Vortex AND MO2 (not this vs that)

[mshood]

I've been using MO2 and have several portable installs (wabbajack) installed for SkyrimVR, so other than common SKSE/loader files that care copied in the game folder, my SkyrimVR install is clean.

I really haven't used Vortex before but want to play around with it a bit and install a new list. The question I have is:

 

Is it possible to have BOTH Vortex AND MO2 managing different SkyrimVR mod lists?

[HadToRegister]

No, you should never manage 1 game with 2 mod managers.

However, it would be POSSIBLE, just not recommended, and would be kind of a PITA having to disable/purge enable/deploy every time you switched

[Pickysaurus]

It's possible, but not recommended unless you know what you're doing. I have Vortex installed with ~600 mods for my actual playthrough and I can use "Purge" in Vortex to reset my data folder back to default, then I use MO2 for developing my mods separately.

[Rattledagger]

Since MO2 never physically adds any files to /data/-directory any mod installed by MO2 won't interfere with Vortex.

 

Vortex on the other hand as default uses hardlink deployment and this means mods will physically appear in /data/-directory or games root directory. This means after using Vortex to mod a game, to use MO2 afterwards to mod the same game without being "contaminated" with the Vortex-installed mods, where's at least 4 methods to handle this:

 

1: Every time finished in Vortex, make sure uses "Purge".

2: Every time finished in Vortex, make sure to switch to another Profile with no active mods.

3: In Vortex under Extensions, click "Find More" and install "Fully Virtual Deployment" and after Vortex is re-started you can under Vortex - Settings - Mods choose "USVFS Deployment".

4: Use separate Windows user accounts with separate game directory.

 

Disadvantages:

1 + 2, you must in Vortex remember to purge or switch profile before using MO2. Also with 1, if you in Vortex switches to another game, Vortex always Deploys the purged game.

3: USVFS is the same method MO2 uses, but with at least last time I tried in Vortex you can't use FNIS and similar tools to generate new files (in MO2 this goes in /overwrite/-directory but Vortex don't have overwrite). As a work-around, you can use hardlink deployment, generate FNIS and similar for so switching to USVFS. Also with USVFS you can't in Vortex install mods to games root directory, but having to manually install SKSE, ENB etc. isn't really much of a problem.

4: Separate Windows user accounts with separate game directory means duplication of game files.

 

Note, since I've not got VR I've no idea if where's any special considerations then it comes to Vortex and Skyrim VR, but at least with original Skyrim and SSE jumping between Vortex and MO2 is possible.

[mshood]

Actually, I think I have a solution using Hardlinks to create "clones" of the Steam Skyrim directory and pointing Vortex and different MO2 profiles (that require files to be copied over into the game folder) to their own cloned game.

I'm in the process of testing different scenarios, but so far so good. If all goes well, I'll post a "How To".