Maybe this will help those of you that don't want to go reading through 12 pages of posts in Khaine's thread.
The mod folder move to %appdata% is NOT YET required. Consider 20.4 your notice that it will be in Alpha 21.
Some people have small C drives where %appdata% lives. Workarounds for moving where 7 Days to Die saves and looks for its data, including the new mod folder location, have been posted. Unfortunately, they got buried inside pages of posts. So here is the direct quotes for those workarounds.
This was actually referenced on page 11 of Khaine's thread if you want to go read the discussion around this one in particular.
The mod folder move to %appdata% is NOT YET required. Consider 20.4 your notice that it will be in Alpha 21.
Some people have small C drives where %appdata% lives. Workarounds for moving where 7 Days to Die saves and looks for its data, including the new mod folder location, have been posted. Unfortunately, they got buried inside pages of posts. So here is the direct quotes for those workarounds.
SUCCESS!!
Ok so I tested it, and it worked perfectly. Unfortunately it is again something that some people will not be able to accomplish. (Khaine isn't kidding about people incapable of simply copying files out of a zip into the mod folder. I spent a few hours the other day with someone on the exact same thing.)
Step 1 - Copy/rename serverconfig.xml. For this example I am using "a20serverconfig.xml". You want the file different so it isn't reset with an update.
Step 2 - Edit the file to replace the following section starting at line 40.
<!-- Folder and file locations -->
<property name="AdminFileName" value="serveradmin.xml"/> <!-- Server admin file name. Path relative to the SaveGameFolder -->
<!-- <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! -->
<!-- <property name="SaveGameFolder" value="absolute path" /> --> <!-- Use this to only override the save game path. Do not forget to uncomment the entry! -->
Your new section will look something like this...
<!-- Folder and file locations -->
<property name="AdminFileName" value="serveradmin.xml"/> <!-- Server admin file name. Path relative to the SaveGameFolder -->
<property name="UserDataFolder" value="D:\SaveGames\a20" /> --> <!-- Use this to override where the server stores all generated data, including RWG generated worlds. Do not forget to uncomment the entry! -->
<property name="SaveGameFolder" value="D:\SaveGames\a20\Saves" /> --> <!-- Use this to only override the save game path. Do not forget to uncomment the entry! -->
Step 3 - Create the folder D:\SaveGames\a20\Mods
Step 4 - Go to your Steam Library, Right-click on 7 Days, and choose Properties.
Step 5 - Add the following to your launch options. -configfile=a20serverconfig.xml (Again, your file will vary on what you name it. This is the example.)
Step 6 - Close the window, and start the game.
Now I can just use the config file in each separate folder, and tell the client where to go for all the data. No symlinks required.
This was actually referenced on page 11 of Khaine's thread if you want to go read the discussion around this one in particular.
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! -->