Me just wondering something....

[JimboG81]

So I have recently started modding Skyrim after being sick of vanilla. I have noticed something that is really starting to irk me. I find a mod that I like and under requirements that requires one other mod. Ok fine. I go to that mod page and I find that one of those mods requires TWO other mods. I go to one of those mod pages and those require THREE mods. Its getting riciculous. 

So my question is this; Why in 2024 are we not packaging mods up into bundles to allow the end user (remember those people. they are the ones downloading YOUR mods) to only have to download one mod instead of 50?

It just seems silly. They are not claiming ownership of your mod they are just making it simple for the mod user to get on with playing the game.

 

[showler]

First, packaging mods up into bundles is called Collections and it is available if you wish.

Second, you don't bundle other people's work into your own without permission and permission is not always forthcoming.

[JimboG81]

1 hour ago, showler said:

First, packaging mods up into bundles is called Collections and it is available if you wish.

Second, you don't bundle other people's work into your own without permission and permission is not always forthcoming.

Well thats just dumb.

[Karna5]

8 hours ago, JimboG81 said:

I find a mod that I like and under requirements that requires one other mod. Ok fine. I go to that mod page and I find that one of those mods requires TWO other mods. I go to one of those mod pages and those require THREE mods.

The only thing I can think of that matches what you describe is sex mods. But regardless of what you're adding to modify your game, may I suggest you slow down?

Install some basic mods, maybe cosmetic stuff, one or two mods at a time. Not more. Try them out, see if you like them, see if they are compatible with any other mods you have, then move on to something else small.

Don't even try installing sex mods until you have everything else filled out in your game, and if done right, that'll take you several days. But they'll be stress free days if you go slow and play the game as you expand it with mods.

Eventually you'll find you've installed all the requirements already because maybe some basic animation replacers had you install a few items, and maybe another quality of life had you install something else.

And suddenly you'll discover you can start adding mods at will with very little dependency downloads.

Don't let modding stress you. Keep it fun. Go slow. Play the game! It'll work out just how you like it eventually if you don't rush.

If you try to do it all at once, it's a recipe for Hell.

[anjenthedog]

Just the nature of modding. If a given mod requires another mod, they can't just include it (licensing). So they refer to it as a secondary required download.  And if that mod requires mods that you haven't already installed, then you have to install those...

I have yet to find a dependency rabbit hole that goes more than a couple few levels deep.

the trick is checking all the necessary dependencies and installing them from the last one listed in the chain back on up to your desired mod. 

As you progress, you'll find that fewer and fewer mods have dependencies you haven't already handled prior.

The only ones that (for me) seem to be in constant flux (IME) are those associated with NPC replacers, Racemenu presets (effectively player replacers).

[showler]

It's also worth noting that new users sometimes confuse "mods that are required for this mod to work" and "mods that require this mod to work".  Oftentimes the first category will be one or two mods while the second will be dozens.

[anjenthedog]

As well as the (sometimes) importance of giving thought to a mod's "suggested mods"

Sometimes you can basically ignore them, but sometimes, and declared or not, ime, especially Racemenu presets, follower  mods, NPCs and NPC replacers, etc, "sugessted" mods are defacto *requirements*, IF you intend to see in-game, what you saw in the "brochure"

(and like before, as you add them to your mods list over time, you'll find more and more are "already got that one" mods you don't have to worry about)

[scorrp10]

In general, there is a certain base of functionality mods that a lot of others depend on.   So chances are, this entire sequence (this needs that, and that needs those) is something you'll really need to do only once.

[AaronOfMpls]

10 hours ago, scorrp10 said:

In general, there is a certain base of functionality mods that a lot of others depend on.   So chances are, this entire sequence (this needs that, and that needs those) is something you'll really need to do only once.

Yup, "utility mods" like SKSE (required by all SKSE mods), Address Library (required by many SKSE mods), SkyUI (required by any mod with MCM control panels), MCM Helper (required for some mods' MCM controls), and SPID (required by many mods that add spells, perks, or items to various NPCs or containers). 

Or a few other mods with an extension framework, like Alternate Start - Live Another Life (required by a number of other mods' alternate-start plugins).

Once you have a few of these, many mods' requirements will seem a little less daunting, since you'll already have much/most/all of what they need.

Edited August 12 by AaronOfMpls
typo'd "utility"