Parallel Release & OB Installs...Shared Saved Games?

[WytchCrypt]

Been searching for an answer to this but haven't been able to find one so here goes...

 

 

 

I've always run the Release version but with Super Carrier on the horizon decided to also have an OB version installed. I have the space so did a completely independent parallel install of each and have that working fine. What I'm wondering is if there's any reason I shouldn't have both versions pointing to the same "c:/users/me/Saved Games/DCS" directory? It seems to me having a single one is cool because all my custom liveries are easily available in both releases. OTOH, I don't know if there are some high level DCS install reasons this is a bad idea.

 

 

 

If this is a bad idea, how would I go about having each install create and point to a different Saved Games directory?

 

 

Thanks!

[Rudel_chw]

...I'm wondering is if there's any reason I shouldn't have both versions pointing to the same "c:/users/me/Saved Games/DCS" directory? It seems to me having a single one is cool because all my custom liveries are easily available in both releases.

...

how would I go about having each install create and point to a different Saved Games directory?

 

There are two options for setting your settings directory located in Saved Games:

 

1. The -w switch in the DCS launch line, for example:

 

"E: \ Eagle Dynamics \ DCS World \ bin \ DCS.exe" -w "DCS 2"

 

in this case, the settings directory will be located at:

 

c: \ Users \% USERNAME% \ Saved Games \ DCS 2

 

The -w switch only works with the DCS.exe executable file (the dcs_updater.exe updater executable does not know about it).

 

Thus, you can make several DCS World shortcuts with different options, different mods ('Saved Games \% USERNAME% \ DCS \ Mods \ tech \ MySuperMod'), forced activation of the VR helmet (additional key --force_enable_VR), different inputs and so forth

 

2. The dcs_variant.txt file in the root directory of the installed simulator, this file is processed by both executable DCS.exe and dcs_updater.exe. The file should contain only the name of the future settings directory, which is then preceded by DCS through a period, for example:

 

test

 

The recording directory will be as follows:

 

c: \ Users \% USERNAME% \ Saved Games \ DCS.test

 

(spaces in the dcs_variant.txt file are ignored, so the name of the form 'test 15' will be converted to the settings directory c: \ Users \% USERNAME% \ Saved Games \ DCS.test15)

 

:thumbup:

[WytchCrypt]

^ Excellent! Thanks :thumbup:

 

 

So my only remaining question would be is there a reason I shouldn't have both the release & OB versions pointing to the same Saved Games folder?

[MAXsenna]

^ Excellent! Thanks

 

 

So my only remaining question would be is there a reason I shouldn't have both the release & OB versions pointing to the same Saved Games folder?

I sort of do this.

I have configured mods, input, liveries etc as hardlinks to another drive, so all is shared between stable and OB. Never had a problem. Used to do the "variant" as suggested by Rudel. Can't really remember why I stopped, but a repair might have messed it up.

 

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[71st_AH Rob]

There is no need to do anything, the Open Beta will create a directory of its own:

 

 

c:/users/User Name/Saved Games/DCS.openbeta

[Rudel_chw]

There is no need to do anything, the Open Beta will create a directory of its own:

 

 

c:/users/User Name/Saved Games/DCS.openbeta

 

Seems that you didn’t understood the first post.

[MAXsenna]

One of the reasons why I share the "saved games", between the two versions is the "log book". It means nothing, but it's fun to track things, and having two different, it's just such a bore.

 

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[MAXsenna]

Seems that you didn’t understood the first post.

I guess not.

Been a lot of that lately in this forum.

 

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[WytchCrypt]

I guess not.

Been a lot of that lately in this forum.

 

 

That's ok, I appreciate everyone who's commented on this thread, I learned what I needed to know...Gotta Fly :pilotfly:

[Ramsay]

So my only remaining question would be is there a reason I shouldn't have both the release & OB versions pointing to the same Saved Games folder?

Yes, sometimes a new DCS version will add (or remove) a setting, option, etc.

 

The new (open beta) version will in most cases handle depreciated lines, settings, etc. safely but older (stable) versions can have issues with newer (open beta) config files i.e. some defaults might reset after switching versions or you might have to manually edit them to make them backward compatible again.

 

Therefore it's better to keep separate folders, otherwise you'll want to keep a backup anyway (just in case the update breaks 2.5.5 compatibility, etc. ).

 

How often you'll have issues mostly depends on how far apart the versions are i.e. switching between versions of 2.5.6 open beta is safer than switching back to 2.5.5, which is safer than rolling back to 1.5.x, etc.

[WytchCrypt]

Yes, sometimes a new DCS version will add (or remove) a setting, option, etc.

 

The new (open beta) version will in most cases handle depreciated lines, settings, etc. safely but older (stable) versions can have issues with newer (open beta) config files i.e. some defaults might reset after switching versions or you might have to manually edit them to make them backward compatible again.

 

Therefore it's better to keep separate folders, otherwise you'll want to keep a backup anyway (just in case the update breaks 2.5.5 compatibility, etc. ).

 

How often you'll have issues mostly depends on how far apart the versions are i.e. switching between versions of 2.5.6 open beta is safer than switching back to 2.5.5, which is safer than rolling back to 1.5.x, etc.

 

 

Makes sense and sounds like a good idea... :smilewink: