My Input So Far

[amullinix]

I'd like to say I am happy with Vortex. I find I am able to figure things out quicker, and more efficiently, than NMM. I enjoy have a dock, for each game, that allows programs that can effect that particular game's files, readily accessible. Being able to create my own logic flow for each mod is also great, and makes for identifying issues just a little easier. I love the "install without changing the game until you deploy the mod specifically" facet of the program. Feels like it came from MO, but I like the implementation better here. Its all in one space, simply "deployed" or "not deployed," instead of having two separate (at least two visible) load orders.

I do have a couple of issues:
1) Updating through Vortex itself doesn't appear to work. Regardless of the method I choose, whether all at once, or one mod at a time, clicking "Check for mod updates" does nothing. I have several mods I have not updated yet (waiting on one in particular), yet click that option does nothing to let me know those mods need updating. If something is happening in the background, I have no idea. The more I look at it, the more it seems anything with a connection to the Nexus, doesn't like populating (yes, my login works in Vortex just fine).

2) I have no idea what is happening to an esm or esp that had required a replacement. Meaning: a mod gets updated, I manually update it, check the errors pushed out by Vortex, make the proper selections, look at my plugins list to get rid of the old esm or esp, and there is only one. If that file is being overwritten, and the older one removed, we should really be told. Moreover, we should be given the option to do it ourselves, or let Vortex do it.

2a) As a piggyback to the previous, and a small addition to it, I assume that since there is no recognition of an update status to a mod, when you do update it yourself, Vortex does not identify that the mod already exists. Granted, I know that may have caused some issues with NMM, but at least being given the option for the updated version of a mod to simply replace the previous version, would be nice. Maybe it literally takes over all connections of its previous version? If additional files are attached to the older version, but are not present in the new one, those older files are kept, unless a ruleset is in place specifically telling Vortex (via whatever installer script that file is using) to get rid of old files. That way, all the rules created by the user can still be in place, and any orphaned rules can either be looked at manually, or taken care of behind the scenes by Vortex.

Those are the two(three) biggest issues I have with Vortex, right now. I always assume that I have done something incorrectly whenever I first encounter an issue, so if that is the case, please let me know and I will edit this post.

The only other thing I have at the moment, are two quick suggestions:
1) Please make the dependencies rule creation a little more obvious. Right now, the mod you clicked on is at the top, and a list of discrepancies are below it, paired with drop boxes. Initially, I wasn't sure if I was assigning what each conflicted mod was going to do to the mod I clicked, or if I was assigning what the clicked mod was doing to each of the others. I realize I probably sound stupid, but I know there was at least one other person slightly confused on what the logic was. Stare at it long enough, you can sort it out, but a small visual thing couldn't hurt.

2) EDIT: Remembered what I was going to suggest. When updating a mod and deciding what to do with it, one of the options in the drop down menus can be "Replace." For instance: Legacy of the Dragonborn was recently updated. The update is supposed to replace the esm, but there is no way of knowing if that happens (see my first issue). However, in the drop downs there can be option added to "Load After, Load Before, Conflicts With," that simply says "Replace," if the only thing being replaced is an esm.

Thank you, very much, for a great product. I honestly enjoy using it.

Edited April 26, 2018 by amullinix