The current location for the Sins save directory

Short answer:
Its almost certainly because of Microsoft. Microsoft has a long list of things they require if a company is going to get the "Games for Windows" logo thingy. One of which is how and where your settings and savegames are stored. Companies are starting to try to adhere to these kinda things more so they work equally well on vista and XP.
Longer technical answer:
Partly because vista changes locations of a lot of things.
Part of it is also security, since Vista supposedly is trying to finally push non admin users to being the norm (like linux), and permissions and folders enter into the equation.


What I did was create a shortcut to the long tedious path, and put it into the game start menu section. And I created a shortcut to the pdf manual there as well.

If you are interested in the technical details, here's a technical requirements list from MS for games that will have that logo:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb173456.aspx

Here's a quote that I think applies:
"All other user data files must be stored in a subfolder of the folders that are specified by CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA or CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA. (These directories are hidden by default for individual users and for all users.)
Rationale
A user's Windows experience is more secure if applications run only with the permissions needed."

It's required as a part of the "Games for Windows" certification, unfortunately. Best thing is to just make a shortcut to the folder so you can get to it easily.

Wow Microsoft is an [expletive]. It's not our fault Vista is a debacle.

Not game related but...Vista is a pain in the ass in regards to folder permissions. I don't have access to half the files and folders in local settings/My documents, and I cannot even assign permissions to myself even with full admin status. Its annoying having all these directories and files that I am not allowed to touch because windows doesn't deem me smart enough to alter them.

When I try to sort my start menu I constantly receive this "You don't have permission to move this" crap, so I cannot sort my games and applications anymore because of this, and even when I am allowed to move stuff, it leaves half the contents of a folder behind, only moving things like the documents into the newly created location...so now I have two seperate folders with each containing half the shortcuts, wow I hate vista.

Like I said on full admin account, altering permissions gives me an access denied error...It's so annoying and I just leave stuff as it is even though I would love to customize my start menu and clear some space up in the user account folders, it just wont let me.

Is it really the Games For Windows thing? Because several games I know of that are certified GFW games have save folders uner My Games, Gears Of War is one that comes to mind right away (it stores under My Games\Gears of War for Windows), as well as Crysis.

Edit:

Hey look what I found,



I think this easily applies for screenshots at least.

Yeah, but I'd prefer all the files in 1 place, not split around in differant places on my computer. Thats probably why they did that
Anyway, just make a shortcut like I did, then you only have to navigate to the silly long folder once.

Why? only reason you will want to access the settings file is if they become corrupted and need to be manually deleted for the game to run...
The saves should regularly be accessed..

The games for windows claim is bogus since the "ducuments\My games" IS a games for windows requirement... If your saves aren't there then you are breaking the games for windows rules... this is one of the BETTER rules that games for windows brings, as most are all over the place... with this I know where to look (it was the first place I checked) screenshots and saved games should go THERE... at the very LEAST there should be a shortcut created in the install directory (say D:\games\Sins of a solar empire) linking to the save games.

Where is local settings folder? I can't find the saves! Where are they?

*bump* WHERE ARE THE SAVES? I can't find them, please tell me where they are.

There are several reasons to have easy access to the user data, like settings and save games. For one, to access the user settings file to make changes not provided in-game (I did that right off the bat to disable the logo movies). Another is to remove stale record files and save games. Those files are not small and can consume large amounts of disk space over time. And finally, to copy a save game from one computer to another. Since Sins uses SDC/Impulse, I expect it has a similar license agreement to GC2 which means you can run the game for your own personal use on more than one computer.

HELLO??? WHERE IS THE SAVE DIRECTORY? I GOT 5 PEOPLE WAITING ALL DAY FOR ME TO GIVE THEM OUR SAVED PROGRESS!!! PLZ help!

In XP:
C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAMEHERE\Local Settings\Application Data\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\

In Vista:
C:\Users\USERNAMEHERE\Local\Ironclad Games\Sins of a Solar Empire\

you should consider correcting it to more closely follow game for windows requirements.

Right now you place the save games in the SETTINGS location of games of windows.. Games for windows specificies a setting location (graphic settings, sound setting, etc), and a different location for saved games. (in vista it should be under "user\saved games\game name"

@CraigHB - all those things you mentioned are NOT settings, they are other user data, which are supposed to go in different directories. MS provisioned for a settings location, and a different location for SAVES... the user personal data should go in saves. Microsoft Games and Darwinia are the only two to get it right thus far.. i mean how hard IS it... there is a "username" directory under C:\users that contains a directory called "Saved Games"... that is where it needs to go in vista... the only thing that should go in the other hidden directory is SETTINGS.. actual settings, like your screen resolution.