How does everyone "manage" their mods?

[haej1]

Hello everyone, I've tried to get into modding a few times and every single time something went wrong somewhere after a while of installing mods that caused a chain reaction and messed everything up prompting a clean install. I do use mod managers... but things never worked out. So I'd like to know how everyone approaches modding and what they do overall to have a healthy fail-free modded skyrim experience.

 

How does everyone install their mods, manage it, keep track of it, programs used etc?

 

Thank you!

[Vacaliga]

Mod Organizer takes the grand prize for me

 

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/1334/?

 

Playlist of videos how to use it.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE7DlYarj-DcLS9LyjEqOJwFUQIIQewcK

[tomz31790]

Several things you will want. As above, get Mod Organizer (MO). It's also worth while watch several of those videos as they will shed a LOT of light on the whole ordeal.

 

Next up, for most mods you will want Skyrim Script Extender (http://skse.silverlock.org/). Watch the video on how to add another executable to MO.

 

You will also want LOOT (http://loot.github.io/). This helps keep you load order correct and prevent dependency crashes.

 

Finally you will want TES5Edit (http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/25859/) and add that as another executable in MO. That program preloads all mods in the order that Skyrim will actual load them and shows logs of what is happening. This is extremely useful in the case where the game crashes on startup as one or more mods are missing a dependency or the dependency has not been loaded yet. LOOT fixes most of these issues, but TES5Edit helps identify them as well. TES5Edit also can do other things like clean dirty plugins, but don't worry about that yet.

 

These are the bare basics that I always use and can highly recommend them.

[gameleirabh]

Last version of Nexus Mod Manager works fine too. Installing mods through it will avoid errors commonly made at copy or drop into the DATA folder.

One thing to pay attention is, after get the script extender SKSE, ever watch all the requirements one mod need.

Often the recommendations for a mod (not a need but only a recommend) are outdated and cause crashes.

Other simple thing is to run FNIS every time you install or uninstall a mod that use animations (almost each mod uses)

 

[fizzybutt]

With mod organizer there isn't permanent overwrites of a mod since it virtually overwrites the data folder, leaving each mod intact and allowing you to see what is exactly overlayed where inside it's window. All it takes is a drag and drop of a mod to switch a mistaken 'overwrite' not another install. (like what would happen if you accidentally overwrote your skeleton putting in a new body mesh set. Also you can deactivate 'dummy esps' (like with the brawlbug patch) and just have the bsa working, to save on precious esp space.

 

Yes it's a little bit of a learning curve, but it's much easier to get it out of the way early then get use to one program and struggling to relearn another that works differently.

[kionee]

Mod organizer for sure. Like fizzy said, there is a learning curve but it's by far my favorite way of adding and maintaining mods.

[ElvinG]

Mod Organizer over Nexus Mod Mangler any day.

[kionee]

Mod Organizer over Nexus Mod Mangler any day.

Haha...what an awesome name for it.

[gvman3670]

Another who suggests Mod Organizer.

[Varithina]

Nexus mod manager for me, I don't like mod organizer, I just can't pin point why but I don't.

[Hidden-Entity]

Whenever you install a mod that isint just an armor or weapon mod, such as a texture or immersion mod, make sure to make backups of your data file so if something does screw up, you can always have a back up

[...0...]

NMM never have any problems, have installed 253 mods. But i know what im doing maybe thats why i don't have problems.

[Mewwt]

I use NMM because I'm a lazy piece of s***. I just throw the mods in there (I don't use folders to sort them), and when I have trouble with mods, I run TES5Edit and see what I messed up.

 

I use around 40 mods, I guess I'd go to mod organizer when I hit the 50 mod mark.

[Veladarius]

Don't uninstall scripted mods unless you are starting a new game.

Check your papyrus log for errors if you have added / removed / updated mods even when starting a new game.

 

 

I use NMM and run near the maximum number of mods the game will allow (only in the 240's for esp/esm count right now). If you are using NMM and use mods that may overwrite each other you need to know what you want from what mod so you don't overwrite something you didn't want to.

[srayesmanll]

MO and NMM both have there benefits and issues.  MO is nice for the ability to have multiple setups, especially for mod developers to have various testing setups, and a general play setup.  But you have to make sure you install and set up certain things correctly or it can cause issues - specifically t things like SKSE, FNIS, etc, mods that aren't really mods but outside applications.  Make sure to read the MO documents thoroughly.  Especially FNIS, that's the one that seems to bite the most people in the ass more often when using MO.   NMM is simpler to use, but if you have mods that can overwrite each other (mods that include the same files, like textures mods, etc), you need to install in the correct order.  Remember, last one wins.  This actually only applies to mods that have loose files.  A lot of mod developers use .bsa files.  These contain all of the needed files for the mod, so no overwriting of files.  In this case, the mod order set by the user, or by using LOOT which someone above mentioned, controls which one is used.  Both are good, both have issues.  Personally, I use NMM.  Works for me.  If I ever get back into writing mods, I'll probably switch to MO for the multi-setup abilities it provides.

 

One thing not mentioned by others is Wrye Bash (or Wrye Smash as I thinks it's called for Skyrim).  You can find it on Nexus.  It is also a mod organizer, but many people only use it for it's ability to create a "bashed patch".  The bashed patch merges level lists - for example, mods can add items to chests in the game world through leveled lists.  Problem is last mod to modify a leveled list wins, so if you have 3 mods that add items to a particular leveled list. only the last mod's items will appear.  The bashed patch merges all of the changes so that all 3 mods items will appear.  This is just one example of what the bashed patch does. It also can automatically  combine certain mods (not sure of the exact rules it uses for merging the mods it decides to merge).  I think that TesVEdit has the "bashed patch/level list" ability as well, but for a long time it wasn't as good as Wrye Bash.  I think that MO has a way of launching WB to make the bashed patch.  The MO guys here will know about that.

[yatol]

NMM never have any problems, have installed 253 mods. But i know what im doing maybe thats why i don't have problems.

 

number of mods don't mean anything

 

and that's not because you can walk 500 km without problem a car isn't better

don't ask how many mods i really have, i have no idea

[spoonsinger]

MO for 253 modded Skyrim & random horrible 133 mod hand imported  mess for Fallout:NV - It works fine, but I am too scared to touch it.

[bradleyh]

I still prefer BAIN and Bash to Mod Organiser except for how easy Mod Organiser makes switching Save Profiles. CBBE ONE MOUSE CLICK, rebuild Bashed Patch, UNP. Doing this in Wrye Bash requires a lot more mouse clicks, and MOM/MTESIV never got Ported to Skyrim to make swapping out installs almost as easy as MO does it

[gvman3670]

After using MO a while it becomes very simple and intuitive to use. I can't imagine not having it to use with Skyrim. I mucked around manually installing and using NMM for far too long. I did manual, NMM, OBMM, and FOMM for a long while (still use FOMM, though, for FONV and even for unpacking Skyrim bsa files). I do run it inside of MO, though.

 

Here is a very active support thread for anyone who uses MO or is thinking about switching to it. http://www.loverslab.com/topic/20492-mod-organizer/

 

If you have MO and TESVEdit you are good to go as far as mod management tools go. And the wealth of info on how to use them that is available on this site makes it a worthy option to consider.

[Lendova]

Somebody can help me or point the way, how i can use bodyslider with multiple addons in MO? Its not shows presets from addons.

[Dubhorizon]

I use NMM for CBBE, TBBP armors and clothes, Bodyslide, Texture Blender (All are run through MO as executables though).

MO for all the other 300+ mods

Wrye Bash (run through MO too) for making Bashed Patches.

[gvman3670]

I use NMM for CBBE, TBBP armors and clothes, Bodyslide, Texture Blender (All are run through MO as executables though).

MO for all the other 300+ mods

Wrye Bash (run through MO too) for making Bashed Patches.

 

Why run NMM through MO? I've installed FOMOD mods with MO before (assuming that's why). I have several right now I installed into MO and I ran BS2 through MO as well when I was experimenting with the Citrus Body.

 

Just wondering.

[Dubhorizon]

I use NMM to install some of the mods but those mods' executables are still handled by MO. I don't know if it's possible to run NMM through MO. The only reason why I use NMM for those 4-5 mods was the fomod mainly. For some reason I couldn't get cbbe through MO (fixed with updated version now, but can't be bothered to update and move them to MO).

[eifrag]

 

ModOrg :D

 

[Darkwisdom]

A combination of NMM and writing things down on Pen and Paper. I could never get to grips with MO, maybe i'm just an idiot.