An update on Vortex development

[mauri6870]

Will vortex provide a feature to allow users to export their mod list, share with a friend, and have them import that list so that the mod packages get downloaded automatically in the vortex client? This would be extremely useful for sharing mod builds with friends.

 

Also, i understand this would be a bit complex, but to add to the above, maybe also be able to export the mod list configuration so that when the mod packages get auto downloaded on your friend's vortex client, the packages also get auto installed with the same configuration and mod order as your own build.

Edited December 4, 2017 by mauri6870

[Ethreon]

In response to post #55729206.

mauri6870 wrote: Will vortex provide a feature to allow users to export their mod list, share with a friend, and have them import that list so that the mod packages get downloaded automatically in the vortex client? This would be extremely useful for sharing mod builds with friends.

Also, i understand this would be a bit complex, but to add to the above, maybe also be able to export the mod list configuration so that when the mod packages get auto downloaded on your friend's vortex client, the packages also get auto installed with the same configuration and mod order as your own build.

How would your mod manager know the order you installed mods, where you merged them and what's merged?

[Deleted28570945User]

Holding my breath...any second now... :sweat:

 

:P

[Velgath]

In response to post #55729206. #55729581 is also a reply to the same post.

mauri6870 wrote: Will vortex provide a feature to allow users to export their mod list, share with a friend, and have them import that list so that the mod packages get downloaded automatically in the vortex client? This would be extremely useful for sharing mod builds with friends.

Also, i understand this would be a bit complex, but to add to the above, maybe also be able to export the mod list configuration so that when the mod packages get auto downloaded on your friend's vortex client, the packages also get auto installed with the same configuration and mod order as your own build.

Ethreon wrote: How would your mod manager know the order you installed mods, where you merged them and what's merged?

Pretty sure he's thinking along the lines of the left-list in Mod Organizer (which makes installation order irrelevant). I'm personally hoping it will be implemented similarly, despite not using the same method of virtualization (as Tannin discussed in a previous post).

As for auto-downloading, it depends whether he means from the Nexus or from the friends client. From the friends client would be possible (it would be nearly functionally equivalent to copying a Mod Organizer installation from one computer to another), but have all kinds of issues from mod authors not wanting their content downloadable from another source. From the Nexus, it wouldn't possibly be able to take into account merges or personal customization (and there have still been some issues from non-cathedral modders with auto-downloading from Nexus through a tool, as could be observed by some of the fuss around ModPicker back in the day).
Edited December 5, 2017 by Velgath

[tajetaje]

In response to post #55396883. #55493343, #55600444, #55603491 are all replies on the same post.

KennyMcCormick315 wrote: All I want in a mod manager is the ability to install FOMODS, manage archive invalidation, and handle load orders. THat's it. I don't particularly care for logging in through the mod manager or being able to rate mods through it, I don't want it checking for updates(For itself or for mods) as I will do this as I feel the need to. I just want it to manage my load order and install fomods, nothing more. FOMM was overpowered for me, but I adored its simplicity, and that's what I'm hoping for out of Vortex.


I'll probably give it a try in January when it pops out. Here's hoping it's an honest and simple little program that does what it says on the tin and doesn't have a lot of extraneous fluff.

lithiumfox wrote: It's a bit more useful than that. The nice part about MO over NMM was the fact that you could keep mods in their full state and reorder entire Mods and disable specific files (would make it a .mohidden extension), particularly useful for texture/model mods. You could easily test without having files completely deleted or written over. Install a new mod you like but hate the specific texture for a specific item?

You could just go into the mod info and disable that file for that mod and a previous file would load. Or could just reorder entire texture mods without reinstalling them

Took up a lot more space, sure, but was hella convenient.

axonis wrote:

You could just go into the mod info and disable that file for that mod and a previous file would load.

Such functions are best left out of a mod manager. As a user I'm always free to delete files from mod archives but as a mod author I would refuse to support users that do so.

UhuruNUru wrote: KennyMcCormick315
Initial design goals were to be just a basic mod manager, with default settings, but with optional (Switched of by Default), more advanced features, that many other users want. You may be surprised at what you end up using, as you find uses for the optional features.

Features that NMM already has, are not going to be removed.
Download with Manager, and Updating with it, are core basic features, you are going to have to live with, though you may be able to disable them.

Axonis
Users that know enough to do this sort of thing, are often the ones helping you to provide support, not the ones asking for it.
However the Texture switching example lithiumfox gives, wouldn't make any difference to your mods functionality, and in such cases you should still support the user, as the issues aren't affected by which texture is being used.

Mod Organizer already provides that feature, and so does manual modding, but in MO's case it's very simple to "unhide" the file, and eliminate that as a cause of an issue.
The advanced user, wouldn't hide required files, they would have made a patch if both mods changes were required.

Fears about potential advanced options are unreasonable, when the design goals are to default to a very basic manager, that's what most basic (NMM) users will use.
As for any optional advanced features, wait and see what's offered, probably very little, except for TES/Fallout games, which will get special treatment, being about 90% of the sites mods,

Generally
I'm not convinced that even Tannin's Mod Organizer experience can be fully applied to a "Jack of all games" NMM replacement.
Though I'm sure the TES/Fallout games will get special features as the main games of NexusMods, Vortex is intended to work for any game, that has mods.

That means basic features that can be applied to all games, but not many customised ones that only one, or two games can use.

Just like NMM, I expect Vortex to be my "Only choice" manager, because whenever any game's had a custom built manager, that manager is almost always much better for that specific game than NMM.

There's been suggestions of a user added Plugin type of system, to add more advanced customised functions for specific games, and that could work well.

Let's just wait for an Alpha release, then we can all gripe about what it actually does, and doesn't do.

I doubt old games will ever be added though, so I'll still be using my game specific managers for almost every game I mod.

If you want a program tailored to your specific interests over the consensus of the entire nexus mods team then you can learn to program and make one, simple as that.

[FilthyCasual523]

Without MO's style of virtualization I don't see how useful this new manager would be compared to the previous NMM. MO's style of virtualization was what set it apart from and made it superior to every other manager out there.

 

The way Vortex is being described, I won't be able to use different mod loadouts for different character profiles the way I could with MO, or pretty much any of MO's other functions. It sounds like all it is, is a new NMM that's supposed to be virtual but really isn't considering the mods are still getting installed in the data folder.

[Ethreon]

In response to post #55826861.

FilthyCasual523 wrote: Without MO's style of virtualization I don't see how useful this new manager would be compared to the previous NMM. MO's style of virtualization was what set it apart from and made it superior to every other manager out there.

The way Vortex is being described, I won't be able to use different mod loadouts for different character profiles the way I could with MO, or pretty much any of MO's other functions. It sounds like all it is, is a new NMM that's supposed to be virtual but really isn't considering the mods are still getting installed in the data folder.

https://rd.nexusmods.com/fallout4/news/13257

Read before you blabber.

[FilthyCasual523]

In response to post #55826861. #55826971 is also a reply to the same post.

FilthyCasual523 wrote: Without MO's style of virtualization I don't see how useful this new manager would be compared to the previous NMM. MO's style of virtualization was what set it apart from and made it superior to every other manager out there.

The way Vortex is being described, I won't be able to use different mod loadouts for different character profiles the way I could with MO, or pretty much any of MO's other functions. It sounds like all it is, is a new NMM that's supposed to be virtual but really isn't considering the mods are still getting installed in the data folder.

Ethreon wrote: https://rd.nexusmods.com/fallout4/news/13257

Read before you blabber.

I did read. That was what I gleaned from it.

[Deleted38897005User]

Important question: Will it be a 64bit app?

[EmeraldShadow]

Since MO's virtualization seems to be broken (FNIS and bodyslide flat out overwriting your mods, instead of putting their files into the overwrite folder for some reason), this mod manager will be nice once it comes out.

Maybe I need an older version of MO. I remember in the past that stuff worked fine.

Edited December 10, 2017 by EmeraldShadow