 104a7a03a..55b43ab8d 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/App.java
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/App.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.glutils.ShapeRenderer;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.utils.Disposable;
 import com.badlogic.gdx.utils.JsonValue;
 import com.github.strikerx3.jxinput.XInputDevice;
+import kotlin.Pair;
 import net.torvald.gdx.graphics.PixmapIO2;
 import net.torvald.getcpuname.GetCpuName;
 import net.torvald.terrarum.concurrent.ThreadExecutor;
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ import net.torvald.terrarum.modulebasegame.IngameRenderer;
 import net.torvald.terrarum.modulebasegame.TerrarumIngame;
 import net.torvald.terrarum.modulebasegame.ui.ItemSlotImageFactory;
 import net.torvald.terrarum.serialise.WriteConfig;
+import net.torvald.terrarum.serialise.WriteMeta;
 import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.VirtualDisk;
 import net.torvald.terrarum.utils.JsonFetcher;
 import net.torvald.terrarum.worlddrawer.CreateTileAtlas;
@@ -194,7 +196,7 @@ public class App implements ApplicationListener {
     /**
      * Sorted by the lastplaytime, in reverse order (index 0 is the most recent game played)
      */
-    public static ArrayList<VirtualDisk> savegames = new ArrayList<>();
+    public static ArrayList<Pair<File, WriteMeta.WorldMeta>> savegames = new ArrayList<>();
 
     public static void updateListOfSavegames() {
         AppUpdateListOfSavegames();
diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/DefaultConfig.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/DefaultConfig.kt
index f31738db4..e9955b090 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/DefaultConfig.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/DefaultConfig.kt
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ object DefaultConfig {
             "atlastexsize" to 2048,
 
             "language" to App.getSysLang(),
-            "notificationshowuptime" to 4000,
+            "notificationshowuptime" to 4096, // 4s
+            "autosaveinterval" to 262144, // 4m22s
             "multithread" to true,
 
             "showhealthmessageonstartup" to true,
diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/Terrarum.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/Terrarum.kt
index c3be85e52..a9e50fac1 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/Terrarum.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/Terrarum.kt
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import net.torvald.terrarum.gameworld.fmod
 import net.torvald.terrarum.itemproperties.ItemCodex
 import net.torvald.terrarum.itemproperties.MaterialCodex
 import net.torvald.terrarum.serialise.Common
+import net.torvald.terrarum.serialise.ReadMeta
+import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.DiskSkimmer
 import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.EntryFile
 import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.VDUtil
 import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.VirtualDisk
@@ -685,24 +687,29 @@ fun AppUpdateListOfSavegames() {
     App.savegames.clear()
     File(App.defaultSaveDir).listFiles().filter { !it.isDirectory && !it.name.contains('.') }.map { file ->
         try {
-            VDUtil.readDiskArchive(file, Level.INFO) {
-                printdbgerr("Terrarum", "Possibly corrupted savefile '${file.absolutePath}':\n$it")
+            DiskSkimmer(file, Common.CHARSET) { it.containsKey(-1) }.requestFile(-1)?.let {
+                file to ReadMeta.fromDiskEntry(it)
             }
         }
         catch (e: Throwable) {
+            System.err.println("Unable to load a savefile ${file.absolutePath}")
             e.printStackTrace()
             null
         }
-    }.filter { it != null && it.entries.contains(-1) }
-            .sortedByDescending { (it as VirtualDisk).entries[-1]!!.modificationDate }.forEach {
+    }.filter { it != null }.sortedByDescending { it!!.second.lastplay_t }.forEach {
         App.savegames.add(it!!)
     }
 }
 
-fun checkForSavegameDamage(disk: VirtualDisk): Boolean {
+/**
+ * @param skimmer loaded with the savefile
+ */
+fun checkForSavegameDamage(skimmer: DiskSkimmer): Boolean {
     // # check if The Player is there
-    val player = disk.entries[PLAYER_REF_ID.toLong().and(0xFFFFFFFFL)] ?: return true
-    // # check if the world The Player is at actually exists
+    val player = skimmer.requestFile(PLAYER_REF_ID.toLong().and(0xFFFFFFFFL))?.contents ?: return true
+    // # check if:
+    //      the world The Player is at actually exists
+    //      all the actors for the world actually exists
     val currentWorld = (player as EntryFile).bytes.let {
         val maxsize = 1 shl 30
         val worldIndexRegex = Regex("""worldIndex: ?([0-9]+)""")
@@ -711,6 +718,8 @@ fun checkForSavegameDamage(disk: VirtualDisk): Boolean {
     // todo
     }
 
+//    skimmer.requestFile(367228416) ?: return true
+
 
     return false
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/gameworld/GameWorld.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/gameworld/GameWorld.kt
index 197ebff58..a72c9994c 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/gameworld/GameWorld.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/gameworld/GameWorld.kt
@@ -128,7 +128,7 @@ open class GameWorld() : Disposable {
 
         // preliminary spawn points
         this.spawnX = width / 2
-        this.spawnY = 200
+        this.spawnY = 150
 
         layerTerrain = BlockLayer(width, height)
         layerWall = BlockLayer(width, height)
diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/TerrarumIngame.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/TerrarumIngame.kt
index 4872d8f66..123028b91 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/TerrarumIngame.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/TerrarumIngame.kt
@@ -285,8 +285,14 @@ open class TerrarumIngame(batch: SpriteBatch) : IngameInstance(batch) {
     /** Load rest of the game with GL context */
     private fun postInitForLoadFromSave(codices: Codices) {
         codices.actors.forEach {
-            val actor = ReadActor(LoadSavegame.getFileReader(codices.disk, it.toLong()))
-            addNewActor(actor)
+            try {
+                val actor = ReadActor(LoadSavegame.getFileReader(codices.disk, it.toLong()))
+                addNewActor(actor)
+            }
+            catch (e: NullPointerException) {
+                System.err.println("Could not read the actor ${it} from the disk")
+//                throw e // TODO don't rethrow -- let players play the corrupted world if it loads, they'll be able to cope with their losses even though there will be buncha lone actorblocks lying around...
+            }
         }
 
         // by doing this, whatever the "possession" the player had will be broken by the game load
diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/ui/UILoadDemoSavefiles.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/ui/UILoadDemoSavefiles.kt
index 547e46701..e809d17ca 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/ui/UILoadDemoSavefiles.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/ui/UILoadDemoSavefiles.kt
@@ -14,13 +14,14 @@ import net.torvald.terrarum.langpack.Lang
 import net.torvald.terrarum.serialise.Common
 import net.torvald.terrarum.serialise.LoadSavegame
 import net.torvald.terrarum.serialise.ReadMeta
-import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.ByteArray64InputStream
-import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.VDUtil
-import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.VirtualDisk
+import net.torvald.terrarum.serialise.WriteMeta
+import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.*
 import net.torvald.terrarum.ui.*
+import java.io.File
 import java.time.Instant
 import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter
 import java.util.*
+import java.util.logging.Level
 import java.util.zip.GZIPInputStream
 import kotlin.math.roundToInt
 
@@ -74,10 +75,10 @@ class UILoadDemoSavefiles : UICanvas() {
 
     // read savegames
     init {
-        App.savegames.forEachIndexed { index, disk ->
+        App.savegames.forEachIndexed { index, fileMetaPair ->
             val x = uiX
             val y = titleTopGradEnd + cellInterval * index
-            addUIitem(UIItemDemoSaveCells(this, x, y, disk as VirtualDisk))
+            addUIitem(UIItemDemoSaveCells(this, x, y, fileMetaPair.first, fileMetaPair.second))
         }
     }
 
@@ -275,7 +276,9 @@ class UIItemDemoSaveCells(
         parent: UILoadDemoSavefiles,
         initialX: Int,
         initialY: Int,
-        val disk: VirtualDisk) : UIItem(parent, initialX, initialY) {
+        val diskfile: File, val meta: WriteMeta.WorldMeta) : UIItem(parent, initialX, initialY) {
+
+    private val skimmer = DiskSkimmer(diskfile, Common.CHARSET)
 
     companion object {
         const val WIDTH = 480
@@ -289,7 +292,7 @@ class UIItemDemoSaveCells(
     private var thumb: TextureRegion? = null
     private val grad = CommonResourcePool.getAsTexture("title_halfgrad")
 
-    private val meta = ReadMeta(disk)
+    private var saveDamaged = checkForSavegameDamage(skimmer)
 
     private fun parseDuration(seconds: Long): String {
         val s = seconds % 60
@@ -302,6 +305,9 @@ class UIItemDemoSaveCells(
             "${d}d${h.toString().padStart(2,'0')}h${m.toString().padStart(2,'0')}m${s.toString().padStart(2,'0')}s"
     }
 
+    private val saveName = skimmer.getDiskName(Common.CHARSET)
+    private val saveMode = skimmer.getSaveMode()
+
     private val lastPlayedTimestamp = Instant.ofEpochSecond(meta.lastplay_t)
             .atZone(TimeZone.getDefault().toZoneId())
             .format(DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss")) +
@@ -310,7 +316,7 @@ class UIItemDemoSaveCells(
     init {
         try {
             // load a thumbnail
-            val zippedTga = VDUtil.getAsNormalFile(disk, -2).getContent()
+            val zippedTga = (skimmer.requestFile(-2)!!.contents as EntryFile).bytes
             val gzin = GZIPInputStream(ByteArray64InputStream(zippedTga))
             val tgaFileContents = gzin.readAllBytes(); gzin.close()
 
@@ -328,7 +334,7 @@ class UIItemDemoSaveCells(
     }
 
     override var clickOnceListener: ((Int, Int, Int) -> Unit)? = { _: Int, _: Int, _: Int ->
-        LoadSavegame(disk)
+        LoadSavegame(VDUtil.readDiskArchive(diskfile, Level.INFO))
     }
 
     override fun render(batch: SpriteBatch, camera: Camera) {
@@ -357,10 +363,10 @@ class UIItemDemoSaveCells(
         val tlen = App.fontSmallNumbers.getWidth(lastPlayedTimestamp)
         App.fontSmallNumbers.draw(batch, lastPlayedTimestamp, x + (width - tlen) - 3f, y + height - 16f)
         // file size
-        App.fontSmallNumbers.draw(batch, "${disk.usedBytes.ushr(10)} KiB", x + 3f, y + height - 16f)
+        App.fontSmallNumbers.draw(batch, "${diskfile.length().ushr(10)} KiB", x + 3f, y + height - 16f)
         // savegame name
-        val diskName = disk.getDiskNameString(Common.CHARSET)
-        App.fontGame.draw(batch, diskName + "${if (disk.saveMode % 2 == 1) "*" else ""}", x + 3f, y + 1f)
+        if (saveDamaged) batch.color = Color.RED
+        App.fontGame.draw(batch, saveName + "${if (saveMode % 2 == 1) "*" else ""}", x + 3f, y + 1f)
 
         super.render(batch, camera)
         batch.color = Color.WHITE
diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/ui/UIProxyLoadLatestSave.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/ui/UIProxyLoadLatestSave.kt
index 772af9fdb..a220996bb 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/ui/UIProxyLoadLatestSave.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/modulebasegame/ui/UIProxyLoadLatestSave.kt
@@ -5,7 +5,9 @@ import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.g2d.SpriteBatch
 import net.torvald.terrarum.App
 import net.torvald.terrarum.Second
 import net.torvald.terrarum.serialise.LoadSavegame
+import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.VDUtil
 import net.torvald.terrarum.ui.UICanvas
+import java.util.logging.Level
 
 /**
  * Created by minjaesong on 2021-09-13.
@@ -30,7 +32,9 @@ class UIProxyLoadLatestSave : UICanvas() {
 
     override fun endOpening(delta: Float) {
         if (App.savegames.size > 0) {
-            LoadSavegame(App.savegames[0])
+            LoadSavegame(VDUtil.readDiskArchive(App.savegames[0].first, Level.INFO) {
+                System.err.println("Possibly damaged savefile ${App.savegames[0].first.absolutePath}:\n$it")
+            })
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/serialise/WriteMeta.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/serialise/WriteMeta.kt
index 04134adfb..ad7b477a0 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/serialise/WriteMeta.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/serialise/WriteMeta.kt
@@ -5,10 +5,7 @@ import net.torvald.terrarum.ModMgr
 import net.torvald.terrarum.gameactors.ActorID
 import net.torvald.terrarum.modulebasegame.TerrarumIngame
 import net.torvald.terrarum.modulebasegame.worldgenerator.RoguelikeRandomiser
-import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.ByteArray64
-import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.ByteArray64Reader
-import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.EntryFile
-import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.VirtualDisk
+import net.torvald.terrarum.tvda.*
 import net.torvald.terrarum.weather.WeatherMixer
 
 /**
@@ -82,4 +79,9 @@ object ReadMeta {
         return Common.jsoner.fromJson(WriteMeta.WorldMeta::class.java, metaReader)
     }
 
+    fun fromDiskEntry(metaFile: DiskEntry): WriteMeta.WorldMeta {
+        val metaReader = ByteArray64Reader((metaFile.contents as EntryFile).getContent(), Common.CHARSET)
+        return Common.jsoner.fromJson(WriteMeta.WorldMeta::class.java, metaReader)
+    }
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/tvda/DiskSkimmer.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/tvda/DiskSkimmer.kt
index 004f82e69..fb60cc809 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/tvda/DiskSkimmer.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/tvda/DiskSkimmer.kt
@@ -17,7 +17,11 @@ import kotlin.experimental.and
  *
  * Created by minjaesong on 2017-11-17.
  */
-class DiskSkimmer(private val diskFile: File, val charset: Charset = Charset.defaultCharset()) {
+class DiskSkimmer(
+        private val diskFile: File,
+        val charset: Charset = Charset.defaultCharset(),
+        private val skimmingStopFunction: (HashMap<EntryID, Long>) -> Boolean = { false }
+) {
 
     /*
 
@@ -63,6 +67,10 @@ removefile:
 
     val fa = RandomAccessFile(diskFile, "rw")
 
+    private fun debugPrintln(s: Any) {
+        if (false) println(s.toString())
+    }
+
     init {
         val fis = FileInputStream(diskFile)
 
@@ -141,11 +149,13 @@ removefile:
 
             if (typeFlag > 0) {
                 entryToOffsetTable[entryID] = offset
-                println("[DiskSkimmer] successfully read the entry $entryID at offset $offset (name: ${diskIDtoReadableFilename(entryID)})")
+                debugPrintln("[DiskSkimmer] ... successfully read the entry $entryID at offset $offset (name: ${diskIDtoReadableFilename(entryID)})")
             }
             else {
-                println("[DiskSkimmer] discarding entry $entryID at offset $offset (name: ${diskIDtoReadableFilename(entryID)})")
+                debugPrintln("[DiskSkimmer] ... discarding entry $entryID at offset $offset (name: ${diskIDtoReadableFilename(entryID)})")
             }
+
+            if (skimmingStopFunction(entryToOffsetTable)) break
         }
 
     }
@@ -162,7 +172,7 @@ removefile:
     fun requestFile(entryID: EntryID): DiskEntry? {
         entryToOffsetTable[entryID].let { offset ->
             if (offset == null) {
-                println("[DiskSkimmer.requestFile] entry $entryID does not exist on the table")
+                debugPrintln("[DiskSkimmer.requestFile] entry $entryID does not exist on the table")
                 return null
             }
             else {
@@ -231,17 +241,17 @@ removefile:
         // fixme pretty much untested
 
         val path = path.split(dirDelim)
-        //println(path)
+        //debugPrintln(path)
 
         // bunch-of-io-access approach (for reading)
         var traversedDir = 0L // entry ID
         var dirFile: DiskEntry? = null
         path.forEachIndexed { index, dirName ->
-            println("[DiskSkimmer.requestFile] $index\t$dirName, traversedDir = $traversedDir")
+            debugPrintln("[DiskSkimmer.requestFile] $index\t$dirName, traversedDir = $traversedDir")
 
             dirFile = requestFile(traversedDir)
             if (dirFile == null) {
-                println("[DiskSkimmer.requestFile] requestFile($traversedDir) came up null")
+                debugPrintln("[DiskSkimmer.requestFile] requestFile($traversedDir) came up null")
                 return null
             } // outright null
             if (dirFile!!.contents !is EntryDirectory && index < path.lastIndex) { // unexpectedly encountered non-directory
@@ -257,7 +267,7 @@ removefile:
                     // get name of the file
                     val childDirFile = requestFile(it)!!
                     if (childDirFile.filename.toCanonicalString(charset) == dirName) {
-                        //println("[DiskSkimmer] found, $traversedDir -> $it")
+                        //debugPrintln("[DiskSkimmer] found, $traversedDir -> $it")
                         dirGotcha = true
                         traversedDir = it
                     }
@@ -306,6 +316,20 @@ removefile:
         fa.writeByte(bits)
     }
 
+    fun getSaveMode(): Int {
+        fa.seek(49L)
+        return fa.read()
+    }
+
+    fun getDiskName(charset: Charset): String {
+        val bytes = ByteArray(268)
+        fa.seek(10L)
+        fa.read(bytes, 0, 32)
+        fa.seek(60L)
+        fa.read(bytes, 32, 236)
+        return bytes.toCanonicalString(charset)
+    }
+
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     // THESE ARE METHODS TO SUPPORT ON-LINE MODIFICATION //
     ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -409,7 +433,7 @@ removefile:
 
         val HEADER_SIZE = DiskEntry.HEADER_SIZE
 
-        println("[DiskSkimmer.getEntryBlockSize] offset for entry $id = $offset")
+        debugPrintln("[DiskSkimmer.getEntryBlockSize] offset for entry $id = $offset")
 
         val fis = FileInputStream(diskFile)
         fis.skip(offset + 8)