I keep hearing people say it's important to back up your Ryzom data, but I hadn't seen a complete-ish guide about it yet, so I thought, why not make one. Please reply with additional information or corrections if you want to; I might work them back into this post if I can.
Thank you to many past forum posters and everyone who answered my questions in-game for sharing this information.
Edit: continuing to update to reflect corrections and additional information
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Ryzom saves some information related to the game locally on the computer you use to play the game. Data that's saved locally:
This data can be found in your Ryzom local data folder. (Note that this might be a different folder than the folder where Ryzom is installed and stores other files it needs to run, like the executable program itself.)
These are the default/common locations for the local data folder that I know about:
Relevant files and folders:
Other useful files/folders:
It's a good idea to back up this data so you can restore your map markers, etc if they get corrupted due to a technical problem like a bad game crash. (Yes, this really happens that the files get corrupted or deleted, even if it is rare. I've known players it's happened to.) You might also want to copy the data to a new computer if you get one, or make sure the data is saved someplace safe before you install a new version of Ryzom.
If you decide to try editing one of these files, you should probably back that file up first in case your edit doesn't work quite right the first time.
To back up the data, copy the files listed above outside the Ryzom directory, so they won't be affected if Ryzom crashes or you do a reinstall. To restore the files, just copy them back to the appropriate location in the Ryzom folder.
Here's a windows batch command script by Robplus to backup the files quickly and easily.
Here are some ways you can modify these files, that I know about.
** Note: some of these modifications may void your right to receive technical support from game staff. **
Possibly useful modifications to client.cfg by Ulykus (post #3 in this topic)
I haven't done this before, but I think this can be a good idea if you have a long, repetitive macro, for example if you wanted to say a bunch of things in sequence, or try to target a bunch of different things in sequence. It can be faster to create a macro like that in a text editor instead of using the in-game macro editing interface. I think there may also be a limit to the number of commands that can fit in the macro editing window in-game, so you might need to edit the file out-of-game for any particularly long macro. (Thank you to Bubbason for taking the time to explain a lot of this to me.)
Instructions for increasing map zoom (post #18 in this thread)
Thank you to many past forum posters and everyone who answered my questions in-game for sharing this information.
Edit: continuing to update to reflect corrections and additional information
-------
Locally saved personal data
Ryzom saves some information related to the game locally on the computer you use to play the game. Data that's saved locally:
- Map markers
- Macros
- Custom keybindings
- Interface layout
- Game configuration settings (edited in-game in the Game Configuration window)
- Screenshots taken using the in-game screenshot feature
- Chat logs (made with the /chatLog chat command)
Data locations and files
This data can be found in your Ryzom local data folder. (Note that this might be a different folder than the folder where Ryzom is installed and stores other files it needs to run, like the executable program itself.)
These are the default/common locations for the local data folder that I know about:
- Windows: Program Files\Ryzom
- Mac: (credit to Fateciy's post with more detail about accessing the folder)
- Older client: ~/Library/Containers/com.winchgate.Ryzom/Data/Library/Application Support/Ryzom/
- Kervala's newer client: ~/Library/Application Support/Ryzom/
- Note: Library is a hidden folder.
- Linux: ~/.ryzom (note: .ryzom is a hidden folder)
Relevant files and folders:
- client.cfg: some game configuration settlings
- in the save folder:
- interface_character name.icfg: some game configuration settings, window positions, map markers
- keys_character name.xml: keybindings and macros
- keys_r2ed_character name.xml: I don't know what this one is for.
- log_character name.txt: chat logs made with the /chatLog chat command
- in the screenshots folder: screenshots taken using the in-game screenshot feature
Other useful files/folders:
- data folder(linux only?): I'm not sure what's in here. I think it might be automatically downloaded graphics the game needs to display properly, like the shape and texture of characters, buildings, etc.
- user folder: I'm also not sure what's in here. It might be graphics data sent using the patchlet system for special events, like the alternative graphics for stables during Atysmas.
Backing up
It's a good idea to back up this data so you can restore your map markers, etc if they get corrupted due to a technical problem like a bad game crash. (Yes, this really happens that the files get corrupted or deleted, even if it is rare. I've known players it's happened to.) You might also want to copy the data to a new computer if you get one, or make sure the data is saved someplace safe before you install a new version of Ryzom.
If you decide to try editing one of these files, you should probably back that file up first in case your edit doesn't work quite right the first time.
To back up the data, copy the files listed above outside the Ryzom directory, so they won't be affected if Ryzom crashes or you do a reinstall. To restore the files, just copy them back to the appropriate location in the Ryzom folder.
Here's a windows batch command script by Robplus to backup the files quickly and easily.
Editing local data files
Here are some ways you can modify these files, that I know about.
** Note: some of these modifications may void your right to receive technical support from game staff. **
- Official note about modifications voiding right to support. (post #7 in this thread)
- Another official response about modifications and right to support (post #9 in the thread you're reading now)
Client.cfg
Possibly useful modifications to client.cfg by Ulykus (post #3 in this topic)
Editing macros with a text editor
I haven't done this before, but I think this can be a good idea if you have a long, repetitive macro, for example if you wanted to say a bunch of things in sequence, or try to target a bunch of different things in sequence. It can be faster to create a macro like that in a text editor instead of using the in-game macro editing interface. I think there may also be a limit to the number of commands that can fit in the macro editing window in-game, so you might need to edit the file out-of-game for any particularly long macro. (Thank you to Bubbason for taking the time to explain a lot of this to me.)
- Create a new macro. Give it a name and keybinding and at least one example of the repetitive command you want to use.
- Exit Ryzom (Ryzom only saves macros when you exit, and you want to leave the game closed to prevent the game from writing to the macro file while you're trying to edit it.)
- Back up your keys_character name.xml file to be sure you have a working copy just in case
- Open your keys_character name.xml in a text editor
- Find the lines describing your new macro by finding the macro's name
- Edit or copy the immediately following "<command ... " lines to create the macro you want
- Save the file and exit your text editor, restart Ryzom, and try out the macro.
- If it works, great. If something goes wrong, you can always copy the backup macro file back, start over, and try again.
Increase maximum map zoom: solution by Talkirc
Instructions for increasing map zoom (post #18 in this thread)