Why do we have 2 copies of the game?

That bothers me from the start....on example we cleared cache files in CLOD version which is installed in my docs. Also earlier in the patching process we changed conf.ini values there. Now with latest hotfix we need to copy that into steam/steaps/common/clod. Like last two beta patches.
So whats up with two versions of the same game? Which conf.ini should be changed to affect the game etc? One from the my doc or from steam?

[JG53Frankyboy]

i also often wondering if someone is talking about editing an ini file ( like luthier now in the beta hotfix...), wich one, the one ine 1CSoftclub or the STEAM folder.

[ZaltysZ]

User folder overrides Steam folder.

[bongodriver]

But it's not 2 copies of the game, the main game directory is in the steamapps, and the 1Csoftclub folder just contains some configuration files and file dumps (cache) and save files, not uncommon in most games to have the saves and configs in a folder in my docs.

[adonys]

the il2 folder from the steam app contains the default files the game is using to generate user's customized settings, which are saved in user's folder, on C drive.