Skyrim Workshop on steam VS nexus?

[Sgt Doom]

To be honest, i'll keep using the Nexus simply because I know where it downloads the bloody files to. Steam seems to save them to some magical hidden folder (like how it buries the screenshots folder deep inside (good thing there's a button in the manager to find the damn folder)) then extract them straight to the data folder. I'd like more control than that, as well as being able to keep an archive of mods in the inevitable case of Internet entropy that claims so many old mods. Edited February 8, 2012 by Sgt Doom

[knac]

As long as NMM retains the option to sort loading order it will be better. It's also way easier to know what you have downloaded or not. But devs must keep a competitive advantage, for a starter it would be nice to add the possibility to add folders in the mod list, set up loading priority from the mod list, and being able to move up/down the mods in the mod list.

 

If they add these sort of features NMM will still be way better, right now Steam workshop is a mess for complex mods which require installation, overwrite stuff, etc.

[Illiad86]

I decided to try the Workshop today and get a mod from it. I guess it's nice...worked fine with the arrow making mod I got. But, I'll still use Nexus and the NMM, sorting the load order is pretty important. Plus I prefer to manually install my mods anyways. I guess it's a nice addition for people who don't want to go through the hassle of coming here, etc. but Nexus is still better.

[SubjectProphet]

I just want to reply again.

 

Steam Workshop will NEVER take the Nexus down. Most of the things on the Workshop can be found here on the Nexus as well.

 

The ONLY reason I have Steam is because it was needed for Skyrim. If it wasn't, that program wouldn't be on my computer right now.

 

If the Nexus is shut down, I quit modding Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind, Fallout: NV, and Fallout 3.

 

And where is the info on the OP from? The Nexus has only gained members since the release of the CK as the mods are starting to really come in.

 

 

So basicly, no worries, the Workshop isn't as big as the Nexus, nor will it ever be.

[PsYchotic666Joker]

I for one do not plan on using the workshop, i hate it, looked around and everything i see there is here and it's stupid i think.

[Descivii]

Steam will never be real competition to Nexus because Nexus is one of a dwindling number of strongholds for digital do-it-yourselfers; everyone else went to did-it-for-you-for-a-dollar. So long as Nexus encourages the spirit of modding for fun and helping others to do the same, it will not be outdone by bandwagon marketing.

 

So here's to a real community built on want-to, NOT on have-to.

J

[KillGooD]

I will keep using Nexus, mainly because:

 

-Probably all the good mods will be here and not just on SW;

-I can choose which version of the mod to use and optional files;

-Nexus Mod Manager, where i can manage all my installed mods, keep up with updates, etc.

Edited February 8, 2012 by KillGooD

[Vinifera7]

I haven't uploaded anything to Steam Workshop or installed any mods with it yet. So far my biggest problem with it is that there's no way to enter a search query for mods like you can on Nexus. All you can do is filter by category. What they hell were you even thinking Steam?

[DrakeTheDragon]

There is no "VS". The Workshop isn't playing in the same league.

[spork542]

I honestly don't understand how they expect this to work. How long before a newbie installs 50 mods, notices his game installation no longer works, can't figure out that there are mod conflicts and load order problems, then blames Steam for it? The Steam Workshop seems partially designed to make mods more widely accessible. If they don't have a conflict detection feature and an automated load order feature, however, how can they make sure the users don't completely bork their installations as a result of their own ignorance? It seems to me like telling a five-year-old to hop into the swimming pool even though they don't know how to swim. Is it going to be any surprise if they drown?

 

Having said this, I may be wrong. I must confess I haven't had time to play or mod the game since the SW became available. So if I'm wrong, don't be afraid to correct my misconceptions. Also, if it seems like I'm trying to be patronizing to non-habitual modders and mod users, that's not the intent. I have made mods for Oblivion and Skyrim, though I made them for my own use alone, so I never posted them. There are probably mods that do the same things anyway. Even so, I did start from a point at which I didn't know how to make or use mods. I would suggest, though I don't have evidence for it, that this is a universal experience for those who make and use mods. The point is that it takes time to learn the methods of troubleshooting modded installations. I'm not stupid, and it can still sometimes take a long time to realize "Oh, I must have changed the load order so that Skyrim.esm loaded after my file." So I'll admit it, I make mistakes and I believe everybody does in modding. The question is, is everyone willing to take the time to determine their mistakes and fix them? I don't think so.

 

Given what I've seen from people in the USA, I would say this because of the popularity of tech support services. A lot of people don't want or don't have the tech savvy to solve their own problems, so services like Geek Squad are in demand. What services are there for Steam Workshop? Steam's tech support? Give me a break. I wouldn't trust them to figure out why an unmodded Skyrim installation won't start up. Why would they ever be able to help a user with a heavily modded installation? I suspect their tech support is already strained. Given the number of Skyrim players, I can only see this worsening the strain.

 

So what is my point here? My point is that I don't know if they are doing this in a way that will benefit users who aren't already habitual modders and mod users. They've made mods more accessible, but have they made them more easily used? It is not necessarily the case that mods are now more usable; the availability does not change the intricacy and fragility of a modded installation. So finally, I'm worried that new mod users will bork their installations and come complaining to Steam and perhaps even to the Nexus about how their mods aren't working, when more likely than not they either haven't installed them correctly, ordered them correctly, or paid attention to mod conflicts. Most issues can be easily solved with basic knowledge of mod conflicts, load order, and potential causes for particular issues like CTDs. As far as I've seen, this knowledge is, more often than not, not possessed by the common user. When and if huge mods with many potential conflicts like FCOM appear on Steam Workshop, it seems to me there would be a lot of potential for tech support problems.