20.4 new mod folder location

[JoeDaFrogman]

6 minutes ago, Roland said:

 

Well, there have been plenty of reports of people having problems as well. I've been arguing that the mod folder change has been okay because they didn't force the change so I have to acknowledge the fact that they did force the server search change without any warning which has caused confusion and inconvenience to many if not all players.

add me to this list of people who have issues with the server join stuff(filters don't seem to work for me to find my friend playing she had to steam invite).    

 

Now ironically, the requirements for adjusting this stuff ALSO is based in the game's program data folder where the game is installed, so, what are the Gamepass PC players supposed to do if they can't easily edit any files within the game install folder?     Just something I want point out.    Can the server config file also be relocated? into the UserDataFolder and be read?   generally, one would want to change the default Servername from "My Game Host" at a minimum right?   That does not count things also in this file people might want to edit such as the various Land Claim settings.   

Just wanted to point this out since it seems to me to be conflicting requirements.   Perhaps there are already plans to handle this in A21(or perhaps even 20.5???) but just in case you might want to at least bring this up as a conflict.

 

 

 

 

 

 

55 minutes ago, Gamida said:

I understand the workaround. I was just curious as to why it can't stay like it is now. What problems will it make. I know if it causes security issues or something similar it has to be changed. I just wanted to know why.

 I THINK some earlier in this thread noted that the default folder for installing apps for windows is the program files or program data folders and those are locked down by MS's UAC settings, so I suspect that is why MS put that requirement on TFP.   

[Gamida]

2 hours ago, Gamida said:

I found all my favorite servers and server history is still in the steam server list.

 

1 hour ago, Roland said:

 

Well, there have been plenty of reports of people having problems as well. I've been arguing that the mod folder change has been okay because they didn't force the change so I have to acknowledge the fact that they did force the server search change without any warning which has caused confusion and inconvenience to many if not all players.

 

What I meant was if you open steam and click on the view tab, then hit servers and then  "Change Filters" button at bottom of screen and make the game 7 Days. All your favorites and history should be in the favorites and history tabs at top.

Unless I missed what you were talking about.

Edited April 30, 2022 by Gamida
Multiple quotes (see edit history)

[ZamiZ]

Finally going back through all the posts in this forum, not just jumping from first page to last page like I usually do. I jumped to conclusions thinking the workaround presented in the thread was symlinks of the entire appdata, when it clearly wasn't. Which I apologize, that was all me.
 

  

On 4/27/2022 at 2:14 PM, faatal said:

We can't have it in the Mods folder for installing from the Microsoft store or Game Pass, because MS does not want users changing files in the install location.

 

We already allow you to specify a location on the command line for data files, which you could specify in the launcher. You can then place a Mods folder there.

-UserDataFolder=x:\7DTDData

 

It can also be set in the serverconfig.xml file.
<property name="UserDataFolder" value="absolute path" /> <!-- Use this to override where the server stores all generated data, including RWG generated worlds. Do not forget to uncomment the entry! -->

 

This knowledge will give me the ability to keep my OS drive as my OS drive. To be honest, 7 Days to Die is taking up almost 20G of my app data with all the worlds I've created. I can now move that off to my larger drives without breaking half of my other programs. Thank you! Can this please get announced somewhere rather than buried in 2 threads in the forums?

Now to continue telling the random people that ask me if they have to load their mods into appdata that no it is not required YET and continue to use the old location.

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by ZamiZ (see edit history)

[meganoth]

9 hours ago, JoeDaFrogman said:

... Can the server config file also be relocated? into the UserDataFolder and be read?   generally, one would want to change the default Servername from "My Game Host" at a minimum right?   That does not count things also in this file people might want to edit such as the various Land Claim settings.   

...

 

If you are talking about dedicated servers, the script provided to launch the server (on linux it is called startserver.sh) already looks for the serverconfig path in the environment as well as the command line and if the script is called without it doesn't even start and tells you:

Quote

No config file specified. Call this script like this:
  ./startserver.sh -configfile=serverconfig.xml
 

 

In other words, the script demands a serverconfig.xml to be specified.

 

Even if that were not the case, that script could just be copied somewhere else and edited. (though I'm talking about linux here, the windows side won't be much different)

 

[KhaineGB]

On windows, I believe you can edit startdedicated.bat to point to a different file.

Right, will do a video on this later. Was going to last night, ended up rescuing a kitten at 11pm. Out to my weekly RPG game today, so it'll likely be tomorrow.

[meganoth]

30 minutes ago, KhaineGB said:

On windows, I believe you can edit startdedicated.bat to point to a different file.

Right, will do a video on this later. Was going to last night, ended up rescuing a kitten at 11pm. Out to my weekly RPG game today, so it'll likely be tomorrow.

 

All dogs will hate you now 😁

[khzmusik]

17 hours ago, KhaineGB said:

So, now i've finished patching up Darkness Falls so it'll work from a location other than 7 Days to Die/Mods, I tried adding this to a shortcut on my desktop.

-UserDataFolder=D:\DarknessFalls

I put the Mods folder in that location, and it worked.

I assume this will also work for linux and mac, but I don't have a way to test that. It should also work for the MS Store if that store puts a shortcut on the desktop. You can just copy the shortcut several times and use those for several mods.

 

What all does it read from that folder? Is it just mods, or is it also saved games, generated worlds, the player profile?

 

Since mods usually break game saves, and may include custom POIs, it would be great if all that were stored in one location.

[KhaineGB]

9 minutes ago, khzmusik said:

 

What all does it read from that folder? Is it just mods, or is it also saved games, generated worlds, the player profile?

 

Since mods usually break game saves, and may include custom POIs, it would be great if all that were stored in one location.

Mods folder, saves and profile DEFINITELY.

Haven't tested RWG

[meganoth]

10 minutes ago, KhaineGB said:

Mods folder, saves and profile DEFINITELY.

Haven't tested RWG

 

If we can trust the comment in serverconfig.xml, then it is RWG as well.

[khzmusik]

This is all very good news. It will probably be easier for people to install mods now, assuming they are tech savvy enough to know how to create a folder and modify a shortcut.

 

...which admittedly is a big assumption. But for the non-tech-savvy there's always the Mod Launcher.

 

With this change it also might not be necessary to have separate game installations, assuming the mods only use Harmony and/or XPath and don't need to modify the game files directly.

[KhaineGB]

This will screw mods that use BepInEx, but that's the only potential issue I can see.

[JCrook1028]

30 minutes ago, KhaineGB said:

This will screw mods that use BepInEx, but that's the only potential issue I can see.

sigh, UL uses that! Ack!

[khzmusik]

48 minutes ago, KhaineGB said:

This will screw mods that use BepInEx, but that's the only potential issue I can see.

 

Well, for those mods, nothing has changed. You'll still have to either overwrite the vanilla game files (with all the Windows/Steam headaches that implies), or modify a second copy of the game. I expect people will still use the Mod Launcher to do the latter.

 

Luckily there's not much that you can't do with Harmony that would make BepInEx necessary. (Add properties/methods to existing classes is the only thing I can think of.) Plus, it's not like TFP ever intended to support BepInEx in the first place, so it's no skin off their nose.

[KhaineGB]

7 hours ago, JCrook1028 said:

sigh, UL uses that! Ack!

 

I think RH does too.

 

7 hours ago, khzmusik said:

 

Well, for those mods, nothing has changed. You'll still have to either overwrite the vanilla game files (with all the Windows/Steam headaches that implies), or modify a second copy of the game. I expect people will still use the Mod Launcher to do the latter.

 

Luckily there's not much that you can't do with Harmony that would make BepInEx necessary. (Add properties/methods to existing classes is the only thing I can think of.) Plus, it's not like TFP ever intended to support BepInEx in the first place, so it's no skin off their nose.

Yeah, this is why I have refused to use anything that requires BepInEx, because I knew it'd be a problem eventually.

[Matt115]

.... i just want steam workshop XD

[Rotor]

Ya'll just want to see this get to page 16 dont you?

[Matt115]

2 minutes ago, Rotor said:

Ya'll just want to see this get to page 16 dont you?

Hm... probably too and honestly this topic is interesting - i don't know anything about technical stuff but... problems can create new trends like : bigger popularity of big mods and lesser interesting about small mods. Or modlets will change into "modspack". well so this is interesting

[Maharin]

7DTD should just install everything into C:\ (or / on Linux).

[Jost Amman]

4 hours ago, Maharin said:

7DTD should just install everything into C:\ (or / on Linux).

I see you're from the DOS era like me... 

[SylenThunder]

I was just thinking about the workaround. It would only work on the Steam client version. MS Store doesn't let you add startup arguments. So MS users would have to manually create a separate game shortcut to launch the game.

[Visigoth]

Hi all, I don't often post but these two changes that TFP have implented appear to be poorly thought out,

First the Server Browser, WTF have they done its aweful and contains lots of appears to be asian server names. I like to play all over and 20.4 makes it awkward to mange this.

Secondly due to only saving in the users %appdata I will have to currently stick to a20.3 as i use multiple mods and have several copies of the 7DtD server all located on my D drive on a seperate disc from the windows system, I am not going to repartition nor purchase new drives to be able to play mods. (sticking to 20.3) until someone sorts this out or a way round it, i do not have funds to do this.

 

I would like to agree with KhaineGBs point that if this has to done why cant it be in the users My Documents which i have located on my D drive, seems to be a simple solution to something that wasnt even broken,

 

Very disappointed this wasnt better communicat4ed that this was to be going to happen, i have many friends who are no way technical and will struggle when this is implented, including trying to teach them how to access hidden files and backing up too.

 

Unhappy, please rethink the situation TFP Please!!!

[SylenThunder]

6 minutes ago, Visigoth said:

Hi all, I don't often post but these two changes that TFP have implented appear to be poorly thought out,

First the Server Browser, WTF have they done its aweful and contains lots of appears to be asian server names. I like to play all over and 20.4 makes it awkward to mange this.

Secondly due to only saving in the users %appdata I will have to currently stick to a20.3 as i use multiple mods and have several copies of the 7DtD server all located on my D drive on a seperate disc from the windows system, I am not going to repartition nor purchase new drives to be able to play mods. (sticking to 20.3) until someone sorts this out or a way round it, i do not have funds to do this.

 

I would like to agree with KhaineGBs point that if this has to done why cant it be in the users My Documents which i have located on my D drive, seems to be a simple solution to something that wasnt even broken,

 

Very disappointed this wasnt better communicat4ed that this was to be going to happen, i have many friends who are no way technical and will struggle when this is implented, including trying to teach them how to access hidden files and backing up too.

 

Unhappy, please rethink the situation TFP Please!!!

Two things.

 

1. It's not fully implemented yet. The experimental release that this came in is your pre-notification of the change. 

I'm not sure why so many people don't understand this. I can only imagine that your reading skills are mostly to blame.

 

2. There are workarounds that have existed for several years already. Both are posted in this very thread.

[KhaineGB]

10 hours ago, SylenThunder said:

I was just thinking about the workaround. It would only work on the Steam client version. MS Store doesn't let you add startup arguments. So MS users would have to manually create a separate game shortcut to launch the game.

Yeah, cos it works on shortcuts. I tested that

[pApA^LeGBa]

@Visigoth The old mod location still works for now. You aren´t forced to use appdata. 

 

@SylenThunder Really now? Starting to insult people about reading skills? How about the devs would have invested like 15min of time to post the server search change on every possbile platform before release instead of expecting everyone to read the patch notes of a experimental version. A ton of people don´t even know about the experimental option. Jeez.

 

Also the patch notes didn´t mention that you need to know the IP of the server in case the owners didn´t add the region to the config file already. And a lot of people didn´t give a flying F about the region when they first joined the server so even if the server is already available in the list, you can´t find it without IP. You can´t expect everyone that has a server to edit the config right after release of the patch. That takes at least 2 weeks until the majority of servers has this change.

Edited May 1, 2022 by pApA^LeGBa (see edit history)

[SylenThunder]

40 minutes ago, pApA^LeGBa said:

@SylenThunder Really now? Starting to insult people about reading skills?

 

Hey, it's not like you have room to talk here with the alternate reality narrative you were pushing earlier.

 

Also note that this thread is only about the mod changes. There is another thread already about the server list. It's not like looking up server IP's in a new thing either.