It's simple, once bigger mods with more conflict chances come out, arranging your load order is necessary. Not optional, unless you want crippling bugs and general crap that comes with mod conflicts, FOMM, OBMM and any other version of what is essentially the same program is probably the most valuable tool out there for mod purposes. We haven't seen it being that big of a deal yet, but we will, at least I hope we will.

Fomm is super easy to use for me. No different than the default launcher. Drag and Drop --> Check box --> run game!

I just use good ol' FOMM to make BSA files for my mods - and use Wrye Flash for all the sorting.

Here's the biggest benefit that I got from FOMM - if I installed a texture pack / replacer through FOMM, then decide that I don't like it, uninstalling and resetting everything back to the way it was is a few clicks of the mouse. Because FOMM would make backup copies of every replaced texture and it would keep track of what was installed when that mod was installed. Doing that by hand is madness, unless you like puzzles (or creating multiple backups of your Fallout directory).

Second biggest benefit was sorting the load order and knowing the 2-hex ID prefix on all objects within that mod. Which made it far easier to track down bugs in-game.

The FOMOD directory and XML is a real time-saver on the more advanced mods where you have to juggle multiple ESP files (pick one of them, one of those, and these are optional). Turns the install process into something very simple and very difficult to screw up. Even for the simple ESP-only mods, having a FOMOD XML file meant that it would automatically add itself into your package list in the proper category, rather then it all being a jumbled mess. And it would give you a nice and concise description inside of FOMM.

This.

Also if you overwrite assets associated with an FOMOD, it'll tell you which mod and put them back if you uninstall (At least OBMM did, pretty sure FOMM did too). Zero-hassle installation and uninstallation is a godsend, and if rearchiving takes too long, go into the options and lower the compression option until it's better. Harddrive space is cheap.

I always use MMs, it makes installing/uninstalling easier, it allows for scripted installations, I can alter/import/export my load-order, it detects conflicts, restores overwritten files when I uninstall the overwriting mod etc. Sure it's faster to just unzip the files in your data files but you'll just bloat your game folder; I used to do that when I started out but these apps made mod managing waaaaay more easier.

Since then OBMM, WryeBash, TESEdit and TESCS (or their variants for other games) were always the first things I installed after the game, DLCs/expansions and patches.


And to actually post something on-topic now: I'm eagerly waiting for the "real-thing" but also keeping an eye on this one here http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1129779-nvcmu/

I can't tell you how much stuff like this makes 'fixing' problems with messed up textures is. Anyone else remember the early days of morrowind modding, praying that the old text version of AI would work, and most of the time it didn't? Or not being able to reorder mods except by doing it manually?

Yeah. FOMM, Wyrebash, etc make life so much easier you're either being silly to think that they're a hassle, or you don't use mods that require specific load orders so your install doesn't go *BOOM* leaving you wondering where the !@#()*& did I go wrong.

Since it doesn't even allow you to edit the load order correctly without crashing, it's not much better than using the game's vanilla launcher to manage your mods at this point.

I'll wait for the Timeslip version, thank you.

Timeslip has already stated that he won't be working on New Vegas, However, Kaburke has taken over the project.