Fresh Start - Re-Downloading Vortex/Installing Mods

[Lhyssa]

Hello again,

 

This is to update the (incredibly) patient fellows working to help me out with figuring out my Vortex issues.

 

Steps taken so far:

Removed mods from and deleted NMM.

Removed mods from and deleted Vortex.

Reinstalled Vortex 1.0.16.5

 

Fallout 4 (the game) is currently located in the following path:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 4

 

I am guessing that, despite the deletion, it remembered something from the previous install, since this is the current "Mod Staging Folder (Fallout 4)":

C:\Users\User\Desktop\Mods

 

It currently lists "Download Folder" as

{USERDATA}\downloads

 

I have created a C:\Games folder with paths as listed below:

 

C:\Games\Vortex Downloads -----> intended Download Folder

C:\Games\Fallout 4\Mods ---------> intended Mod Staging Folder

 

Please advise if there should be any changes before I move forward.

[sopmac45]

My setup :

 

- Mod Staging : C:\users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Vortex

 

- Download Folder : C:\users\<username>\Documents\VORTEX DOWNLOADS ( name of my folder )

 

 

Game is by default, installed in the path that you have. As far as you mod staging is not in the same path where your game data folder is, you are fine … forgot, your mod staging should not be inside the download folder.

 

As you can see, in my setup, they are in different places, not together.

 

After you start your vanilla game and do your save, prepare your .ini files for modding. Then setup Vortex :

 

1 - INTERFACE : have Enable Advance, Enable Profile Management and Deploy Mods when Enabled ON

2 - SETTINGS - MODS : have Hardlinks Deployment Method

3 - SETTINGS DOWNLOADS : have HANDLE ON …

4 - … and AUTO-SORT enable in the PLUGINS tab … this will activate LOOT inside Vortex so you won't have to worry at all about sorting your plugins load order.

 

Download mods one by one and RESOLVE conflicts as they appear. After you finish with your last mod, make sure all of them are Enabled ( green ) and also that your Plugins are also Enabled ( green ). Check EXTENSIONS in Vortex menu ( main page ) and make sure all of them are on green.

 

Let us know and happy gaming ! :cool:

[FlamingCheeseMonkey]

For the mod staging folder, I would personally use {GAME} instead of the game name so that Vortex can automatically create the appropriate folders.

[Lhyssa]

For the mod staging folder, I would personally use {GAME} instead of the game name so that Vortex can automatically create the appropriate folders.

 

Okay, so changed it to {GAME} and now the Mod Staging path is:

{USERDATA}\{GAME}\mods{GAME}

 

or:

C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\Vortex\Fallout4\modsFallout4

 

Download Folder is currently:

C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\Vortex\downloads

 

Please advise if these are the "correct" locations/paths!

 

A quick addendum - I followed the Download folder to Fallout, where it has a folder with a name consisting of numbers and letters and nothing else... (no Vortex folder) Is that normal?

 

And... Clicking the Vortex button to download doesn't do anything... o_O

[sopmac45]

@ Lhyssa ... according to your post, it seems that you have your Mod Staging and Downloads in the same place, am I right ? Look at my sample, move your Download Folder to a different place, like C:\users\<username>\Games or Documents and create it.

 

You need to created your Download Folder. You can give it any name. Mine is located in : C:\users\<username>\Documents\VORTEX DOWNLOADS ... so VORTEX DOWNLOADS is the name of my folder. You need to create yours and name it the way you want it. You won't see any mod in there till you start downloading/installing/enabling mods.

 

What do you mean clicking the Vortex button to download do not do anything ? What Vortex button ? If you meant to download a mod, you need to login to NEXUS, go to the game mod page and download your mod from there.

[sopmac45]

Do not download by clicking on this tab :

 

 

 

 

…. download your mod by going into NEXUS to the game mod page that you want to download.

 

 

[sopmac45]

Go to NEXUS game mod page, find your mod and download :

 

 

 

 

Is this helping ? Please let me know.

[Lhyssa]

Go to NEXUS game mod page, find your mod and download :

 

FALLOUT4 MOD PAGE.PNG

 

 

Is this helping ? Please let me know.

 

Oh, crap. I got busy trying to manually download and just came back.

 

It does look like if I let Vortex pick the paths, it puts them in the same place. I am going back to the setup I had in the opening post.

ie.

I have created a C:\Games folder with paths as listed below:

 

C:\Games\Vortex Downloads -----> intended Download Folder (Addendum - When I entered this as the Download Folder, Vortex created a folder called "Fallout4" inside this folder. After download, I move the mod to that folder and it appears now on the Mods panel in Vortex, allowing me to install from there - progress!)

C:\Games\Fallout 4\Mods ---------> intended Mod Staging Folder

 

When I mentioned "hitting the Vortex button" I am referring to when I am on the Nexus site, logged in and go into a mod (CBBE, for example) and click on the "Vortex" button for download. It opens up saying it is preparing to download the file and then nothing happens. This is why I have been Manually Downloading the mods, which is likely why everything is getting torched to hell and gone.

 

I have confirmed my INI files are set up properly (while I was away) and have re-downloaded CBBE and Body Slide/Outfit Studio in the interim. When I open Body Slide, there are no presets or outfits listed, so I'm guessing it is in the wrong place. On a positive note, my character is no longer in underwear when unclothed, so I think that means i got F4SE working properly. Now to figure out how to get it to default to the Curvy bodytype and Batch Build all the others...

[sopmac45]

Mod page and choose your mod file :

 

 

 

… and I am getting this screen and I click YES …

 

 

 

… then your file will start downloading and go back to Vortex MODS section, wait for your mod to completely donwload, hit on the INSTALL and then click on ENABLE or ENABLE ALL ( if the mod have several plugins it will ask you ENABLE ALL ). Continue with the same process and resolve your mod conflicts via rules as they appears.

 

Did that help ?

[Lhyssa]

Yes, and no.

 

There are occasions (for smaller mods) where I click the Vortex button in the mod and it downloads on its own. For the larger mods, I have to click on Download and then Save the mod. I then move the mod to the Vortex Downloads\Fallout4 and it appears in Vortex to be installed.

 

I have been going mod-by-mod and installing them. I've noticed some of them appear instantly in the game while others don't (Eyes of Beauty doesn't appear in the Looks Mirror for instance (not a huge deal), and Darker Nights doesn't seem to work despite having followed the setup - bummer. The Looks Mirror itself didn't show up the first time I logged into the game, but did the next time - odd). I have also had to go into some of the mods' 7Zip files and figure out where they are supposed to be moved to and move them myself and then activate them in the Plugins section, so I am checking that area after every download.

 

By the time this is over, I'm gonna be an expert at this. ^_^