Game dumps...

[Jinx_Dragon]

This here is a mini rant from my boyfriend that seems so fitting:

The My Documents folder is not a dumping ground for your config files god dammit. We have one of these already with Windows, it's either C:\Documents and Settings\USER\Application Data\ or C:\ProgramData\

That's what the folder is for. For config files and such.

My Documents, is for my bloody documents. It's not for saved games. It's certainly not for minidumps when your game crashes. Don't even think about sticking ever growing log files in there.

It does raise the question, why the hell do game designers use the mydocument file to store their game information?

Sure I can half understand the possible reason of trying to prevent save game files from being deleted if the user uninstalls and wipes the base folder. Yet as Zane pointed out, you can put them in multiple other places where they will be just as safe and not clogging down a file that might otherwise be useful if it wasn't filled with junk.

That does not even start to touch on the non-save files, such as ever growing log files and even cached files. I've will go as far as to say I have seen some games install some of their program files there!

Bad game developers, bad...

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Well I quite like them there because of the whole save file thing...

I suppose the only thing that annoys me is how untidy it looks as some games use the directory My Documents\My Games and others just use My Documents.

 

[Virgil]

It's actually arguable where the best place for them is. Current security standards for applications say that storing inside the program directory is bad, and the OS does voodoo to make it work without actually letting the program write into that directory. When it comes to backing up or transferring your saved games, you won't be able to find them.

Same thing goes for the Application Data directories. Most of them are hidden directories, and hard for most users to find.

Backups and transferring computers is really the big reason though. For that reason, I actually prefer that game config files and saves end up in My Documents if they aren't configurable. Well, except for Steam Cloud games, which is really the best solution ever.

 

[Wolfram23]

Pisses me off too. WTF. I'm a bit OCD about my filing on my precio... uh... PC.

And yeah, I mean, I like that the save data isn't in the game folder, since I can always delete the game and come back in a year with my save data, but Windows should REALLY be the one to handle this, and allow us to select where we want it to go.

Also annoying like gamesb2 said, that some use the My Games folder and some don't.

I have an SSD and HDDs, so My Documents I have set to be on the HDDs so I don't fill up the SSD, but for whatever reason The Witcher has to use the SSD. It's the only one. All the rest don't give a crap, and are fine with My Docs on the HDDs but noooo The Witcher HAS to use the stupid SSD!

FFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Whoa, I came into the thread thinking something completely different...

 

[loc978]

Thankfully, I don't store my documents on my system drive (my default windows documents directory contains only whatever the system and various programs put into it... and a shortcut to my actual documents directory)... otherwise, this would piss me off too.
Still, why not just throw it into the game installation directory like older titles did?

 

[benderinTime]

Well, except for Steam Cloud games, which is really the best solution ever.

I don't like cloud saves, same way as I don't like almost any sort of cloud computing. I like to have the files present on my own computer so I can back them up myself. I don't trust Valve or any other company to keep my saves safe for me. And how about what happens if my internet connection goes down, and I want to save or load a game? What happens then?

I'm not exactly sure, but I believe Steam's cloud system gives you the option to also have backups of the saves on your computer.
And even if that isn't true, Steam isn't making cloud a requirement, and since it is the biggest digital distributor in terms of PC games, I wouldn't think that you have anything to worry about in that regard.

OT: It isn't the most logical place in Windows, but it isn't that big of a deal for me.

 

[Virgil]

I don't like cloud saves, same way as I don't like almost any sort of cloud computing. I like to have the files present on my own computer so I can back them up myself. I don't trust Valve or any other company to keep my saves safe for me. And how about what happens if my internet connection goes down, and I want to save or load a game? What happens then?

The saves/configs aren't stored on the cloud, they're just backed up onto them automatically (and updates are mirrored on other installs). That's why I think it's the ideal solution - it handles both automatic backup and synchronization.

 

[Jinx_Dragon]

The thing is, there is already a folder that all other applications use!

Yet game designers thought for some reason it would be better to stick all the save files in a different location. One that was used already to store document files! I could even accept them creating a new folder for this whole purpose, and indeed many have realized this by creating a sub folder for save files and that isn't so bad, but so many games still just dump the save files (and other more important files that should be stored elsewhere) in this folder without a care for your file tree.

But when you use the Mydocument folder to actually store important files it becomes so vital you go in with a scrubbing brush every few days! This is getting worse as many other applications have decided to take the same approach and treat this folder as a dumping ground for files they can't stick anywhere else. If you don't keep it clean (and I have just given up) it quickly becomes a cesspool that one should never go into without a map and a prayer.

Once you have such a cesspool on your computer...
Well you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.