Prototype 2

Vortex 1.0 Release

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Back towards the end of 2016 we began work on a new mod manager, Vortex, to replace the ageing Nexus Mod Manager. Unfortunately, we considered this change a necessary act considering the mess that NMM was (and still is) in.

When we first started work on Vortex we were very aware that, over the 6 years that we worked on Nexus Mod Manager, it remained in a state of permanent beta which reflected our lack of confidence in the software's ability to remain stable and provide a solid experience for all users. With Vortex, we set out to learn from our previous mistakes and today I am happy to announce that Vortex is officially out of beta and has reached a 1.0 release.

After over 18 months of work in private, we released the alpha of Vortex in early 2018 followed by a beta phase in late 2018. Today, Vortex leaves that beta phase entirely and hits an official 1.0 stable release, allowing users to mod 69 different games, up from the 28 games that the Vortex alpha launched with and the 27 that NMM supports.

In the 17 months it has taken us to go from our initial alpha to our 1.0 launch our Vortex developers have received over 58,000 feedback messages and bug reports. These reports were collated into 3,200 individual issues of which 3,000 of these issues have been addressed. 54 open bug reports remain, of which, not all of them are necessarily bugs and/or cannot be reproduced. In that time we have made 67 releases (almost 4 a month) that have contained bug fixes, performance improvements, UI and UX improvements, new game support and new functionality.

Since releasing the public alpha, many of you have tried or outright switched over to Vortex and your feedback and input has been invaluable in helping us improve Vortex and in making it more user-friendly along the way. It has truly been impressive to see the userbase for Vortex grow continuously over the course of these months and years.


The numbers

Using figures from the past two months, two-thirds (66.02%) of all unique users hitting our API were using Vortex to mod their games. When we limit these requests to just Bethesda games that number goes down to a still highly respectable 62.61%. These figures will only relate to mod managers that actually access the API (MO2 and NMM versions released after May 2019). Even if we could include old versions of NMM and MO as well as "offline" mod managers like Wrye Bash, it's safe to say Vortex is by far the most used mod manager now for Bethesda games, which is something we're obviously very happy about!


What does this 1.0 release mean?

Officially bringing Vortex out of beta means that we are confident that Vortex is now stable for almost everyone. We say almost everyone, as we simply cannot account for every single use-case and "interesting" setups that some users may have on their systems.

Our focus over the past 17 months has been on getting to this stage. Around about 80% of our time has been spent on bug fixes, speed improvements, refining our documentation and knowledge base for new users and improving useability, with only 20% of our time being spent on adding new functionality and features to the software.

1.0 marks a shift in how we delegate our time, the hope being that, now that the software is stable and we've dealt with as many bug fixes as we can find, we can now start to focus on "the fun stuff", which is adding new and exciting functionality. That's not to say that we won't be doing any more bug fixes, of course we will, but we're now confident we can spend more time adding features than bug fixing.


I'm half way through a playthrough, should I switch to Vortex?

While we are happy that so many of you have embraced Vortex already, we would like to emphasise once more that we are not forcing anyone to make the switch. If you have a perfectly functioning load order and a stable modded game, then - by all means - stay with whatever mod management solution you are currently using. We'd recommend this to prevent causing any issues with your savegames.

If, however, you are starting a new mod setup, playthrough, or are setting up your games on a new computer, then it might be the perfect opportunity to give Vortex a try.

It is important to point out that Vortex is different from other mod managers. It is designed to move away from the need for extremely granular manipulation of your load order and towards an automated solution to load order management. While we realise that Vortex might require some relearning and/or shedding of old habits, we are confident that if you embrace it, it will help you manage your mod installation with less effort, as it has helped many users during the alpha and beta stage.

Feel free to browse our knowledge base for tutorials and documentation to get you started.


What’s on the horizon for Vortex after the full release?

While 1.0 is a major milestone, it certainly does not mean the end of the line for Vortex. The team is already working on various improvements and new features to be added in the not-too-distant future.


Extensions management

One of the key aspects of Vortex is that it is released as open-source under a GPL-3 license. That fact has enabled our community to write their own extensions for Vortex further expanding its functionality and scope. For example, 12 of the 69 game extensions there are for Vortex have been developed and contributed by members of our community. Thank you very much to every one of you!

As one of the upcoming features after 1.0, the team is working on a system that will enable users to browse and add extensions from within Vortex itself. The idea is to make it even easier for budding programmers to add to the functionality of Vortex, and for users of Vortex to more easily find and install these third-party extensions from within Vortex.

Mod Packs

The big one! As we announced earlier this year, mod packs - a much sought after feature in the community - will be the next major feature we will be working on. 

We're not currently ready to disclose how it will work but we can say that it will be intertwined with Vortex.

As we know full-well the various concerns you might have about mod packs, rest assured that we are prepared to do it in a way that is right for our community, and that is both convenient for users, but also fair towards mod authors whose contributions are the very lifeblood of our site and community.

More game extensions

We will continue to add more game support to Vortex at a steady pace for the foreseeable future and we're always happy to hear from users who want to help us in this endeavour.


While the 1.0 release will not be anything major for most of our Vortex users who keep their software up-to-date automatically, it marks a significant milestone for us here at Nexus Mods.

If you tried Vortex during the early alpha and beta stages and found it wasn't for you or that there was a bug you didn't like, try again, you might be surprised at how it has changed in that time.

Lastly, we want to thank everyone who has contributed to the development and improvement of Vortex; the users who have contributed to the code base, everyone who participated in the limited alpha, the open alpha and beta, the regulars in the Vortex forums and on Discord, as well as the Vortex dev team.


Download Vortex 1.0.0:
https://www.nexusmods.com/about/vortex/

Knowledge Base:
https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Category:Vortex

Importing mods from NMM:
https://wiki.nexusmods.com/index.php/Importing_mods_from_NMM

Vortex Support Forums:
https://forums.nexusmods.com/index.php?/forum/4306-vortex-support/

Documentation for developers:
https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/vortex-api/wiki

346 comments

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  1. FrankOcasio
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    Just got a java script error that occurred when I tried to launch vortex? How do I fix it?
  2. HadToRegister
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    In response to post #74442993.


    Spoiler:  
    Show

    HadToRegister wrote:


    I originally disliked Vortex. If the new version has the same disappointment, I might document them. For now, I will absorb the enthusiasm of this article and not make a negative comment.

    This still, was an amazing advancement for the community and I am thrilled that over 60% usage for gaming and modding goes through this project!
    It is so much fun to hear developers tell me of their new 'baby'. Since this new article of version 1.0 existing, I will give it another try!



     
    As someone who helps out in the support forum, I can tell you that around 95% of the problems I've seen with Vortex so far are user error, or refusal on the part of the person to take them time to learn it, or people destroying their game folders by putting the Mod Staging folder INSIDE the game folder, or anywhere else you're not supposed to etc
    "I shouldn't have to read a manual on how to use software"

    Those type of people have never used something like 3dsMax, or AutoCAD.



    Your not totally wrong.
    But the issue however is you still get people like me who do sit and read the manual and still can't get simple s*** to work.
    And ya it might be me.. but then the question comes up.

    Why can I get FO4 to work with 190+ mods in MNN but can't get Vortex to work with a dozen?
    I'm told that Vortex is the massive powerful thing that can do all this stuff, but NMM has yet to fail me, and I can't get anything to work on Vortex.

    So what is the advantage to learning to use vortex? I'm still confused as to why it was even made.
     


     
    I'm using 272 mods in Fallout 4 and have about 8 load order rules set.
    I'm using 299 mods in Skyrim SE, I have a total of about 22 sorting rules set.
    I let Vortex do all of my sorting, and I only manually sorted those 22, in order to accommodate some custom changes I made to some of the esps.

    You're obviously trying to force Vortex to be NMM, by not letting it handle and sort your lad order.

    The thing is NMM doesn't do anything, it allows you to sort your Mods incorrectly, and doesn't let you know that there are problems.
    You think NMM is easy, but it's only "easy", because it ignores every bad thing you have in your load order, it truly works on the "Ignorance is Bliss" principle, because the user has absolutely no idea if their load order is properly sorted.
    Vortex doesn't let you get away with forcing a terrible and incorrect load order on it.
    That's why you're having such a hard time with it.

    IF you can't get anything to work on Vortex, then the problem is YOU, because plenty of other people are using it just fine.
    The only ones who complain, are always the ones who try and force Vortex to be NMM, and refuse to learn it, so they just come to the forums and complain endlessly about it
     
    If you spend 6 hours, after "reading the manual", and you claim you can't get "simple stuff to work", then the problem is with you.

    I have 299 mods installed for Skyrim SE.
    When I mod a Bethesda game with Vortex, I download and install the mods I want and that takes roughly 45 minutes or so, depending on the amount and size of the mods.
    I install them as I download them, and I don't worry about any "Conflict Errors" that Vortex tells me about, because I fix those later (It's not like NMM where you have ONE chance during installation to install the mods in the right order, with Vortex you can do that AFTER they're installed, and if you mess up, you just have to change a LOAD BEFORE to a LOAD AFTER, etc, with NMM, you have to uninstall all of the conflicting mods, and reinstall them in the correct order)
    Once I have everything I want installed, comes the task of getting rid of the Mod Conflicts.
    After reading the Description pages of the mods, and knowing which ones are supposed to load before and after other mods, I click on one of the red lightning bolts, and the MANAGE RULES window opens up, I then go through and set which mods load before or after other mods, (Vortex even suggests which mods should Load before or after).
    Once I have that all set, and if I notice a Plugin out of Place, (Like with Fallout 4, Scrap Everything needing to go to the bottom of the load order, I assign the Plugin to the SCRAP EVERYTHING group, hit SORT (I have AutoSort turned on), and boom, now Scrap Everything is at the bottom of my load order.
    Total time taken? Probably and hour to an hour and a half.

    Something that used to take me a Day or two, now takes about an Hour.


     
    1. MokaRV
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      Yea, I said it before and I'll say it again. NMM is better. The excuse this that "a lot of people put a lot of work into Vortex"......soo? Vortex is still not good. It's not bad, but its not good either. Just take all the great and good things NMM had and implement it into Vortex.

      The new things in Vortex that I like (very little things I like, is important to me, use the most, and is more convenient) and there somethings that vortex does better than NMM (It's way easier to overwrite mods and change things you don't like. "I like some of these animations in this mod, but I also want this other animation in a different mod because I don't like this other animation). But NMM just feels better, it's probably because NMM has way less problems where I can see more good things about it. All I want to see in Vortex is for me to organize mods better like NMM did, (MCM uses "F4SE", Advance Needs is "NSFW", Underwear is "SFW", etc.) and change my load order manually......like NMM did. Vortex use to have a list that said "Load Last", but now it's gone.
    2. HadToRegister
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      NMM is NOT better, all it is is a downloader and Installer.

      The "Great thing from NMM" have already been incorporated into Vortex., Downloading, that's one of the things NMM was good at.

      NMM does NOT tell you about File/Mod/Texture/Mesh/BSA conflicts, it stays silent and lets you make a mess out of your load order.
      It downloads and Installs, that's it.

      Vortex, sorts your Plugins For you, so you can focus on sorting the Textures, meshes, BSAs, and BA2s that Vortex tells you there's a conflict with.

      The people who have a problem with Vortex, are trying to Sort their ESPs, because You HAVE to do that in NMM, Vortex automatically does it.
      The only time you need to do something, other than Click INSTALL with Vortex, is if Vortex tells you something is wrong.
      That's the only time you need to do something.

      Vortex use to have a list that said "Load Last", but now it's gone.

      WRONG, it's still there, you just add the ESP to the "Dynamic Patches" Group, and Vortex puts it last in the load order.

      The people having a problem, are trying to force their screwed up Load Order on LOOT and Vortex, instead of letting Vortex do the sorting.

  3. MokaRV
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    NMM is better. The excuse this that "a lot of people put a lot of work into Vortex"......soo? Vortex is still not good. It's not bad, but its not good either. Just take all the great and good things NMM had and implement it into Vortex.

    The new things in Vortex that I like (very little things I like, is important to me, use the most, and is more convenient) and there somethings that vortex does better than NMM (It's way easier to overwrite mods and change things you don't like. "I like some of these animations in this mod, but I also want this other animation in a different mod because I don't like this other animation). But NMM just feels better, it's probably because NMM has way less problems where I can see more good things about it. All I want to see in Vortex is for me to organize mods better like NMM did, (MCM uses "F4SE", Advance Needs is "NSFW", Underwear is "SFW", etc.) and change my load order manually......like NMM did. Vortex use to have a list that said "Load Last", but now it's gone.
  4. sgtsekhmeth
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    I let Vortex to do all things by itself. Tested is twice. Both tries ended up with a fail to launch Fallout 4. Before Vortex handle the mods, it was work. Tested it on Skyrim. Three times. Both times Skyrim failed to launch.... Dragons Dogma same, Fallout New Vegas, to.

    Now let me ask. Just to be a slave to m,y own curiosity. Why the Hell are you make something what not even work?????????? DO ANYBODY even test it? I don't think so. And if Anybody say different, it was a lie. Something what tested, it work. Something what not works, not tested. I'am strongly recommend, instead of be Money Hunger "pay for everything, for air, for life even to" monster. Do your Stuff work properly, and peoples wish to pay. But if you not keep up the work, but throw "s#*!" out to force people to buy. A few of them are buy, and warn the others and you LOOSE ALL PROFIT!

    Marketing Management. That is my Job! I know what i'm talking about.
    Welcome from Blizzard!!
  5. hsngrms
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    Why I was just forced to read old message "Issued at 16 Aug 2019, 2:45PM by BigBizkit", when I try to navigate in site. Not a big deal but I believe this is not supposed to happen at this time.
  6. HadToRegister
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    vortex = s***.....problems do not end


     

    So far everybody who has had problems with Vortex try and force it to be NMM, and 99% of the problems is user error.
    1. blackstarraven
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      So far my issue is that I have no idea what the advantage of Vortex is suppose to be over NMM...
      I've never had a problem with NMM, and I can't get anything to work in Vortex.

      If there was some kind of tangible advantage to using it over NMM I might be inclined to learn more on Vortex, but it just seams to be a program that does what I need, and a bunch of stuff I don't. While also needing me to learn to use it.

      See the issue I have? (And a lot of other people)
      What's the incentive to actually use Vortex and learn how to use it?
  7. HadToRegister
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    I originally disliked Vortex. If the new version has the same disappointment, I might document them. For now, I will absorb the enthusiasm of this article and not make a negative comment.

    This still, was an amazing advancement for the community and I am thrilled that over 60% usage for gaming and modding goes through this project!
    It is so much fun to hear developers tell me of their new 'baby'. Since this new article of version 1.0 existing, I will give it another try!


     
    As someone who helps out in the support forum, I can tell you that around 95% of the problems I've seen with Vortex so far are user error, or refusal on the part of the person to take them time to learn it, or people destroying their game folders by putting the Mod Staging folder INSIDE the game folder, or anywhere else you're not supposed to etc
    "I shouldn't have to read a manual on how to use software"

    Those type of people have never used something like 3dsMax, or AutoCAD.
    1. blackstarraven
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      Your not totally wrong.
      But the issue however is you still get people like me who do sit and read the manual and still can't get simple s#*! to work.
      And ya it might be me.. but then the question comes up.

      Why can I get FO4 to work with 190+ mods in MNN but can't get Vortex to work with a dozen?
      I'm told that Vortex is the massive powerful thing that can do all this stuff, but NMM has yet to fail me, and I can't get anything to work on Vortex.

      So what is the advantage to learning to use vortex? I'm still confused as to why it was even made.
  8. Ashenfire
    Ashenfire
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    I originally disliked Vortex. If the new version has the same disappointment, I might document them. For now, I will absorb the enthusiasm of this article and not make a negative comment.

    This still, was an amazing advancement for the community and I am thrilled that over 60% usage for gaming and modding goes through this project!
    It is so much fun to hear developers tell me of their new 'baby'. Since this new article of version 1.0 existing, I will give it another try!

  9. Sparkythesquid
    Sparkythesquid
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    I'm getting some strange effects in the UI with the latest update does not seem to effect anything else just this strange effect thought I would let you know.
  10. deleted34304850
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    Every few months I'll load up FO4 on my alternate computer install Vortex and see if I can get it to work.
    Still can't. About 6 hours trying to get it to work, nothing.


    why? its simple. are you unable to read and follow simple instruction? can't you get an adult to help you?