jamfiles

Jamfiles are a type of file commonly associated with the game Dwarf Fortress. These files store the game's simulation data, including information about the world, its inhabitants, and their ongoing activities. Essentially, a jamfile acts as a snapshot of the game's state at a particular moment. When a player saves their game, the game engine writes the current simulation data into a jamfile. Upon loading the save, the game reads this data back to resume the simulation from that point. The term "jamfile" itself is not an official designation but rather a colloquialism used by the game's community. The exact internal structure and format of jamfiles are proprietary to Dwarf Fortress and are not publicly documented outside of the game's code and community discussions. The size of jamfiles can vary significantly depending on the complexity of the saved game, the length of time played, and the amount of detail in the simulation. Players often refer to jamfiles when discussing save game corruption or transfer, as these files are central to the persistence of their Dwarf Fortress worlds.