Installation question...

[busaguy82]

I only recently purchased XCOM 2 and decided to install Long War 2 after loving the first one. I just wanted clarification as to the install location..... I guess since Windows just updated and maybe the path way changed? According to the file description on Nexus Mods, I should have a folder marked "Mods" somewhere here? Any help will be appreciated. Thank you in advance!!!

[Tuhalu]

You have XCOM2 on Steam. Install it using the steam workshop instead, which will install to:

**\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\268500\844674609

Note: I've installed a couple of non-workshop mods myself. They were also installed to **\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\268500\**

[Zyrrashijn]

Welcome aboard! Please notice that xcom2 plays a little different to XCOM:EW and LW1. It introduces new mechanics like concealment (stealth on behalf of LW2), mission timers and some more. If you are not familiar with these new mechanics and jump right onto the LW2 train, please read the documentary in the commanders quarters carefully.

[LordYanaek]

According to the file description on Nexus Mods, I should have a folder marked "Mods" somewhere here? Any help will be appreciated. Thank you in advance!!!

I think you have to create that folder first because it's not created by the steam installer. Steam will default to a messy system of installing into an obscure folder named with only numbers and will create a mess of other numbers-only folders for each mod. Just create the "Mods" folder as a sub-folder of your XComGame folder (the one from your screenshot) and put your Nexus mod there.

You can also join the steam bandwagon but installing mods the proper way have advantages such as preventing auto-updates from messing with your current campaign with absolutely no way to opt out.

Be aware thought that XCom2 uses some weird load order forcing every steam mod to be loaded after local mods, and thus possibly overwriting them. I guess it's a way to manipulate users into believing steam mods work better than non-steam ones. However this can actually be useful for a mod like LW2 since as a large scale mod that can be further modified by other mods, it must be loaded before those mod-mods and the stupid steam launcher doesn't allow you to configure the load order of your mods. Having LW2 installed locally would ensure any mod subscribed on steam would be loaded after which is usually required for those to work correctly.

Note: I've installed a couple of non-workshop mods myself. They were also installed to **\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\268500\**

See above : you can just create the Mods folder and it will work correctly. I have this folder on my steam version of XCom2 and everything inside is working as intended. It might also work if you put the mods in the workshop folder but whoever thought it was a good idea to have that folder named "268500" rather than XCom2 should be programming lavatory cleaning drones

[Tuhalu]

Note: I've installed a couple of non-workshop mods myself. They were also installed to **\Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\268500\**

See above : you can just create the Mods folder and it will work correctly. I have this folder on my steam version of XCom2 and everything inside is working as intended. It might also work if you put the mods in the workshop folder but whoever thought it was a good idea to have that folder named "268500" rather than XCom2 should be programming lavatory cleaning drones

Oh yeah, you are probably right. I've been using the Alternate Mod Launcher for so long I've forgotten how the normal one works.

[JulianSkies]

See above : you can just create the Mods folder and it will work correctly. I have this folder on my steam version of XCom2 and everything inside is working as intended. It might also work if you put the mods in the workshop folder but whoever thought it was a good idea to have that folder named "268500" rather than XCom2 should be programming lavatory cleaning drones

It makes absolute sense. By design you're not supposed to care about that folder, if the mod system is designed correctly the user shouldn't need to poke at the mod files (hint: XCOM2's isn't). So instead it uses the mod's database ID, because that ID will never have a conflict even if the mods have the same name, since that is a possibility (in fact internally XCOM2 bases it's mid loading on a "mod name" and if two have the same name they WILL crash, as has happened to me before, looking at you default mod name)

Edit: Also auto updating is a feature in my opinion, I'd rather the game do it for me than having to hound the damn nexus for it. Also I hate how difficult installing mods from there is and the NMM is awful.

[LordYanaek]

Edit: Also auto updating is a feature in my opinion, I'd rather the game do it for me than having to hound the damn nexus for it.

Opt-in auto update is a good feature.
No Opt-out auto update is trojan-like behavior and should be illegal.
There is no excuse to let a company install or remove stuff from your computer without your input.
And yes, i feel the same about Windows 10

Also I hate how difficult installing mods from there is and the NMM is awful.

Uhh, installing mods from nexus is as simple as download and extract a file . I never used NMM as it's just so easy to do without it.

[JulianSkies]

Edit: Also auto updating is a feature in my opinion, I'd rather the game do it for me than having to hound the damn nexus for it.

Opt-in auto update is a good feature.
No Opt-out auto update is trojan-like behavior and should be illegal.
There is no excuse to let a company install or remove stuff from your computer without your input.
And yes, i feel the same about Windows 10

Also I hate how difficult installing mods from there is and the NMM is awful.

Uhh, installing mods from nexus is as simple as download and extract a file . I never used NMM as it's just so easy to do without it.

I admit not having an opt-out for auto updates is rather bad, strictly on an ethical standpoint because people should have the right to screw themselves over, I guess.
And heavens know I could never, ever make Fallout/TES mods ever work without NMM, even with it was a pain, so much manual work.

Wish there was a perfect all-around solution rather than a bunch of different ones with different weaknesses

[LordYanaek]

I admit not having an opt-out for auto updates is rather bad, strictly on an ethical standpoint because people should have the right to screw themselves over, I guess.

Actually auto-updates without warnings could screw you over just as efficiently. This haven't affected XCom2 so far fortunately but in my CiV days i've read many complains of players unable to finish a game because a mod was just auto updated that broke saved game compatibility or even on some occasions, was removed from the workshop and the user's computer.
Imagine this in a LW2 campaign!

A good auto-update should warn you of a new version and allow you to update now or delay similarly to how it used to work in older windows (if you set it up correctly), how Firefox does it or how various Linux package managers do it; with an option to auto-install everything for those who prefer not to care at all. It should never under any situation remove something without your direct input.

And heavens know I could never, ever make Fallout/TES mods ever work without NMM, even with it was a pain, so much manual work.

I must admit not having experience with Fallout (or whatever TES stands for) but for XCom2 it's really not hard at all.

Wish there was a perfect all-around solution rather than a bunch of different ones with different weaknesses

Steam would actually be a good solution if they stopped trying to completely control your computer for you but as long as they will, my steam collection will be limited to very few games i can't play without and don't accept to not play at all (yes, XCom2 is one of those rare games).

But this is going waaayyy off topic so i guess i should stop there.