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How Do I Give Priority to a Mod?

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Giving priority to a mod essentially means determining the order in which mods are loaded by a game. This order is crucial because mods can often modify the same game files. The mod loaded last generally takes precedence, overwriting any conflicting changes made by mods loaded earlier. Therefore, controlling mod priority is fundamental to achieving a stable and desired mod setup. The specific method for prioritizing mods varies depending on the game and the mod management tool you are using. Essentially, you’re aiming to have the mods you want to have the most impact loaded last, overwriting changes from others, or to have vital mods at the bottom of the list so they are loaded last with no conflicts.

Here’s a breakdown of how mod priority generally works and specific ways to manage it:

Load Order is King: The most important concept to grasp is that the load order directly corresponds to priority. Mods at the top of the list are loaded first and thus have lower priority. Mods at the bottom of the list are loaded last and have higher priority, overwriting any conflicting changes from mods above them.
Conflict Resolution: Mods often modify similar files. When conflicts occur, the mod loaded last (the highest priority) is the one whose changes are applied to the game. Therefore, you need to understand which mods should have higher priority based on their function and what you want them to achieve.
Mod Managers are Essential: Manual mod management is incredibly time-consuming and prone to errors. The best way to give priority to a mod is to use a dedicated mod manager. These tools streamline the process, offering intuitive interfaces and features for managing load order and resolving conflicts.

Mod Priority in Different Games and Managers

Different games and mod managers have unique ways of handling mod priority, so let’s delve into some specific examples:

Skyrim

Mod Organizer 2 (MO2): MO2 uses a numerical priority system. Lower numbers signify lower priority (loaded first), while higher numbers signify higher priority (loaded last and take precedence). You can adjust this priority on the left-hand pane of MO2, where you’ll see a column with “Flags”. Look for lightning symbols with plus (+) or minus (-) signs; plus means a mod takes priority.
Vortex: Vortex utilizes a drag-and-drop system on the ‘Plugins’ page to adjust the load order directly. You can also use the “group” feature; assigning a mod to a group lower in the order will give it higher priority. Vortex also has LOOT (Load Order Optimisation Tool) integrated, which automatically sorts your load order.
Manual Installation: Manually installed Skyrim mods require very careful attention to file placement and overwrite behavior. You need to be sure that the correct mods are in the appropriate folder and if they need to overwrite another file that the higher priority one is copied in after the lower priority one.
General Rule: For Skyrim, textures and skeletal mods (like XP32) usually go at the bottom of the load order as they are very fundamental.

The Witcher 3

Vortex: Similar to Skyrim, Vortex provides a “Load Order” tab where you can drag and drop mods to manage their priority.
Manual Installation: File replacement is key to manual installations and higher priority mods will be overwritten with lower priority mods if they conflict.
No Load Order Conflicts: In the game files themselves, mods that share files will only load one of the conflicts and the last one listed in the game files will have priority.

The Sims 2

Alphabetical Order: The Sims 2 reads files alphabetically. Therefore, to load a mod before another, you can add characters like “_”, or ‘a’ to the beginning of its filename or folder name. To make a mod load last, you could use a ‘z’.

BCML (Breath of the Wild)

Drag-and-Drop: BCML allows you to adjust mod priority by dragging and dropping mods in the mod list. This also impacts how RSTB, pack, and text merges are handled automatically.

Key Tips for Prioritizing Mods

Read Mod Descriptions: Always carefully read the mod descriptions on the mod page. Developers will often specify any necessary load order requirements or known conflicts.
Start Small: Begin with only a few mods, and once you’re stable, add more, making changes one at a time so you can find the source of errors.
Mod Conflicts: Understand that mods can conflict with each other. The priority order can dictate which mod’s changes are ultimately applied.
Test Often: After changing load order, thoroughly test your game to ensure stability and desired mod behavior. If you have a crash or issue after the change, you have a good idea of where the problem lies.
LOOT (Load Order Optimisation Tool): Use LOOT or a similar tool to help sort your mod load order. Tools like this generally perform extremely well and should be used for a baseline order even if you intend to alter it further.
Backup your files: Before starting any modifications, ensure you have a backup of your vanilla files.
Research: Spend time in the community forums of the game to understand the best practices and orders for the specific mods you intend to use.
Use a Mod Manager: As stated before, mod managers greatly streamline this process and reduce the likelihood of human error.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)