Let's Discuss Our Favorite Skyrim Mod Managers

[ritualclarity]

Let's Discuss Our Favorite Skyrim Mod Managers.

I use MO for Skyrim (Mod Organizer) some use NMM (Nexus Mod Manager) and still I believe some use Wyre Bash for their mod manager (could be wrong though. Also if there are any others please post them.

I use MO primarily because it keeps my data folder clean, allows me to drag and drop the various mods I install into whatever order while providing me feedback on the conflicts. At times I even create custom folders inside of MO to pack various files and whatnot into them and refresh MO and start a game. Sort of like the days of manual installing except each install is a separate mod I have used NMM for Skyrim when I first got the game (before MO) and it worked fine. It is an very easy mod manager to use and it is easy to clean the data folder if you understand the process however one of the things i didn't like was having to reinstall mods to get their conflicts resolved and at that time (not sure about currently) there was no feedback on this. This is a great asset for use for me because it has helped me figure out many problems quickly when some assets aren't showing on the game when started.

Anyway that is my preference, what's yours.

[Kendo 2]

I am still using Nexus Mod Manager version 0.34.0.  That was the last stable version that does what I want for a mod manager.  I only use it for Skyrim.  For FO3 and NewVegas I'm still using FOMM.

I don't have a dire need for other mod manager utilities since I make my own esps and esms and I rarely merge anything.

[Veladarius]

I am using NMM 0.56.1 for Skyrim and have not had any issues with it even with a heavy mod set. I have not played FO3 or FONV for a while so I don't remember exactly what mod manager I used but I have the entire mod sets for both backed up.

[ritualclarity]

@Veladarius  Is that version the one with the virtual folder for your mods or does that pre-date the virtual folder version. I know many use NMM for Skyrim (more seem to use MO). Sometimes when giving support for members I advise to use NMM for their install because it is simple for many people to install and work.

I like MO (Mod Organizer) because it is harder.. I like making my life hard, I am a sucker for things like that.. :P... lol. Seriously it is a slightly steeper learning curve to really come to terms and feel comfortable with the tools and tricks that you can do with MO. NMM there are a few clicks and you are done. Got the wrong assets go back, check your mods and decide which one got overwritten and reinstall it.. It is so "Ol' School". But there is nothing wrong with that.

Surprised nobody mentioned Wyre Bash, or another manager yet. 2 for NMM (old version) and one lonely one for MO..

[Veladarius]

@ritualclarityIt predates the virtualization like MO has, everything exists in the data folder. I have a scary amount of stored in NMM and installed currently. Right now my data folder is 175 GB and according to NMM I have 1736 total mods in it, 409 active mods (some are multi-part mods) and 247 active plugins. I still have some older versions stored in NMM of various mods in case I have to roll back for some reason. I am a bit of a mod packrat.

I have had little issue with NMM from the start and have only had to reinstall my mods from nothing twice, once was an issue with an older version of NMM that screwed up the entire mod installation and once due to an unexpected HDD failure. My current install was done mid November of 2014 (14th through 17th) and have been going fine ever since. As it is I rarely update some of my older mods unless something else requires it, unless the new version fixes problems or has features I really want I don't see the need so long as it works.

I do use Wrye Bash but mainly for the tools in it and info it provides at a glance.

[Elf Prince]

I'm on NMM. Started to learn using MO some time ago, but since NMM progressed and developed with 0.61.+ I completely moved to NMM manager. it's much easier for me to use.

[Anatriax]

I used to be a user of NMM for everything. This was back before they did file virtualization of the data folder, like what MO has. 

I've since switched to: 
Mod Organizer for Skyrim, TTW, and Morroblivion. 
Wrye Bash Experimental for Fallout 4: http://www.nexusmods.com/fallout4/mods/3699/?

I also have a separate install of Oblivion that is installed directly from the discs. I use this install to play through HiShutUp's Mythic Dawn guide (Part of the inspiration for my initial Skyrim guide. It's fantastic). For his guide, I use Wrye Bash, as directed in his tutorial. 
http://wiki.step-project.com/User:Hishutup/OblivionGuide
I will admit, that a lot of what is in my Morroblivion guide comes from his. I just couldn't get Morroblivion to install properly with Wrye Bash, so I switched to MO, and everything went as explained in my guide (more or less. Morroblivion has *kinda* been updated since my guide, so I'll have to reinstall it to test / update the guide). 

Sorry, I got off on a tangent. 

TL:DR: I love Mod Organizer and Wrye Bash. Both are excessively powerful tools, and fairly easy to use. Plus, you get full control over conflicts with both, in a pretty simple fashion... the only downside to Wrye Bash is that it DOES install data directly to the game folder.

[Guest]

Mod Organizer. because it works perfect for Fallotu 3, New Vegas and Skyrim. I don't mod Oblivion nor do I play it. I remember reading in the past how it didn't work well with Oblivion, but that might of changed?

The virtual file system makes it perfect as I have been modding games for a long time using mod managers and there is nothing in comparison from what I have used that matches Mod Organizer. It's just a revolutionary and powerful mod manager that simply is going to be around for a long long time. And NMM has taken the same approach and eventually other mod managers will do the same. But Mod Organizer is the mother of virtual file structures for mod managers.

[Anatriax]

2 hours ago, endgameaddiction said:

Mod Organizer. because it works perfect for Fallotu 3, New Vegas and Skyrim. I don't mod Oblivion nor do I play it. I remember reading in the past how it didn't work well with Oblivion, but that might of changed?

The virtual file system makes it perfect as I have been modding games for a long time using mod managers and there is nothing in comparison from what I have used that matches Mod Organizer. It's just a revolutionary and powerful mod manager that simply is going to be around for a long long time. And NMM has taken the same approach and eventually other mod managers will do the same. But Mod Organizer is the mother of virtual file structures for mod managers.

It's a bit tricky to get Oblivion working with MO (prior to MO2). MO2 integrates flawlessly.

And on that note, welcome. It's good to see familiar faces showing up

[Chaos63]

Mod Organizer for everything except Vegas which is FOMM. I mostly use them for sorting and incompatibility detection though...or mods that branch out in a million plugin options.

I just can't let go of the old unzip 'n' drag gimmick. Everything else just feels...wrong.

[ritualclarity]

6 hours ago, Chaos63 said:

Mod Organizer for everything except Vegas which is FOMM. I mostly use them for sorting and incompatibility detection though...or mods that branch out in a million plugin options.

I just can't let go of the old unzip 'n' drag gimmick. Everything else just feels...wrong.

Give this a try with some of the mods you really know. Open MOd organizer. find the Mods' folder and open that. Then unzip your mods you downloaded (making sure it is structured correctly which I am fairly confident you know how to do that) then drag it into the folder. (named properly of course) Then open MO and see your mod listed on the left side toward the bottom.. :). I do this with TTW and can install it in under 5 minutes from start to finish. No need to create a FOMM install and then install it Just remember to have MO off when doing so. (Don't know if it would hurt it but I never did this with MO active). Now you can have MO drag and drop (basically like manual install except to MO/Mod folder. and separate. Very nice in my opinion.

[Karma199696]

i recently switched from NMM to MO because everytime i start a new game i add/remove several mods and with NMM it was a pain in the ass !  every time there was something missing because it had been overwritten by some mod(s) i had removed (textures, meshes or whatever) and so i had to try guessing which mod(s) had been overwritten and reinstall it (or them)...  now with MO everything's more easier, nothing overwrite anything, i create a new profile and simply choose which mod i want in the new game and which not...

[ritualclarity]

1 hour ago, Karma199696 said:

i recently switched from NMM to MO because everytime i start a new game i add/remove several mods and with NMM it was a pain in the ass !  every time there was something missing because it had been overwritten by some mod(s) i had removed (textures, meshes or whatever) and so i had to try guessing which mod(s) had been overwritten and reinstall it (or them)...  now with MO everything's more easier, nothing overwrite anything, i create a new profile and simply choose which mod i want in the new game and which not...

That is one of the major features I find useful with MO. The ability to see conflicts on the fly. This makes it easier to work with the mods. No need to reinstall 10 mods in proper order when one or two files have been overwritten by accident. :). That and the ability to move the install order (left side) pretty much like you'd move the load order (right side)...

Don't forget if you do create a new profile and decide you wish to use the same saves you can "fix the save" by having MO activate the various mods that are present on that save :). I personally haven't done that yet but it is a cool feature even if it only activates the mods with the esp/esm (not sure if it activates all the ones on the modlist.txt as well as loadorder.txt etc).

[Karma199696]

9 hours ago, ritualclarity said:

That is one of the major features I find useful with MO. The ability to see conflicts on the fly. This makes it easier to work with the mods. No need to reinstall 10 mods in proper order when one or two files have been overwritten by accident. :). That and the ability to move the install order (left side) pretty much like you'd move the load order (right side)...

Don't forget if you do create a new profile and decide you wish to use the same saves you can "fix the save" by having MO activate the various mods that are present on that save :). I personally haven't done that yet but it is a cool feature even if it only activates the mods with the esp/esm (not sure if it activates all the ones on the modlist.txt as well as loadorder.txt etc).

i didn't know of that feature, because i'm still a beginner in using MO...  anyway i don't think i would use it so much... i start new games often, i like playing the "poor weak girl" who gets herself in a lot of trouble thanks to the many mods i downloaded from Loverslab and Nexus (PO, DA, SD+, SS, PetCollar, DD and many others) but find it kind of unrealistic and unimmersive that, when i can kill a dragon with a snap of my finger i get defeated, raped and sold as slave by a couple of bandits ...  so, as soon as my level increases, i close the game, delete the saved games and start a new one...

[ritualclarity]

1 hour ago, Karma199696 said:

i didn't know of that feature, because i'm still a beginner in using MO...  anyway i don't think i would use it so much... i start new games often, i like playing the "poor weak girl" who gets herself in a lot of trouble thanks to the many mods i downloaded from Loverslab and Nexus (PO, DA, SD+, SS, PetCollar, DD and many others) but find it kind of unrealistic and unimmersive that, when i can kill a dragon with a snap of my finger i get defeated, raped and sold as slave by a couple of bandits ...  so, as soon as my level increases, i close the game, delete the saved games and start a new one...

I'd view it as part of your biology. You are dragon-born, gifted in that task. Don't mean you are successful at everything else..

[Karma199696]

8 hours ago, ritualclarity said:

I'd view it as part of your biology. You are dragon-born, gifted in that task. Don't mean you are successful at everything else..

you're probably right   but in Skyrim i prefer doing those things i'd never dare doing in real life... and i'm not talking about slaying dragons and bandits but about more kinky/devious/naughty things !   but i'm afraid we're going off-topic

[Pkatt]

Hey Karma, just use something like Live another life, and never start the main dragonborn quest.   Then you can be just another girl.  

I wish there was a way to do a play through, then another play through, but in the background of your second playthrough, you could be the just another person, and your original character would be the dragonborn, but an npc.  if that makes sense.

 

Oh wait...original topic.  

I use MO for Skyrim, and FOMM for Fallout

[Karma199696]

4 hours ago, Pkatt said:

Hey Karma, just use something like Live another life, and never start the main dragonborn quest.   Then you can be just another girl.  

I wish there was a way to do a play through, then another play through, but in the background of your second playthrough, you could be the just another person, and your original character would be the dragonborn, but an npc.  if that makes sense.

 

Oh wait...original topic.  

I use MO for Skyrim, and FOMM for Fallout

yeah   i use LAL and many of it's "expansions"...  such as DA - alternate start, New beginnings and CCAS...  so i start every game in a different way

[Content Consumer]

On 4/30/2016 at 3:42 PM, Karma199696 said:

yeah   i use LAL and many of it's "expansions"...  such as DA - alternate start, New beginnings and CCAS...  so i start every game in a different way

They're all good except CCAS, which is absolutely horrible.

[Carabosse]

I just use whatever is the latest version of NMM (I really like Nexus, the site, the community and the staff). It's okay, I'm used to being called an idiot . I'm really of the mindset that, if it isn't broke don't fix it and it's always worked well for me (I guess I'm lucky).

[Karma199696]

7 hours ago, Content Consumer said:

They're all good except CCAS, which is absolutely horrible.

well... that depends on points of view and personal tastes, i suppose anyway...  i like horrible things happening to me in games... it makes my real life look better