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Saving mod load order "profiles"?


DeltaWulf

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I'll admit I've not done much looking yet or experimenting, but I was wondering if it's possible at all to save a sort of profile for your mods with the Nexus Mod Manager? Or if there's another tool that can do that? I've gotten kind of tired of my current load order and want to start a new game for a while, but I don't want to quit playing my old save altogether because I have quite a bit of progress done and will want to continue with that one at some point. So, if it's possible to switch in and out certain load orders and mods, I'd like to know how (besides manually taking the entire load order down on a notepad file and going through one-by-one and reinstalling).

Also, could it be as simple as just renaming my plugins/loadorder.txt files in the NMM app data folder? I figure if I did it this way, the mods I've already got installed would interfere with any new ones, though, so I've not attempted it.

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You can export the load order, as far as I know, and then import it.

 

Example: I have 2 characters. My main character uses 67 mods, and the other uses 4. I exported the load order list from my main character and named it "Veronica_Load_Order" and for the second character, I exported that one and named it "TestCharacter_Load_Order".

 

So when I want to play my main character, I just import "Veronica_Load_Order". Same thing for my test character.

 

This is how I switch load orders for different characters.

Edited by Terra Nova
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The Nexus Mod Manager has an option to import/export load order. It gets exported as a .txt file that you can rename. You could sort the mods you want for your first character, export the load order and give it a descriptive name, and then sort the ones you want with your other character, export and rename. Then you'll just need to import the load order for the character you want :)

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An alternative is Mod Organizer. It has a fully fleshed out profile system. Since I started using it almost 6 months ago, I've never regretted it. The NMM is amazing, true. But I like the system MO uses where mod files never interact with one another and the original data folder is never altered unless you use something that MUST alter it directly (such as SKSE). The profiles system allows for profile specific mod lists, as well as INIs and saves. It's got a nice feature where you can hover your mouse over a saved game to see if it's missing any mod files, and if so, MO gives the option to automatically enable all the mods that save is missing.

 

The biggest downsides are that you have to restore the original Data folder which means probably reinstalling Skyrim, although you could probably do it by deleting everything but the bsas and esps of skyrim and its official dlc and having steam check the files. The other is that you have to reinstall the mods. MO has the option to import from NMM, but I don't know what it does, how it works, or how -well- it works because I've never used it. Oh, and just like with NMM, you can download NexusMods.com mods just by clicking the download with manager button like normal.

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Skyrim Installation Swapper is another option, it lets you have swap entire installs, including texture and animation packs. You just click 'swap' and it totally swaps out one profile for another.

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The downside of Skyrim Installation Swapper is that for one mod to exist in two installations, it has to be installed on both separately and it takes a long time to switch profiles. It can quickly add up to a huge chunk of hard drive space and the more it takes up, the longer it takes to switch. I tried it but found it was essentially a clunkier version of the same idea that made MO.

 

The only real downside of MO once it's up and running is that if you want to run a patcher like Automatic Variants or something, it's more complicated. But it can be done and there's an easy to follow guide on it. Switching profiles with MO is instant. You pick the profile and you're done; no file moving is necessary.

 

I'm not saying it's the tool everyone should use. But it's the only one I've found that combines all the features I wanted to see in a mod manager. It also has the ability to keep track of the mod's page and watch for updates and what-not like NMM does. You can also easily install only part of a mod. Or you can combine multiple mods into one so they're always activated and deactivated together.

 

Try both if you want and use the one that works for you.

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