There are 2-3 by default.

'The name you save it as'.sav
Autosave.sav
PreviousAutoSave.sav

But I only save it to a single name, i.e. Game1, and resave it now and then, overwriting each time.

I don't normally go back very far, and never before the PreviousAutoSave.

usually three for me:

as said before: autosave after 5 turns, previous auto save (after 10 turns, natch ), and one for the actual save of mine.

If I feel the need to save again (numero cuatro / 4), for reasons such as a radical change in strategy (i.e. changing from a dormant, economic power, to a much-needed conquistador-like victory stance - or from a pirate-hating..."grr...darn pirates killed my picket ships, time for upgrades with the (hopefully) new military techs", etc., etc.), then I will make a number four to see how it turns out, ya know?

If it turns out good, then I just go back to my third save, ya know?

Anyway, that's just my two cents... .

This thread makes me realize that one of the reasons I'm a GCII fan is that it mostly broke me out of the restore-cheat habit. I still save compulsively b/c my system is below specs and one lost turn is a lot on a gigantic, late-game map.

I do still make the occasional named save for major events, but I rarely load them. However, just this morning I used the OS for the first time to copy my last quicksave in case this unbelievable mass of "Vengance" ships breaks my game and a save might help me escape the horrible randomness of it all.

Does the leader assassination event ever happen to an AI player? I've been utterly peace-oriented for the whole game, only going to war when my allies were attacked and spending hard to get the wars cooled down (well, after the turn or two I needed to pick up those loose resources...). Narratively speaking, several of the AIs are a much more plausible candidate for Stupid Assassin.

My computer has been acting up, so if I need to go and do something that might take more then a minute then I'll save. And if a glitch happens in the game I'll save a 4th file, but other then that I usually have three active saves.

For some reason I like only saving once. I feel more of a connection to the game. Call me strange I guess, but I feel if I forget to do something or do something dumb I should have to live with it. After all you do not get a "do over" in real life, and besides, I feel it makes the game more interesting trying to recover from a stupid mistake or decision.

I know, I know, this isn't real life. I do like to simulate it though.

Just my thoughts.