Mod Managers
Mod Organizer 2
Mod Organizer 2 (MO2) is the only mod manager supported by this guide. You are expected to use it when following the instructions.
Why MO2?
Your mod manager is the heart and soul of your setup. The steps you go through in building that setup are often specific to the tool you choose. Vortex is used differently from Mod Organizer 2, particularly with regards to load and mod order management.
While this guide is intended to teach you the concepts of load order and mod order in general, it is also important to learn how maintaining and expanding your setup works in the practical sense. Accommodating multiple different mod managers would require many sections to be written twice.
The MO2 versus Vortex question is hotly debated in the community. In my personal opinion, Vortex has come a long way but its approach to load and mod order management is critically flawed. In addition to that, many quality of life features that I use frequently in Mod Organizer 2 are missing altogether. This is why this guide is built around Mod Organizer 2.