How do generally install/deinstall your mods?

[White Owl]

I am frankly shocked at how few people enjoy the simplicity, flexibility, and just general idiot-proof file management of JSGME. It's perfect, and has been so for years. Why bother with lesser tools?

[Stone Blue]

While automatic mod managers can be a good thing, there are ALWAYS exceptions and case that come up that they cant or dont handle well.

This largely seems to be based on the fact that even though there are "standards", and general "rules and guidelines" on how mods are packaged and structured, there are many mods out there that, for one reason or another, seem to slip outside these, and the mod managers cant foresee and handle these exceptions...

That may be OK for non-OCD people who only install a dozen mods or less, but as a definate RAM Toaster, I try to cram as many mods into my installs as I can....That means I scrub each mod folder for EVERY unecessary file or folder that I can remove, and still have the mod work. ALL documentation files go (except .version), Flags, Agencies, some IVA's....Whatever I can trim, I'm pretty ruthless...So that means even after using KSP ModAdmin (my favorite manager right now), I STILL end up going through and manually scrubbing everything...

[mrclucks]

After trying out different mod combinations I finally found one combo that I like and doesn't take out too much space. Now when I start a new game I just move the save folder into my backups of saves and start a new game, instead of using my pure copy of .90 and trying to remember which mods I have( and then waiting an hour+ for ATM to do its thing). A copy of my nodded ksp folder is also in my back ups cuz you never know....

[sumghai]

I used to do my add-on installation/removals manually, until CKAN proved to be quite robust. As such, I now practically only use CKAN for this purpose.

[keeper]

I have to manually install. I dont have faith to download managers, i already know they are more faff than they worth.

I know how to copy folders, and match versions and thats all there is to it with most mods.

Havnt a clue about cfgs or that other stuff, but maybe later

[Fel]

While automatic mod managers can be a good thing, there are ALWAYS exceptions and case that come up that they cant or dont handle well.

This largely seems to be based on the fact that even though there are "standards", and general "rules and guidelines" on how mods are packaged and structured, there are many mods out there that, for one reason or another, seem to slip outside these, and the mod managers cant foresee and handle these exceptions...

That may be OK for non-OCD people who only install a dozen mods or less, but as a definate RAM Toaster, I try to cram as many mods into my installs as I can....That means I scrub each mod folder for EVERY unecessary file or folder that I can remove, and still have the mod work. ALL documentation files go (except .version), Flags, Agencies, some IVA's....Whatever I can trim, I'm pretty ruthless...So that means even after using KSP ModAdmin (my favorite manager right now), I STILL end up going through and manually scrubbing everything...

Just a note:

KSPs version of mods... well, in theory you could do it but you'd have to be smarter than the people who put together a glorified decompresser, but the conflicts are very exotic. Usually it is good enough to say x and z mod is trying to control y... "conflict" but there is more "trial and error" with ksp.

*Basically, all I'm saying is that to get the mod managers to be anything more than just mod-extractors; you would need to have a bunch of code that examined the mods and compared what the mods did to other mods. Bethesda Games generally have stuff like this because the way their mods makes it easier to write these tools. Games that have scripts, or use diff files can also implement it, because of well documented interfaces.

Edited April 18, 2015 by Fel

[merendel]

I generaly manualy add/remove from gamedata with multiple folders. I keep a "Clean" instance for archive of each version of KSP that I generally dont play on, it has some old saves in there from when I copy it out of the steam folder (I use steam when I play a vanilla game). Next to that archive copy I have at least 1 instance of a moded game that will usualy be my main play instance. I'll do small additions/removals from that one if it wont screw up my save too much. If I want to do a major reconfig of the modset such as adding RSS/realsim overhaul or extra planets vs a game with a stock system but lots of parts I spawn off another instance. Most releases have ended up with 2 moded instances on top of the archive copy and the vanilla copy that stays with steam (well mostly vanilla I put in KER and alarm clock, can't play without those anymore).