Why is Documents and Settings being used for games?

from Sins Forums

Why is Documents and Settings being used for games more and more lately?  I've noticed a trend where more games utilize the Documents and Settings folder for games saves, settings, etc.  I personally would like to keep all of my gaming info in one folder, my \games folder.  Is there a way to redirect this?  It's a pain when my c: is filling up where doc and settings is while d: has tons of space.  Now I know I could transfer the doc and settings folder to d: but I'd rather have all neccessary game info for SoaSE kept in the actual installed directory.

22,522 views 12 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top

It installs that way so that if you have multiple users on one computer, another user wont beable to play your saved games or screw up your game with bad mods and what not. I know this isnt a issue with most players but there it is.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

A lot of it is also dictated by Microsoft's Games for Windows label, as well as Windows itself. If you notice, every game these days keeps user data in various places in the user path. It's not always AppData, like Fallout 3 I think uses My Documents/My Games, but essentially yeah, they have to do it that way.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

What bugs me the most is that each company has a totally different way of doing it and its totally spammed the frack out of my My Documents folder.

Make a Games/%MyGame% or Games/%Company%/%MyGame%   folder under My Documents.  Stick everything in there, where I can find it or ignore it as I please. 

 

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Yeah, it's certainly due mainly to the "Games for Windows" thing.  What annoys me the most about it is that Vista has specific user directories for Saved Games (which can be relocated easily) and things like that but most companies insist on using AppData or some other non-moveable system folder.

-dolynick

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting RaveBomb, reply 3
What bugs me the most is that each company has a totally different way of doing it and its totally spammed the frack out of my My Documents folder.
End of RaveBomb's quote

This absolutely annoys the hell out of me.  I have a very specific and efficient folder stucture on my PC.  Then, along comes some game and fraks up my organizational system!  It also doesn't help that I put all of my games on a seperate drive (D).  My C drive has about over a gig of game related files that should be in the games directory (Mods and Saves)!  Not taking up valuble real estate on my OS drive!  I really wished I could decide where save, config and other game files are stored on my system.  In Sins, I don't like the fact that mods are stored in the User\AddData folder.  I can easily have over a gig of mods installed.  Why must save games and mods be stored in this fashion?  I can understand, perhaps, some config files being stored in AppData folder, but full mods?  Save games? 

/vent

Quoting xploseve_12b, reply 1
It installs that way so that if you have multiple users on one computer, another user wont beable to play your saved games or screw up your game with bad mods and what not. I know this isnt a issue with most players but there it is.
End of xploseve_12b's quote

That's like taking out a telephone booth with a tomahawk missile!  Surely there is a more efficient way to solve this

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

Yeah, it's certainly due mainly to the "Games for Windows" thing. What annoys me the most about it is that Vista has specific user directories for Saved Games (which can be relocated easily) and things like that but most companies insist on using AppData or some other non-moveable system folder.
End of quote

 

Exactly. Many GfW titles store their stuff under "My Games", why does Sins hide it in AppData?

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

That's like taking out a telephone booth with a tomahawk missile! Surely there is a more efficient way to solve this without forcing me to move my Users folder? (Which I ended up having to do.)
End of quote

Trust me, I know. I hate it too. ("screwing with MY messy desk will you!!" shakes fist in derection of the computer...)  They do this (my thinking) cause most people that use computers, dont really know how to arrange these folders to thier own likeing, (although most gamers do).  It would be nice if during intallation, in the addvanced install (if the game has one, it shoud anyway) there was a option to decide where to store these files.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting xploseve_12b, reply 7

That's like taking out a telephone booth with a tomahawk missile! Surely there is a more efficient way to solve this without forcing me to move my Users folder? (Which I ended up having to do.)
Trust me, I know. I hate it too. ("screwing with MY messy desk will you!!" shakes fist in derection of the computer...)  They do this (my thinking) cause most people that use computers, dont really know how to arrange these folders to thier own likeing, (although most gamers do).  It would be nice if during intallation, in the addvanced install (if the game has one, it shoud anyway) there was a option to decide where to store these files.
End of xploseve_12b's quote

Yep, your probably right on why they do it.  I would like to see the your advanced install idea implemented though.

OT - I just noticed my post upthread is now missing the part you quoted...  Of course the forums were lagging when I posted that...

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

It's a requirement of Microsoft if you want the "Games for Windows" specification.

Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top

It's a location recommended by Microsoft for storing Application related data files. It's per user and safe. It's also one of  the requirements for "Designed for Windows" logo programme.

My Games or Games located in My Documents or Documents folders are for Save files and user configuration only, and not for application data files. Mods are considered to be application data files, not user files.

 

Hope that helps.

Cheers

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

Is it possible to allow the use shortcuts to folders on others drives ? (then you REALLY decide where the data/saves/mods/etc... are stored)

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

The reason they mandate it for GfW is like galatei says, it's because it's per user.  If your brother logs in on his own account he will have his own save games and user settings (for sake of example).  Makes sense really but when I got this PC I knew this happened so I made my own files directory under My Documents  called ' Paul' and then I use that as the root of My Documents.