Making History the calm and the storm

[Guardacostas]

It seems it wanted two installs and that's how saved games get lost and reappear again. One install on my C drive and one install on my D drive where i have Steam installed.

Should i delete the c drive install? Or does the game need both installs to run?

[Pirate]

You can have multiple installs of the game on your pc. One way to make sure saved games don’t don’t fight each other in a saved game from different installs is to rename the executable to something different

[Guardacostas]

Ok thanks. Do you think i need a second install? THis might of been a steam mix up because it's an old game

[Pirate]

For me one install is all I need as more would just taking up space. The only thing I can think of for more installs is people who don’t like taking mods and putting them in or maybe they keep one game in OG form in case they screw up their game. Really I can’t see a reason for multiple installs. I keep my mods outside the game so I copy and paste in then delete when done and it’s really simple.

[corsair91]

The usual multiple install requirement in certain games
is that some game mods may not play nice with others mods
or have specific mod support issues and best
to give them them their own game environment

(i.e. certain mods may use exactly same filenames
and overwrite or corrupt each other)


Some games may write the game install location path in
the windows registry
any game faq or game fan forum should have hopefully
info on this if it is a potential issue with multiple installs


Pirates probably expects to be the only game install
on your system as uses a default save game location
also doesn't place the Configuration file in the install destination
but uses the default save game location.
(use different Windows User profiles to avoid this)


rather than allowing a user selectable custom save game location
during the install and place the Configuration with game install

Swapping out the custom folder contents switches between various
mod environments anyway


Kbob also had a mod manager switcher utility which I have never used

see this thread for updated links, 2nd post
Mods Preview Pics (updated kbob Mods links)
http://hookedonpirates.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7784

also

(Release) Pirates: Storm over Europe
http://hookedonpirates.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8757

Turtler has recently posted info on this

Generic Mod Enabler (or GME)
http://hookedonpirates.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=125608#125608

may be useful,
Turtler is best placed to advise on it as appears to have previously
used this


Edit the context desktop shortcut to point at the specific install folder
for multitple game installs
(renaming game executables may also be useful)

Ensure that you deliberately run the Game install you actually want too


https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Sid_Meier%27s_Pirates!_(2004)

Configuration file(s) location
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Pirates!\Config.ini

Save game data location
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Pirates!\

Zipping this folder often is recommended
Certain mods may require starting a new game


%USERPROFILE% is typically
C:\users\[my user profile name]


If you don't recall what that is

in a command prompt
Start Menu - run - Type cmd.exe

Type Set

displays all the system environment variables including
%USERPROFILE%

(a print out or copy of this is useful to add to your PC system config folder
and you do keep a PC config folder ?)

(exactly as how is was done in MS/PC-Dos 3.1 or later circa 1990
back in the day)


also

C:\Sid Meier's Pirates!\custom

where C:\Sid Meier's Pirates! is the game install folder
with full rights (avoid using program files)

Zipping this folder often is also recommended
after every major mod change or tweak
Context naming of your archives recommended


As far as I can recall this FAQ does not cover multiple game installs
as probably swapping custom folder content instead

FAQ/Strategy Guide by Sashanan
http://hookedonpirates.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7907

Again can't recall any multiple game install coverage, as why?
Sid Meier's Pirates! - Resources Links
http://hookedonpirates.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8336

[Guardacostas]

Would it be ok then to delete the second install on my C drive? IM sure that would be fine because it's not my steam installation folder. THe game did it, two installs when i installed it from Steam

[corsair91]

Generic-Mod-Enabler
https://www.softpedia.com/get/Others/Miscellaneous/Generic-Mod-Enabler.shtml

includes JSGME V2.6 User Guide PDF

(User Guide PDF missing from previous posted link in the forum)


Generic-Mod-Enabler appears to have
options for saving mod profiles & saving file snapshots
from a very brief look at the PDF

file snapshot may be your 2nd game copy at a complete guess

Look at the creation date of the folders
as the copies would be same date & time more or less
as when you ran the JSGM mod & saved a file snapshot


If you do a Google search

There is a ton of various game tutorials on how to use this utility
with multiple other games
(not on SM Pirates as yet from a very brief look)

If you have a spare large enough USB memory stick,
may want to make a backup first before deleting anything
or zip the folder backup

The original poster Turtler may be be best placed to advise