Are Mod servers usually safe to log into?

[Libertine Lush]

I recently logged into a Mod server for the first time in an FPS and as a result I lost all my custom created character classes (unintended alliteration). Tech support told me to save my profile data, then reinstall the game to completely wipe out the Mod map data, but I'd still have to rebuild my custom built classes.

Generally speaking, is joining Mod servers a risky activity? Or was my experience an anamoly?

Below as an excerpt from an email to me by tech support regarding Mods:

"Mods (maps, weapons, etc) are not supported for Call of Duty 4. The issue with these are that they are mostly user created and can contain a variety of errors when loaded on various machines. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely recover your custom classes. Once a mod is loaded, the code from them (again, being user created and not supported by Aspyr or Activision) can cause problems with the base game. The only way to ensure that the mod content is completely removed, you will need to reinstall the game."

Thank you.

 

[voyagerd]

You have separate profiles for each mod. If you unload the mod, you should have gotten your default profile/classes/points back.

 

[Libertine Lush]

You have separate profiles for each mod. If you unload the mod, you should have gotten your default profile/classes/points back.

Normally how do you unload the mod? New to all this, I ultimately followed tech support's instructions and did a reinstall, but I'd certainly like to know for the future. I did see 2 different areas in the game's folder where the mod data appeared to primarily be. So would removing a mod usually involve this sort of manual inspection and deletion?

 

[voyagerd]

All you have to do is click Mods in the main menu and choose Launch Without Mods.

 

[Libertine Lush]

All you have to do is click Mods in the main menu and choose Launch Without Mods.

I understand that would allow me to play without the Mods, but that still leaves all Mod data from any Mod servers I joined on the HDD doesn't it?

 

[voyagerd]

Yes. That data doesn't hurt anything. Your stats/profile/experience/classes just don't get transferred between mods. If you get experience and rank up on one mod, it doesn't transfer over to others.

 

[Libertine Lush]

Yes. That data doesn't hurt anything. Your stats/profile/experience/classes just don't get transferred between mods. If you get experience and rank up on one mod, it doesn't transfer over to others.

Ah, that's great to know. Thanks for explaining that. So mods shouldn't cause problems with the base install, unlike what Aspyr tech support said?

Would you know how to delete them properly though? Even though I have a new MBP, with most of my data now transferred over, a few Steam purchases, suddenly there's not so much space anymore. Plus, I won't want to have Mod data left on my HDD when I know I probably won't go back to some of the servers I try. And the one I went to took up a good amount of space. 200MB or so.