What method do you use to craft a modded game?

[simsrw73]

I've modded a number of games, mostly Bethesda. Usually 200-300 mods. My method/workflow has changed from game to game. Currently, I'm using XMind to help me map it out. I used to be able to remember all the details without notes or I used to believe that I could remember all the details, anyway; usually not. Sometimes scribbled notes. XMind seems to be working pretty good and is very fast; with a few kbd shortcuts it doesn't waste much time at all. My method is usually:

• Select the mods I'm interested in and dl with manager (mostly MO).
• As I start installing each mod, I visit it on Nexus, reading the page, bugs, files sections. And sometimes the first few pages of posts if it's a non-trivial mod. I look at things like requirements, load order, compatibility, configuration (ini edits, etc), patches, recommended mods, and synergies (recommended mods that work well together). Each of those things, I call a relationships and I make note of those labeled relationships. Most of the time this is a very quick process as I'm familiar with a lot of mods now and I'm just refreshing and making explicit note.
• After I install the mod and read up on it, I follow out the relationships I've noted in the previous step, installing mods as necessary.
• Test when a big group of relationships has been followed out to the end. Testing varies from loading up xEdit to verify no dependency conflicts, and possibly looking for "conflict losers", to starting up the game and minimally testing the function or textures, etc. are as expected.
• After following all relationships for a particular mod, I will continue with the next mod in my download list that in the same category. These are just mental groupings where i install all patches/fixes, game play enhancements, textures, etc, in groups. In MO, like most, I always tried to sort these types of things together manually.
• Repeat.

Here's a sample of a XMind file for a playthrough I'm working up to. It's incomplete and I'm still working out my method and notation.

How do you do it? What is your workflow like? Do you use notes, tools, or specific techniques to help you remember and manage the relationships between mods?

I didn't make it in on the testing, so I'm really curious and this is the main point of my post: Does Vortex help with your workflow? Make it easier or harder? Or no effect on it? Does it have potential to have an effect on your workflow? If you closely examine your mental process of modding, does Vortex more closely fit that mental process than other managers?

[Zenorant]

After coming from MO I can say that Vortex makes my workflow a bit different. Due to the way vortex handles mod conflicts (with a single menu for each mod rather than MO's click and drag system) I find myself often breaking flie paths. I must say though that the removal of manual plugin sorting has taken about an hour of work out of creating mod lists.

[Johnyboy1983]

I am a Low tier user probably, Got into modding in oblivion Watched Gopher's tutorials worked out things from there but here is my normal path for modding its probably the dumb way to do it

• Clean the DLC with Tes5edit
• Download all mods I plan to use for the start ( I have a habit of installing mods as I go though so this always changes )
• I almost always download manually and place the mods in a game mod folder With the games name like (Skyrim Mods) then make sub folders inside to organize them this can be folder names like - Core mods , texture mods , install before all things , Armors , weapons ect.
• I then install mods according to folders/what i think makes sense each mod is installed with its mod page open so I can refer to the install instructions , conflicts issues , and author notes ready for me to read ( also so I can then download any optional files I might have missed
• I then order my plugins with loot and manually change orders I know ( according to authors info ) I need to change as loot doesn't always have meta info on all the mods I use ( some being from other sights or I have repacked or renamed or named Wrong like i tend to do with Tes5edit merge patch
• I then run loot again do not apply and run Tes5edit make a merge patch remove leveled lists form everything and make a bash patch after done (for a min or so after I play and find something i missed or want and screw up everything over and over till I start over fresh again 0_0 )

 

I know I probably make things harder for myself but I love modding all the same and normally can fix any issues I have * i use MO for most games since it doesn't seem to break the mod directory IE i can over right things by moving them in the install list to over wright as needed. I do use NMM sometimes but the program is kinda slow can take a long time to load all mods or disable them all

 

I dont consider myself a good modder though I have little understanding of load order but for the most part it at least makes sense to me that if a mod has a dependency I need it to load after that dependency if it has a conflict I have to choose what mod I want MO makes this easy

Edited February 9, 2018 by Johnyboy1983