It most definatily is not prior version save game compatible. Normally if it's a full version update, save game compatibility is lost. If it's more of a patch update, like Version 0.9.7 goes to 0.9.7a I will do all I can to keep save game. But for a major release, as going from 0.9.7 to 0.9.8 was, save game is lost. There are a few reasons, first there was alot of under the hood improvements in 0.9.8 as alot of code and functionality was moved into the gamecore from the Python (improves performance, and makes things easier to edit in the future for mod modders, as they now have XML tags to make things happen rather then being forced to hardcode functions in Python). These code changes alone broke save game. Secondly save game compatibility is generally lost when an entire new class of something is added or removed; this updated removes the Destroyer Escort, and adds back in some missing strings from removed units such as Horse Archers, which also breaks save game compatibility.
