skyrim Mod Organizing

[BattDaPsycho]

I've noticed when people post their mods it's usually just a copy/paste list from a crash log.

Am I strange for feeling the need to obsessively organize and catalog what I download in my One Note?

Like, before my buddy even asked for my modlist I had it all down and pretty and just added stuff at the beginning to help him get started.

Link for proof.

 

Anyway, how do you keep track of what you have installed?

[travelmedic]

Maybe you are strange, but then I am too.

 

When I'm modding a Bethesda game, I keep track of what I've downloaded in a spreadsheet.  Three columns are dedicated to each category (for example, Armor, or Player Homes) with the first column being the name of the mod, the next column is the number of esp/esm slots it uses if I activate it, and the third column the number of esl slots.  Then I color code if I liked or really liked it/was neutral about it/disliked or hated it.   Also a 6th color if it's a small mod I merged into a larger home-made mod.  Excel also lets me add comments to cells if I want to.

 

Yes, it's a lot of extra work when setting up and seems kind of anal retentive.

 

The benefit comes later.  I can email myself the spreadsheet and save it to the cloud for future reference.  Then if my computer dies, or I'm on a new computer somewhere else, I can look it up at any time to see what I liked and didn't on a new playthrough 5 years from now.

 

Of course I'm somebody who likes the modding process just as much, if not more than, actually playing the game.

[BattDaPsycho]

Well now I feel like I'm under doing it.

 

[belegost]

6 hours ago, BattDaPsycho said:

how do you keep track of what you have installed?

 

I don't have to. My mod manager does it for me. It exists for a purpose.

Edited November 22, 2024 by belegost

[Count Chocula]

4 hours ago, travelmedic said:

Of course I'm somebody who likes the modding process just as much, if not more than, actually playing the game.

There is something to be said for getting some particular mod combo to work, even if you don't really care about really using the mod in question.

[travelmedic]

2 hours ago, chocula said:

There is something to be said for getting some particular mod combo to work, even if you don't really care about really using the mod in question.

 

Too many  people don't appreciate that it's that experimentation, and sometimes failing, that ultimately leads to learning good mod practices, and the ability to troubleshoot or dix things on your own.

[Count Chocula]

32 minutes ago, travelmedic said:

 

Too many  people don't appreciate that it's that experimentation, and sometimes failing, that ultimately leads to learning good mod practices, and the ability to troubleshoot or dix things on your own.

I agree with that. It's also something of a puzzle sometimes. I find some puzzles fun to solve, or at least try to solve.

[BattDaPsycho]

6 hours ago, belegost said:

 

I don't have to. My mod manager does it for me. It exists for a purpose.

I have the issue of a lot of dependencies. This mod needs those mods that need these mods...it's a lot in the load order. So I like to known what can go if I have to toss something that's conflicting to bring the count down.

Less things to load = smoother gameplay after all

[belegost]

28 minutes ago, BattDaPsycho said:

I have the issue of a lot of dependencies. This mod needs those mods that need these mods...it's a lot in the load order. So I like to known what can go if I have to toss something that's conflicting to bring the count down.

Once you've been modding for several years straight, you develop a good grasp on the whole environment and can reliably guesstimate potential conflicts.

Beside, it's not like you can skip dependencies. If a mod needs another mod, tool or framework, installing it is non-negotiable.

 

28 minutes ago, BattDaPsycho said:

Less things to load = smoother gameplay after all

That is false perception. The only thing that matters is how performance heavy a given mod is. You can have 300 small mods and experience no significant performance drop,  or you can install one, that gives every single actor an SMP hair, apparel and cock and use your PC as a substitute heater during winter.

Edited November 23, 2024 by belegost