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Mod Managers Comparison
yggdrasil75 edited this page Feb 11, 2021
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There are many mod managers around these days and it's may be a bit difficult to choose the one you need. This page is designed to highlight key features of known mod managers.
- KMM - Kortex Mod Manager.
- MO1 - Mod Organizer 1 (version 1.x).
- MO2 - Mod Organizer 2 (version 2.x).
- NMM - Nexus Mod Manager.
- Vortex - a successor to NMM by Nexus Mods.
- Wrye Bash - one of the oldest mod managers among them all.
Kortex | MO2 | MO1 | Vortex | NMM | Wrye Bash | |
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Supported games |
TES series starting from Morrowind.
Fallout series starting from Fallout 3. Sacred 2. |
Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, Fallout NV, Tale of Two Wastelands (TTW), Skyrim, Skyrim SE, Skyrim VR, Fallout 4, Fallout 4 VR, Enderal (Steam Edition) | Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas. | Supports over 150 games including Cyberpunk 2077, the TES Series, and the Fallout serie. | Supports many games including Elder Scrolls (plus Enderal) and Fallout series. |
Morrowind using Wrye Mash.
Fallout 3/Fallout NV Using Valda's Wrye Flash. Oblivion, Nehrim, Skyrim (LE, SE, VR), Enderal and Fallout 4 (Regular & VR) Using Wrye Bash. |
Importing from other managers | Nexus Mod Manager, MO1, MO2. | MO1, MO2, NMM. | ||||
Profile management | Multiple instances per game, multiple profiles per instance. | One instance for one MO installation, multiple profiles per instance. | Multiple profiles per game | |||
Assets conflict management | ||||||
Conflict resolution |
Using mod priority that can be changed by drag & dropping mods in a specific order |
Using mod priority that can be changed by drag & dropping mods in a specific order. Per file resolution through hiding of files (renaming with .mohidden). |
Using mod priority that can be changed by drag & dropping mods in a specific order. Per file resolution through hiding of files (renaming with .mohidden). |
Through definition of order rules between mods, which can be created through drag & drop of the relationship icon. Per file resolution through advanced conflict view (this can be different per-profile) | One time popup during installation to decide whether to keep or overwrite other mods files. | Using mod priority that can be changed by drag & dropping mods in a specific order. |
Conflict visualization | Different conflict flags on modlist for different conflict types (winning/losing/both). Highlighting of mods that have conflict with the currently selected mod. Listing of losing, winning and non-conflicted files for each mod. Ability to preview and cycle alternatives of textures and other file types. Advanced per-mod conflict views with alternatives, sorting, search, etc. |
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No visualization of conflicts as there can't be, just one time popup during mod installation to either overwrite or keep old files. |
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Game archives (BSA) management |
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Game archives (BSA) management | Extraction, Creation, Content preview, Experimental conflict detection. | Extraction, Conflict detection, Loading without plugins. | ||||
Game archives (BSA) Conflicts | Only experimental WIP conflict visualization of archives through BSA specific conflict flags. BSA order is decided by plugin order like normal. | Change of how the game handles BSAs to allow BSA files to be loaded without plugins, in a different order, and allow BSA contents to overwrite loose files. Order is decided through mod priority and conflicts are shown as part of the normal loose assets conflicts. Cons: some mods and programs relayed on the previous game behavior. | ||||
Saves management | Virtualization per profile and dedicated tab to visualize them. | The Saves Tab allows you to switch between different 'save profiles'. | ||||
Change master name in header of save game from save game manager | ||||||
List plugins used in a save game | Through tooltip. Warning icon if current load order is missing files for them. | |||||
Config (INI) management | Virtualization per profile and advanced editor. | Virtualization per profile and editor. | Virtualization per profile. | The INI Edits Tab allows applying and undoing 'INI Edits', small INI files that can be installed via BAIN and then applied to INIs. Comes packaged with many default INI tweaks that have been tested and verified. | ||
Load order management scheme | Drag and Drop for mods and plugins. | Based on LOOT and its own rules system. | Drag and Drop for plugins. For mods it's the install order. | Drag and Drop for mods and plugins. Allows locking load order to prevent external applications from making changes. | ||
Add or remove plugin flags from plugin list | ESL flag. | ESM and ESL flags. Also generates correct ONAM data when adding/removing ESM flags. | ||||
Change master name in header of plugin from plugin list | ||||||
Integrated LOOT support | One click sort, detailed loot report, visualization of loot info on pluginlist through flags and tooltips. | One click sort, detailed loot report. (! severely outdated version of integrated Loot) |
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Visualization of dirty plugins via underlining on the plugin list, automatic retrieval of LOOT's Bash Tag suggestions. Allows you to export your applied tags for contribution to the LOOT masterlist. | ||
Backup features | Modlist order, Plugin order, Individual mod folder backup. | Via Extension only: https://github.com/Garethp/Vortex-Modlist-Backup |
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Backs up all the parts of Wrye Bash that can be changed by the user to a location of the user's choosing. | ||
Program list |
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Mod package creator | FOMod (XML), KMP. | Only BAIN wizards, and only via simple text editors. | ||||
Supported mod package formats | FOMod (XML), KMP. | FOMod (XML, C#), BAIN Package, freeform1, simple2. | FOMod (XML, C#), simple2. | FOMod (XML, C#), OMOD, simple2. | FOMod (XML), OMOD (by repackaging to BAIN), BAIN Wizard, BAIN Package, simple2. | |
Event Logging | external logs | logs viewable within program | external logging, internal event viewer for order of recently install/enabled/disabled mods | External logs | ||
Mod Merging | Merge "mods" (assets) from the same mod page during install | merge "mods" (assets) from the same mod page during install and any mods after install merge plugins via extension | merge overwrite-only plugins for certain games during patch creation | |||
Virtualization scheme | KxVFS - based on Dokany - kernel-mode file system driver. | USVFS - user-mode WinAPI hooks, a successor to the hook.dll to support 64bit. | Hook.dll - a user-mode WinAPI hooks (32bit only). | Hardlinks by default, Symlinks or move deployment as an option on specific games, USVFS as an experimental extension (no new file support for now). | Symbolic links (symlinks). | No virtualization, files are installed in the Data folder. |
Virtualization Pros and Cons |
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- Any content inside the mod archive. This installation mode usually requires user input to some extent.
- Just some files such as .esm/.esp and/or Data folder inside the mod archive.
- Kerber (Kortex developer)
- AL (MO2 Dev)
- Yggdrasil75 (Vortex virtuoso)
- Sharlikran (Wrye Bash contributor)
- FelesNoctis (Generalist contributor)