Vortex limitations

[IMNdi]

Few questions as I oil my noose:

 

a) I maintain multiple copies of games because of several reasons. NMM has an installation path and a way to store settings inside that folder, so, for example:

 

I can have D:\Games\FO4-001 for me with a D:\Games\NMM-001 for me too. These would work in tandem and maintain my game.

My girl can have D:\Games\FO4-002 for her with a D:\Games\NMM-002 for her.

 

These folders may or may not be the same version of NMM OR the game (I keep mine frozen to maintain mod compatibility)

 

Vortex seems to insta-deploy to C:\program files\Whatever which, no offense, could you not, mate, space on C may be at a premium this is my machine. Other than that, I see it maintains a per-user hardcoded path of settings and the like, making multiple copies impossible as they would share settings (i.e. install incompatible mod versions).

 

The profile feature seems to handle different mod configurations but not different game paths/versions or mod versions.

 

TL;DR Question: Can I have 2 copies of a game and maintain them separately or do I need to revert to NMM?

 

b) The application has detected that a file is missing (I did it, I admit, I moved a tool outside its download location). Vortex refuses to import the profile because inconsistency. I have downloaded the .zip file and replaced it. Then it complained about the exe file (deployed tool). I manually fixed that. Now it still complains. I have deleted and uninstalled the mod from NMM. No use.

 

Why does it have to autistically refuse to import when it has not only 250 mods it could import and can't import 1, it has a button to "not import" the broken one and still the button is disabled. I'd rather have an incomplete 250 mod list that a complete list of 0.

 

TL;DR Question: Is there an obvious but easily missed way to partially import a profile? (i.e. salvage what's left of the mod list)

 

c) Seeing how unwieldy this program is (bordering on Virtual Machine, why won't you let me manually add games as I like?), is there a way to import a list of mods at least, from my account? Say build a list of mods I have downloaded and just one-click re-add them from my download history? Or is that a case of "nobody knows what FILE you downloaded so it's never going to happen"?

 

TL;DR Question: Any chance of automating the process of painstakingly re-adding all my files in from the web?

[HadToRegister]

How can you install two copies of the same game?
They would both refer to the same registry keys

[AugustaCalidia]

@IMNdi: Before we discuss what Vortex can and cannot do, I have some questions. Do you in fact use NMM to manage two copies of the same game? If so, could you show us the precise installation paths you use to enable two separate installations of the same game? Also, could you explain how you configured NMM so that it recognizes two separate installations of the same game? Or do you run at least two separate installations of NMM? If so, could you explain how you do that?

[rmm200]

Well one more request - can you share with us your reasons for having multiple copies?

Certainly the Vortex philosophy is that you have a virgin copy of the game as the Good Lord and the developer intended, and write none of your mods to that game directory.

In that environment, I really can't think of any reason to have more than one copy.

[IMNdi]

(a) Do you in fact use NMM to manage two copies of the same game?

(b) If so, could you show us the precise installation paths you use to enable two separate installations of the same game?

© Also, could you explain how you configured NMM so that it recognizes two separate installations of the same game? Or do you run at least two separate installations of NMM? If so, could you explain how you do that?

 

a) Yes.

b) D:\Games\FO4 and D:\Games\Fallout 4 New

c) I have 2 NMM installations, like the initial post states. I have a D:\Games\NMM and a D:\Games\NMM2. There's also a D:\Games\Nexus Mod Manager because it's there before NMM supported FO4VR standalone and you could use a clone to manage it as standard FO4.

 

I assumed that using simpler paths would be easier, so D:\Games\FO4-1 and FO4-2 with NMM-1 and NMM-2 was simpler for an explanation. The reason for those names is historic, as both FO4 and NMM went through several identities, they were installed back in the Oblivion/Skyrim days.

 

Steam allows you to install games in whatever folder you want, several identities can have different games and you can freeze a game in spite of Steam's stubborness if you don't go online (permission fiddle). I tend to save things in D:\Games for all games, regardless of launcher because it makes space management and backups easier.

 

Having frozen games is critical for games in Early Access, as well as obsessive fiddlers (I'm looking at you, KLEI).

 

 

(d) Well one more request - can you share with us your reasons for having multiple copies?

(e) Certainly the Vortex philosophy is that you have a virgin copy of the game as the Good Lord and the developer intended, and write none of your mods to that game directory.

(f) In that environment, I really can't think of any reason to have more than one copy.

 

d) Because Steam sucks. Namely, Steam refuses to allow you to freeze a game version, you MUST update and that murders mods. A mod enabled game has to be able to be frozen, otherwise you may find your favorite game destroyed by a savefile that is on top of a tower that no longer exists and will never exist because you can't revert versions and the tower doesn't work in 1.4.

 

As a result, I pick the most widely supported version of the game (let's say, 1.3.1) and freeze it. Then I troll the Nexus for mods that support 1.3.1 and my configuration of DLCs at the time and mod the game. After that, it's frozen with a few minor caveats: Savegames need to be prefixed so you know whose game it is, which is easy since most Bethesda games put the character name in the save.

 

That game can now be played for the next 10 years. Should I ever decide to try again, install to a new folder (hence the Fallout 4 NEW folder name) and new NMM installation (NMM2=tests), manually add the game to the new NMM and make it handle nmm: links. Then troll the nexus for mods that fit 1.4 with Far Harbor. If I like it, it's now the new folder. If not, delete the folder, delete NMM, old game still works.

 

e) I get what you are saying, and, law aside, if I bought it and I own it I can have 35 versions as long as I am the only one playing it. My conscience is clean. And yes, if you were wondering, it's easier if you just use a copy that fell off a truck but as I have shown above you can have multiple copies legally by having multiple Steam users and installations. You can also trick Steam by straight up copying the folder and whatever copy you launch is going to call up Steam and Steam is going to give it a thumbs up because you own the game. The (minor) downside is that you need to make a shortcut to the exe not the standard steam: link.

 

I realize I'm special but this is the home of the fiddlers, right?

 

f) Far Harbor was on sale. Do I buy Far Harbor and destroy my old game with 220 mods? or do I never ever buy any addons out of fear?

 

If your copy IS off the back of a truck, the answer is easy. Copy/paste the folder, try, if it's bad restore from backup.

 

If your copy is legit, well, sorry to say, but any modification of the game insta-updates it to versions 1.4.1 which is no longer supported by AWKS which means that no X armor crashes X armor mod Y which crashes Z. You know how this works. Versions are fragile. Especially new patches that take WEEKS to be supported.

 

There are mods that are no longer maintained. Some mods were deleted by people with fragile personalities. There never will be more copies of those mods.

 

Let's say that a .... uhh ... friend of mine REALLY hates roaches. And this wuss friend of mine has a mod installed, called DeleteRR, a mod that replaces all radroaches in FO4 (and FO4 VR, ESPECIALLY IN VR OH GOD WHAT WAS I THINKING) with molerats. Now, this mod was (possibly) abandoned by the creator (last update 01 Dec 2015, 3:50AM) and that the game was played through and in its entirety there are 0 left roaches. An update comes.

 

Ugh.

 

I just want to play. I want to click, hear the music, load, shoot people. I do NOT want to fire up Steam, see it "update needed" and when crash or worse, f*ing Roach O'clock because Diamond City has a crooked stair they needed to patch.

 

You say you can't think of a reason to have one more copy.

 

- To have a copy that can be backed up and restored so it won't get stuck importing or installing whenever I switch profiles. For example, my current game is unplayable, NMM and Vortex had a fight and it won't load any mods. Vortex won't import NMM profile. NMM hangs when switching profiles. No mods load. I don't have a backup.

- To protect it from changes & updates

- Privacy/safety from other players on the same machine. I'm an adult. I may have kids. (I don't)

- To have it frozen, click and play, as we used to when we were kids. No microtransactions after the sale, no reverts, no progressive patching of the game to disallow killing of children. They are in the way of progress. They are all in the way of progress! [minigun spin] I NEED THE SPACE TO BUILD!

 

sorry.

[IMNdi]

How can you install two copies of the same game?

They would both refer to the same registry keys

a) Most games don't have registry keys they use config files so they can be deployed in whatever configuration is needed and ported to systems that don't have registry (a Windows only feature). Most are in the game\config folders (in a portable configuration). Games that support Steam Cloud are even more fixed in their configuration and they are tied to the Steam installation, game ID and user ID.

 

b) Most games that have centralized settings save them in user profile mapped folders, meaning they are per-user anyway. As are most used registry keys (HKCU). You can set a game to run-as, pulling the needed hive at will.

[AugustaCalidia]

Certe, Toto, sentio nos in Kansate non iam adesse. :smile:

[HadToRegister]

 

How can you install two copies of the same game?

They would both refer to the same registry keys

a) Most games don't have registry keys they use config files so they can be deployed in whatever configuration is needed and ported to systems that don't have registry (a Windows only feature). Most are in the game\config folders (in a portable configuration). Games that support Steam Cloud are even more fixed in their configuration and they are tied to the Steam installation, game ID and user ID.

 

b) Most games that have centralized settings save them in user profile mapped folders, meaning they are per-user anyway. As are most used registry keys (HKCU). You can set a game to run-as, pulling the needed hive at will.

 

 

 

I tried that with my Gog and Steam version of Fallout 3, and it didn't work.

They fought over the C:\users\my name\Documents\My Games\Fallout 3\ folder and Xedit wouldn't work because it only had ONE Registry Key to work from

[rmm200]

Certe, Toto, sentio nos in Kansate non iam adesse. :smile:

 

Anyone who quotes Wizard of Oz in Latin - sign me up as a fan!

[sopmac45]

 

Certe, Toto, sentio nos in Kansate non iam adesse. :smile:

 

Anyone who quotes Wizard of Oz in Latin - sign me up as a fan!

 

 

Non ego sum, sed volo equitare a habebat vitulum Kansas … lol …. :geek: