I'm not entirely sure if i understood the question, but from what i know about the community release and e19, your save should be safe if you are either really early in the game, or at the end of e18. I recall someone (probably andracass) saying that mid-game saves may not work due to missing certain events or interactions. If you havent gone too far, i would wait until e19, or just play until the end, then update to e19 at the end