Load Order/Deploy Order.

[johanis666]

I just need confirmation that I'm correct in thinking that mod deploy order is  purely to manage conflicts and the actual overall order is unimportant, unlike plugin load order that is vital to get right. If I have two mods in my deploy order that are not conflicting, I'm right in saying that it makes no difference where they are in the list relative to each other and their position in deploy order bears no relevence to their position in the load order? If so, this has massively simplified my mod list and I'm one step closer to actually knowing what I'm doing!! Hoorah!

[vortexposer]

Correct. Once conflicts are resolved (in mods tab), their "deploy order" makes no difference whatsoever.
There's really no point in keeping the column enabled either (disable/enable columns in upper right cog).

Although generally irrelevant for most users; the only practical use for deployment order that I've ever seen (in BGS games) is when making one Ini Tweak deploy after another Ini Tweak that don't share the same name (not in direct conflict), where both edit the same ini values = deploy after rule enforces the value changes in the override Ini Tweak file.

 

Edited December 28, 2024 by vortexposer

[Tannin42]

Yes. Deploy order may affect which textures or meshes or even scripts get loaded effectively but the more mods use BSAs the fewer deploy conflicts you will get.

Technically it’s the same for the plugin order: plugins may or may not conflict on the records they contain (or the assets in the associated BSA) and if there is no conflict, Plugin Order doesn’t matter either. Only difference is that plugin conflicts aren’t easy to detect/visualize.

[vortexposer]

Really? How does deploy order matter when at the end of the process, what is there is there and what loses isn't? Like, I get the loose file vs bsa reasoning but in terms of where one or the other is in deploy order, how would its specific indices matter?

This might make me rethink the significance of using deploy after rules, which until now I thought only applied to Ini Tweaks (BGS).

Also, hi Tannin! Hope you're doing well 
 

Edited December 28, 2024 by vortexposer

[Tannin42]

Not sure how you mean, a conflict means that two mods contain the same file name (and path) but they may have different content.
Deploy order really matters for any loose files, might be it just decides which texture you actually get in game but technically it could also be scripts that could break the game or quests if loaded in the wrong order. Depending on the game file conflicts will be more or less common, with Skyrim SE more mods use BSAs so file conflicts are less common.
It also depends on the kind of mod, if two mods each add new items to be crafted they will likely not conflict (or only conflict on some readme file or something) but if it's replacing game content (like SMIM) the order is important, only one mod can replace a specific asset.

[vortexposer]

I guess I must not understand the context of what the term "deployment order" is meant to represent in Vortex for an end user - besides what order its deploying files to game folder in, which is irrelevant to its LO. The main issue I've seen is users thinking that deploy order is somehow indicative to MO "priority index".
 

Edited December 29, 2024 by vortexposer

[7531Leonidas]

I had long ago assumed that 'deployment order' meant that Vortex made sure that the mods were loaded in-game in that order, higher numbers meaning that those mods were loaded later.

[showler]

Deployment order is for the mod manager.  Load order is for the game.

Deployment order determines what version of a file the mod manager deploys to the game folder.  Deployment order is irrelevant to the game because it is incapable of ever seeing any version of a file that is NOT deployed by the mod manager.

Load order determines which of conflicting instructions in the mod files the game will obey.  While the mod manager determines the load order, the load order is irrelevant to the mod manager because the mod manager is incapable of reading the instructions in the mod files.

You and Tannin42 are saying the same things, but your slightly different phrasing choices are causing you to think that something different is being expressed.

[vortexposer]

Yeah, is plausible that my cognitive dissonance resolution had a cyclic error moment in regard to conflict and deployment because I generally don't consider conflicts as part of the equation when I deploy, since 
 

Unless you're a mod type conflict 

Edited December 29, 2024 by vortexposer

[vortexposer]

Okay, I see it now...

If I take 3 non-conflicting folders (sorted by deploy order), they deploy 0/1/2 alphanumerically and then if I introduce an artificial file conflict for 2 to "load after" 0 - it'll readjust "deploy order", overriding defaults sort assignment. Guess I never bothered to pay attention to that detail (or sort by deploy order priority), which led me to ignore the correlation to conflict resolution rather than simply being arbitrarily linked to the defaults state alphanumeric sort. Also interesting that install status plays a part in where the UI display shifts it too.

Thank goodness for collapsible custom category because I'd go insane trying to sort by anything else.

*Actually, I can't figure out what sorts by default to determine initial deploy order. No wonder I ignored
 

Edited December 29, 2024 by vortexposer