manage all the mods

[darknessbladers]

what is the best way to manage all the mods listed on this site. for skyrim V {elder scrolls}

what kind of mod manager would you guys recommend.

{sorry if there is already a post about this}

[NoNickNeeded]

I originally used Nexus Mod Manager and later switched to Mod Organizer.

NMM has the advantage of being easy to use and that you can just start TES V from Steam after making a setup without having to launch the NMM first. But since it basically dumps all the files into the game's data folder, handling overlapping mods can be a bit dicy, especially when you have a lot of mods. If you want to switch the priority of mods, it's best to reinstall all involed mods that have overlapping files.

 

With Mod Organizer (MO) you have mods completely isolated from each other, so no accidental overwriting of any files. To switch priority of mods is literally just typing in a single number. It also has the advantage that you can integrate all kinds of other tools you download directly into MO's menus.

The downsides are that you have to start the MO always when playing Skyrim, because if you don't then the game will start without any mods enabled and that it's a bit harder to learn to use first and if you use other tools like loot or wrye bash you don't just CAN put them into the menu, but basically HAVE TO due to how it's virtual file system works.

Though there are many tutorials to get you over this initiation period.

If you go with MO, best go with MO2. Mod Organizer 1 is also still available, but by now MO2 is just as stable and has better usability and more features (also 64bit support).

 

There are also others, but since I only used these two myself, I can't really say anything about them.

 

 

Regardless of which Mod Launcher programm you'll end up using and even if you have none at all, LOOT and Wrye Bash are pretty much must-have tools.

Using those two programms each and especially together will prevent many conflicts that mods might otherwise have with each other.

[Dorabella]

11 minutes ago, darknessbladers said:

what is the best way to manage all the mods listed on this site. for skyrim V {elder scrolls}

what kind of mod manager would you guys recommend.

I feel great with this:

Nexus Mod Manager

 

13 minutes ago, darknessbladers said:

what is the best way to manage all the mods listed on this site.

As for ESM and ESP files, you can use this screen to manage and / or position files so that they work properly. Some mods have mandatory requirements to be installed in the order in which they are listed . Obviously if from the screen you see some mods that do not concern ignoram, the purpose is for the positioning

 

Spoiler

 

[darknessbladers]

im actually asking since i recently got a copy of skyrim and i wanted to mod i im asking.

 

if i need help installing any mods please help me.

since im used to copy pasting {simple} mods into folders, and not whole expansion mods added to the game

[Uncle64]

I want to add, dont sort your mods like the order as @Lestat1627 have in his picture he have posted in his last post, since that loadorder will fail and result in bonked save after some time since it is so wrong it almost can be more wrong. Not even the Masters are loaded correct.

He could have used one better picture where the load was correct.

 

Now to OP question.

You should not use NMM that some have suggested in the tread, since it have been more or less dispanded by Nexus. Use Vortex instead, since that mod manager can atleast install bigger mods, that NMM could not do.

If you are willing to learn to mod properly you should instead try MO1 or MO2, or perhaps Wrye Bash. You should also start to read the help treads here and on the Steam forum.

[donttouchmethere]

16 minutes ago, Uncle64 said:

install bigger mods, that NMM could not do.

that must be oooonnnee biiiiig mod

 

I would say:

NMM + LOOT:

> beginner friendly, great if you want to play with a less complex load order as a beginner, use LOOT to sort your load order

> you will have to be careful what mods overwrites what files or you have to install/deinstall a lot

> if you know your mods and how they should overwrite what, you can add wyre bash to the melange for easier manuall sorting of load orders

> best to use with only one profile

> plug and play (most of the time)

> third party tools can be used outside of NMM (FNIS, LOOT, Bodyslide, Wyre Bash)

 

MO:

> you need to know how to use MO or you might get install errors quickly

> first install of mods is as slow as NMM, deinstall and reinstall is way faster and saver than with NMM

> it is great to manualy sort the load order, even gives hints what will conflict

> it's way better to manage multiple load order profiles than NMM

> if you understand how the load order sorting works with MO it's faster to try different setups, if not you will mess things up quickly (same as NMM but errors are faster to repair)

> third party tools have to be run via MO or you will be in a world of pain

> more options than NMM => more possibilities to get confused

> it helps to have used NMM before to understand better why MO could be of interest for you

 

Vortex:

> know it mainly from tech support and it starts to replace MO for install error topics

> trys to be a MO/NMM combination

> is new and might get better over time

[Uncle64]

Mods like 3dnpc dont work well to install in NMM. It is big.

That is actually one well known issue.

[darknessbladers]

well i actually want to install about every adult mod on the forum here.

so what mod manager would be the best for this

[donttouchmethere]

11 hours ago, Uncle64 said:

Mods like 3dnpc dont work well to install in NMM. It is big.

That is actually one well known issue.

I guess I know what you mean.

I have 3DNPCs installed on NMM without issues.

Only mod I know where NMM realy struggels is Apropos and Apropos2.

Still that doesn't mean it is impossible to install big mods with NMM.

My guess the installation confusion of big mods comes from users that try to download huge mods via NMM, instead to download the mod and than add it later.

Downloading mods directly with NMM often fails (I totaly gave that up because it was so bad)

NMM also don't likes it if skyrim is installed in "C:\Program Files" or "C:\Program Files (x86)", this often makes mod installation fail, especially the bigger ones (lots of folders and files)

 

[Harvald]

There is an Update for Nexus Mod Manager. Here

[donttouchmethere]

2 hours ago, darknessbladers said:

well i actually want to install about every adult mod on the forum here.

so what mod manager would be the best for this

every Modmanager I would say works well if you know how to use them right.

Less complex way to install mods: NMM, quick start, not much of a learning curve at the beginning, but you will have to understand how mods are installed later for troubleshooting

Complex way to install mods: MO, slow start, higher learing curve, but you learn why you have to install mods in a certain way, as Uncle64 already stated.

 

Because ppl like their Modorganizers you will always get a disscussion going if you ask what mod manager you should use.

Best way would be just to try MO and NMM for yourself and see for yourself what floats your boat.

Both Modmanagers are able to install all LL mods, lots of them too, both have drawbacks and advantages, depending on you modding style^^

[darknessbladers]

the current list of mods i want to get working together is:

{this includes all depencencies/expansions} {some might be double post since its a depencency} {version number is the latest but for easier read removed}

{i already downloaded all the listed mods/dependency'sl}

which mod manger would work the best for all these, and is is just loading it in trough that manager?

 

the list:

Simple Slavery {all versions/addons}
SD+ (Sanguine Debauchery enhanced) 
Prison Overhaul Patched 
Devious Devices {all versions/addons}
Slaverun Reloaded
Deviously Cursed Loot 
Sexlab {all addons/depencencies}
More Nasty Critters
Slave Girls by hydragorgon
Wolfclub
Things in the Dark
Submissive Lola
Slaves of Tamriel 
Slaverun Reloaded
Amputator Framework
Immersive Hair Growth
Frostfall - Hypothermia Camping Survival
PSQ
Deviously Cursed Loot 
Milk Mod economy
SerialStrip
Better Dialogue Controls
Skyrim - Utility Mod 
PapyrusUtil
ZaZ Animation Pack
Сhecking on the roads
Naked Dungeons
Realistic Ragdolls and Force
Devious Followers 
SL_Kidnapped
The Skyrim Licenced Universal Transport Service
S_L_U_T_S redux
ImmerSlave
Loansharks of Skyrim 
Failure Mode Effects Analysis in Skyrim
Deviously Enslaved 
Obscure patches 
Bathing in Skyrim
Devious Framework 
Content Consumer's Alternate Starts 
Realistic Ragdolls and Force
Killer Keos Skimpy CBBE V2-V3 Armor Replacer
Custom Skeleton Replacers

 

 

 

[NoNickNeeded]

Regardless of which Mod Launcher you'll end up with, I strongly suggest to get SkyUI or an equivalent UI mod into this list. They are so much better than the default UI.

 

There are a couple of video tutorials for MO on Youtube, so you could watch those to get a better idea of what MO is like. And while I have not checked, I wouldn't be surprised if the same was true for NMM and Vortex.

 

Just trying each out might sound nice, but with something like MO it's possible to get the wrong impression when you use it only a little.

I remember when I switched from NMM to MO, I had a day or two of utter confusion, but once I figured it out I was very pleased with having made the switch.

 

That's not to say that NMM is necessarily bad. MO just caters closer to my needs and tastes. Either programm is vastly more comfortable, easier and safer to use than manual installations or the game's own mod-launcher.

[Uncle64]

As already stated, you can use what modding tool you like, but you cant pick mods depending on what modding tool you want to use.

When you do that you are already on the ice.

As @donttouchmethere also says some modding tools are easy to handle, but all of them have one important thing common.

 

It is important you install your mods in right order, you cant trow them in and think it will work.

MO and NMM do handle that part little different. In MO you can manuall after you have installed the mods change the "install order" you cant do that whit NMM.

 

MO is little harder to learn, but you will after you have learn it, have one great benefit since it enables more complex loadorders then NMM.

 

Also I strongly suggest start by reading modders pages, guides how you install mods, there is several here that is good and on Steam. You will get the same help at Steam as you can get here, since all of us have account there.

 

 

[darknessbladers]

i just tried loading in the entire list of mods into NMM

 

i have created a backup before installing any mods trough NMM

 

but for some reason some mods wont install {all the listed mods are in a separate folder from where i placed the other downloaded but not added {as in added to the list of the manager} mods}

 

see the included image for the 5-18 mods that wont install correctly {some are currently installing but after restarting the modloader after they are installed some have uninstalled themselves}

{the mods without checkmark are the ones with the issue} {currently installing them again to see if they will stay installed}

 

{edit got most of the mods installed, but now skyrim does not want to start up} {tried both manually and trough the editor}

{i already tried testarting the PC but it had no effect}

[donttouchmethere]

3 hours ago, darknessbladers said:

but for some reason some mods wont install {all the listed mods are in a separate folder from where i placed the other downloaded but not added {as in added to the list of the manager} mods}

you are not trying to install the TUFP download link textfile with NMM are you?

 

3 hours ago, darknessbladers said:

got most of the mods installed, but now skyrim does not want to start up

are TUFP and ZEP even SSE compatible?

[donttouchmethere]

7 hours ago, Uncle64 said:

In MO you can manuall after you have installed the mods change the "install order" you cant do that whit NMM

that's an important point for MO

(guess I grow so a familiar with the mods I use that I missed that point)

 

for NMM you need LOOT or Wyre Bash to manullay move mods in load order up and down.

It is possible on the NMM plugin tab, but it's no fun.

 

Unless you mean by install order the way mods get overwritten.

Thats right, that is not possible with NMM, but in my experiance there is most of the time only one right solution to overwrite mods

[NoNickNeeded]

Tp give a more beginner friendly example of the overwrite issue:

 

Let's say the base game has files A, B, and C.

Mod 1 overwrites file A and B

Mod 2 overwrites file B and C

 

Let's refer to the B files as B1 and B2, even though the game knows them only as B.

 

 

First how NMM works:

You start by installing Mod1, which drops A, B1 into your data folder.

Then you install Mod2, which drops C into your data folder, deletes B1 and drops B2.

 

Now if you want to go back to B1, you have to reinstall Mod1 completely.

 

And if you want to switch back to B2, you'll have to reinstall Mod2

 

In case of two mods that share one file that's barely an issue, but once you have a row of mods with dependencies, each overwriting the required mod partially... it can become a bit of mental acrobatics to figure out in which order you need to install mods.

 

 

Now MO:

In MO every mod has it's own folder and no other mod can ever create or delete another mod's files. So if you want to use B1, in MO you just need to give Mod1 a higher mod priority (either by drag and dropping in the list or clicking into the priority field and typing in a new number) than Mod2 without any reinstalling.

And to go back to B2, just give Mod2 the higher priority.

 

 

So in my opinon, if you like to tinker and try out new mods every so often, MO is absolutely the better suited product.

If you already have a mod setup and know in which order to install it and want the least amount of slowdown and bother, NMM will probably serve you better, since you can just do the mod-setup once and then skip NMM completely and start directly out of Steam (though remember that if you use the SKSE, you need to start "Skyrim Script Extender (SKSE)" rather than "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim" from the game list... I do not play with the SSE, but I assume it's the same there).

[darknessbladers]

aah ok that was the issue with NMM.

 

will start removing the game and reinstall it, then load all the mods in with MO

 

what order would you guys reccommend me to install the mods in? when using MO

 

is there also a way to install all mods at once since loading each mod in separatly is a bit annoying

[Uncle64]

You install them in the same order as you do in NMM.

Sort your right side whit LOOT, and sort up manually your left side in MO so it is close to your right side.

 

You can have need for some tinkering and drag mods up and down. Not hard at all since you have learn it.

Best part whit MO is that you can create profiles.

 

You should look for GamerPoets and Gophers tubes. They are good to explain stuff.

[NoNickNeeded]

In MO it does not matter in which order you install them, except saving you a few extra clicks perhaps.

You can easily change around the priority with which they are loaded by dragging and dropping them or by clicking into the number in the priority column (shot click to mark the like long click to edit the field).

 

As for how to order them, as a rule of thumb, a mod that has another as a requirement should have a higher prio than the requirement.

 

So for example if you install "Legacy of the Dragonborn" and "Legacy of the Dragonborn Patch Collection" then the patch collection should have a higher priority than the original. And for your own convenience, it would make sense to have them right next to each other, like 10 for Legacy and 11 for the Patch for example.

It is not always necessary, but often enough it is, so you can't really go wrong by doing it this way.

 

 

LOOT will take care of the order of´the plugin files (.esm and .esp) which you can see on the right side.

But the stuff on the left side (i.e. the mods themselves) should also be put in order as discribed above or you might end up with the wrong texture or mesh being loaded for example.

 

If two mods do not touch the same files, it does not matter which mod has the higher priority. Only when they share files do you need to pay attention which goes first and which goes last.

 

A lightning with a red minus means that some of this mod's files are overwritten.

A lightning with a gree plus means this mod overwrites the files of another mod.

 

Here's an example:

 

SexLab Aroused Animations are alternate animations that overwrite the default that is in SexLab Animations itself, so they need to have the higher prio. Whether the animations have priorits 148, 180 or theoretically 850 wouldn't matter (okay... 850 mods would probably not work anymore... ^^ ), but for me it's more convenient to have these two right next to each other.

So if you do not see these two symbols in a mod's line, then it's most likely does not matter where in your priority list the mod sits.

Though it's always highly advisable to read the install instructions of any mod you download, because there are exceptions. And doing it right the first time is always preferable to having to look for the source of the error/crash/whatever later .

 

Another neat thing about MO is that it shows you exactly which files are "in conflict".

When you open a mod's Information either by double-click or right-click -> Information you'll get several tabs, including the conflict tab.

If it's greyed out, there are no conflicts and if not, it'll look like this:

 

The upper box shows which other mods the current one overwrites, while the lower one shows which of the current mod's files are overwritten by something else.

If I were to look into the Conflict tab of the original "SexLab Aroused" it would show the exact same two files, but in the lower bos and with "SexLab Aroused Animations 21..." as the providing mod.