It usually does not matter if you delete the Save folder contents prior to, or after you apply a mod. The folder is re-created each time the game runs and it finds that it is not there. When the game starts, it will copy all sorts of files over to the Save folder, and it runs from those, which keeps the game folder "clean", usually...
Having the game in D:\SteamLibrary is excellent. Leave it where you have it. No need to move it. It is only when a person puts an older game, such as the Silent Hunter series of games in any of the Windows "Program Files" folders that issues occur. Windows "protects" the folders from what MS would describe as "un-authorized alterations". What happens is that SH4 and JSGME were both written prior to the Windows UAC (User Access Control) implementation days, and as such, are not "authorized" to make alterations to cfg and other files of that sort. It's not that the programs do any harm, just that they aren't "registered" with the OS to do such.
Since mods alter cfg files for ships as well as subs and other game "assets", and the game actually runs off of the Save folder information, it is always a good idea to remove any potential issues for the mod by emptying the Save folder. The "default" location for such is "C:\Users \UserName \Documents \SH4", or similar, dependent upon your Windows version. Temporarily, to "test" things, you could copy the contents of that folder, and paste it elsewhere on your computer for "safekeeping", then empty the original, and see how the game plays. You will have to re-set all of your preferences, and you will not have any career or Saves. If there's no change, you can copy the files back in, overwrite the new stuff with the old, and attempt to continue from where you were...
MultiSH4 v1.5 (download) allows a player to change the Save folder name. (thread:
MultiSH4). The game limits the name to three characters (such as "SH4"), so you might have to get inventive with additional similar versions of a mod. The usefulness of this little utility really shines if you want to have several installs of the game, and have each modded a certain way, and at the same time, keep all of the Save folders separate from each other. In this manner, you can have a career and / or Single Missions going on in each of the versions of the game that you've created, and not contaminate each other.
The way to do that is to take a "clean" version of the game (no mods activated, and preferably prior to even using any mods), copy the whole thing, and paste it into another folder. This also works with a Steam install, though you do have to add a few extra steps. Number one for Steam would be to log into your Steam app on your computer and rename your initial SH4 Steam install on the Steam start menu to something like "SH4 Stock", or whatever you want. Exit the Steam app. Then navigate into the "D:\SteamLibrary \steamapps \common \Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific” and Select All (<Ctrl><A>) and copy (<Ctrl><C>). Now go up one level to the "common" folder, and make a new folder, such as "RFB_RSDC", or whatever you want to name it. Go into that folder, and paste (<Ctrl><V>) the game files into there. If you're copying an existing JSGME.exe into there, along with the MODS folder, you should delete the "JSGME.ini" file in that folder, and the "JSGME.ini" file in the MODS folder, along with the "!BACKUP" and "!INSTLOGS" hidden folders, also found in the MODS folders. You might have to change your Folder Options to show the hidden folders / files. That will give you a "clean" install in a 2nd folder. Now log back into the Steam app (close all of the pop-ups...
), and click on the "Games" menu item up top, then on "Add a non-Steam game to my Library". You'll get a "Add a Game" pop-up window. I usually don't mess with the menu choices it gives, since on my computer, there is a lot of krapp that displays, so I just use the "Browse" button, and navigate to the new folder. The dialog will usually open in the Steam install folder in C:\Program Files, so you will probably have to change drives as well as folders. Find that new "RFB_RSDC" folder you created, select the SH4.exe file, and click "Open". It should now be at the top of the list and selected with a checkmark in that "Add a Game dialog. Now click on the "Add Selected Program" button. It should show on the menu as "sh4". Right-click on it in the Steam Library, and choose "Properties". In the top box of that should be "sh4". Change the name to what you want, and click "Close". Right-click again, and choose "Create desktop shortcut" if you want one... In this way, the game will go through Steam's verification checks, and should run just fine. If you try to run it directly from the SH4.exe file in the folder, it will not go through Steam, and will therefore (usually) fail to start. Just be sure and run your MultiSH4 if you use that and make a new Save folder, or delete the exiting SH4 save folder contents.
I've got plenty (perhaps I'll qualify that with "had plenty") of hard drive space, and have several installs of SH4 with FotRSU mod, One with TMO; one with TMO/RSRDC, one with OM, etc... I've done similar with my Steam SH3 installs. SH5 presents difficulties with this technique, in that there is not a corresponding MultiSH for it... Don't forget about my mentioning of LAA in the previous post...
