NMM & Install Order/FOMOD Patching

[twowolves80]

Caveat: I've never seen this information laid out this way, or in any way, and I'm hoping someone can give me a quick answer as to how this works:

The FOMOD-patching is throwing me off, and I'm trying to wrap my head around how it works.

 

If I install Mod A through NMM, and do not have Mod B, yet, but will be installing it later, can I then go into NMM's load order panel (the plugin tab) and just drag the patch from Mod A below Mod B when I install it? Or do I have to install Mod B first and then install Mod A so it patches over the top of it?

Not sure how the patches themselves work (if their patch plugin can be dragged around like that, similar to MO) because of how NMM requires you to install/uninstall mods over the tops of others (unlike MO where you can hot-swap the load order to set priorities).

The reason I'm asking is because I've read all the complaints/comments about the VFS and MO, and wanted a little clarity on whether or not I can get away with installing Mod A, running it's FOMOD, getting the patch .esp files from it, and then moving those patch .esp files below Mod B when I later install Mod B.

 

Plus, every single wiki guide seems to be written for MO, and NMM 0.63.17 is the final NMM version until Vortex comes out, and I would like to understand how this works a little better so I can compile a proper install order for my mods that I can repeat over and over (I use pretty much the same mods with slight changes here and there) and avoid instability/conflicts as much as possible.

Not looking for error-checking my mod list, or anything extensive, just a bit of explanation. Thank you ahead of time!

Also, I have nothing electronic to offer, and my skills are questionable, so have some comedy instead as a token of appreciation for at least reading through:

Hahaha! Someone had way too much modding skill and too much time on their hand to create this. :woot: :laugh: Edited November 5, 2017 by twowolves80

[WastelandAssassin]

this really depends on the specific mods , I think

the thing is , if the fomod option only installs a plugin as the patch , and it allows you to select the patch even if you don't have the parent mod , than you can just install it later and change the load order

however , there are two caveats that I can think of

the first is that some installers won't allow you to select a patch if you don't have the parent mod . in which case , you obviously can't do that

the second issue is if the patch installs something aside from the plugin , like meshes and textures . if this is the case , installing the patch before the parent mod will result in these being overwritten , which is not something you would want

 

the best way for you to check about a specific mod is to just open the archive , and see which files are installed with the patches

if it's only a plugin , and the installer allows you to select a patch without the parent mod , you should have no problem doing it this way (aside from cases where installation order is actually important , but this isn't the case in general)

 

hope this answers your question

[twowolves80]

Oh, my God, yes, thank you! I was getting everything but what I was looking for when googling. I'm trying to compile my mod install list right now (because I am using NMM for the time being) so I can install the same mods in the same order every time (with hopefully more speed). Yes, my OCD is kicking in.

 

The only mods I can think of off the top of my head that give me problems like this are Climates of Tamriel, TrueStorms, AFT, XPMSSE and ECE, and Valdacil's Item Sorting (I'm sure there are a few I'm forgetting, but these are the big ones).

So, even in NMM (with it's hot-swapping limitations), I can safely change the load order in the Plugins tab when it comes to patches and parent mods? That makes things a bit easier.

lol Sometimes, I get the feeling that I'm trying to perceive something with modding that I know is there, I just can't get a grip on it. This finally answers a question that has been nagging at me for years. Before, I would come across a FOMOD that would require a parent mod, freak out, uninstall everything back to where that parent mod was, and then continue. Many, many hours were wasted...lol Now, you just showed me proof that I may not need to do that anymore.

Again, thank you! I feel like a blind man who saw a flash of color for the first time in his life.

[WastelandAssassin]

no problem

I'm glad this cleared it up a bit

enjoy your game :)