What the heck is the difference???

[MattJek]

Why did civ make two different CIV4 locations on my compt. MyDocument/MyGames/CIV4 and Program Files/Firaxis/CIV4. Does this have something to do with moding?

 

[WetWarev7]

I think more and more games are starting to put the save games and config files in My Docs. It probably helps with modding as well.

Maybe has something to do with not all users having admin rights too...

 

[MattJek]

Do any moders know what the difference is?? Both locations have a mods section as well

 

[Reignking]

The Program Files has the game files, and the My Docs area is used to store personal data and settings.

 

[MattJek]

What does the custom assest folder hold?

 

[Smidlee]

you shouldn't make or add any mods to your game program only in your docs. This keeps you from having to reinstall the game for all your mods you have added every time a new patch comes out. Anything in custom asset will be use when loading the game( not the program's asset folder) without rewriting Civ4 asset folder. If a mod screws up your game all you have to do is delete the custom asset. When you load Civ 4 again it will reset custom asset back to default setting from your program folder.

 

[Draconian]

What game did come up with that my docs BS? That folder is usually on the system partition and I want to have save games from my games on my GAME partition, not on my SYSTEM partition.
SpellForce (very nice game) for example puts savegames to my docs too, and they easily take some hundred MB... I don't like having to increase the size of my system partition only to be able to make save games.
And if you don't have admin rights you cannot access the savegames that were created while being logged in with another user account. Some people may like that but you don't play civ on your workstation at work, so who cares?

 

[MattJek]

you shouldn't make or add any mods to your game program only in your docs. This keeps you from having to reinstall the game for all your mods you have added every time a new patch comes out. Anything in custom asset will be use when loading the game( not the program's asset folder) without rewriting Civ4 asset folder. If a mod screws up your game all you have to do is delete the custom asset. When you load Civ 4 again it will reset custom asset back to default setting from your program folder.

Too late.... ... I already messed up my game. My main folder is so jumbled with mods that I was pondering deleting everything (save salvaging a few personal files) and reinstalling the game. I think I will do that in the next few days. Thanks for the explanation

 

[warpstorm]

What game did come up with that my docs BS?

Microsoft came up with it and has been encouraging companies to do things that way for years.

And if you don't have admin rights you cannot access the savegames that were created while being logged in with another user account. Some people may like that but you don't play civ on your workstation at work, so who cares?

Speak for yourself. Some of us do play Civ4 at work.

 

[WetWarev7]

Microsoft came up with it and has been encouraging companies to do things that way for years.



Speak for yourself. Some of us do play Civ4 at work.

oooo....any job openings?

 

[Ktulu]

You can change the location of where the my documents folder is located.

 

[BeefontheBone]

I thought it was fairly obvious - if more than one user wants to play the game, they can each have their own mods etc and saves without messing around renaming backup folders left right and centre. Buh.

 

[Fabius]

you shouldn't make or add any mods to your game program only in your docs.

That's not necessarily good advice. I made a mod and put it in the My Docs folders on my machine and my wife's. I sent her a saved game that used my mod, but she couldn't open it. The reason was because the location of my My Docs (on my E: drive) and the location of hers (in default location on C: drive) was different. Also, I installed the game and called the folder Civ4. She installed the game and chose the default Sid Meier's Civilization IV. It saw the differences.

So if you have to install a mod or something, install it to your main Civ 4 directory's Mods folder, NOT your My Docs' Civ 4 Mods folder. It could save you grief if you ever try to send a saved game to someone else.

 

[Zurai]

I thought it was fairly obvious - if more than one user wants to play the game, they can each have their own mods etc and saves without messing around renaming backup folders left right and centre. Buh.

Bingo. Give the man a prize.

Also, storing personal game-related data in the My Documents folders is one of the requirements to get the official Microsoft seal of approval. Notice how there's a sticky in these forums that says to use the Microsoft error reporter to send in crash bugs (the little window that pops up when a program crashes)? That's one of the benefits of a certified program.

 

[Smidlee]

That's not necessarily good advice. I made a mod and put it in the My Docs folders on my machine and my wife's. I sent her a saved game that used my mod, but she couldn't open it. The reason was because the location of my My Docs (on my E: drive) and the location of hers (in default location on C: drive) was different. Also, I installed the game and called the folder Civ4. She installed the game and chose the default Sid Meier's Civilization IV. It saw the differences.

So if you have to install a mod or something, install it to your main Civ 4 directory's Mods folder, NOT your My Docs' Civ 4 Mods folder. It could save you grief if you ever try to send a saved game to someone else.

I have loaded saves mod games from different Pc's without an trouble. Of course every pc I've ever own had the hard drive default as C also. Still it recommended you don't put mods in the program file. I had to reinstall because at first I was putting mods directly in the game folder. I did put harkonnen patch directly but I backup the original files so I could easily remove his patch.