Option to reset game files

[TheTank20]

Some games have mods that don't modify the game's files, but adds files on top of the existing files (ex: a "mods" or "custom" folder). This is great for convenience at first, but if you need to start from scratch, verifying game files to "reset" won't do anything, since Steam sees all the files are A-OK.

I'm suggesting an option for a "Reset game files" button next to "Verify game files", that deletes all files and folders that Steam didn't install, and verifies what it has, making a completely clean slate without uninstalling and reinstalling.

[Tristin]

This is better asked at the game forum. If wanting to revert to pro-mod installation, that is responsibilty of the game and the user, not Steam. Steam shouldn't be needing to change or manage how you want to eat your food.

[William Shakesman]

Steam took on that responsibility when it provided you all these ways to download mods automatically without giving you the slightest clue where it is saving those files and what specifically is it saving. Steam is ALREADY changing and managing how he eats his food.

Now if they are mods HE downloaded, then I don't think this is feasible. Steam cannot know or guarantee a dev will not modify the program directory at runtime or store useful data in there.

[TheTank20]

How I would implement it is to go through a list of all file names that are there on first install (you can see these file names on SteamDB for the game), delete every file that isn't on that list, and do a regular verification of what's left. Of course, this only accounts for mods in the installation directory (stuff like the AppData, Documents, etc. folders couldn't be touched safely).

It would essentially act as an uninstall/reinstall process, just with preserving the untouched files (since not everyone has gigabit internet).

[William Shakesman]

Onechanbara Z2 Chaos to my knowledge stores the save data inside the program folder in a subfolder called savedata. There is no mechanism I have seen for devs to report that to Steam, so I do not think Steam could just verify and know across all the games on the platform which ones add junk into their own installer directory. I can go through old SteamLibrary folders and see dozens of empty install directories holding one or two extra files Steam didn't zap on uninstall.

That said as a poweruser option it is probably workable like that but the overlap between a game that keeps config/save data close and mods also being dropped there could easily turn this disastrous. (Not that the alternative of "delete the folder and reinstall" wouldn't run into the same problems.)

As an aside I've seen Valve ignore SO MANY features that would serve as workarounds or assists for people with slow internet or limited hard drive space.

[TheTank20]

Unfortunately, a lot of things like this need intervention from the devs themselves. Even Valve's own games store saves in the game directory, and good luck getting every game to have exceptions.

"Reset game files" should be labeled as a last resort in these cases (like you broke your modded install beyond repair by verification) next to a complete un/reinstall. It's not like your save files would work unmodded anyway. xD