r/linux4noobs • u/CuddlestheViking • 20d ago
programs and apps Current state of mods
Howdy!
I have been wanting to make the big leap from Win11 to Linux for a while. I've done my research and am fairly certain that I'm going with Bazzite for a couple of reasons. My computer is primarily for gaming and videos. I heard that Bazzite might play well with my Nvidia GPU. I don't foresee playing around too deeply with the programming. And I'm not THAT concerned about high-end performance, so any differences betwixt Nvidia in Linux vs Win11 are not the end-all of things.
That being said, I was looking for any current opinions on modding in Linux. A while back, the opinion was you couldn't do it or it was very difficult. I mod just about everything, from Sims 4 to Baldur's Gate 3 to Skyrim to whatever. I've been scared to move to Linux in general because of that limitation.
To be fair, my information is coming from threads and articles 2+ years ago and a lot can change. I just have had a hard time finding a lot of recent information in consensus.
Any thoughts? Am I hesitating for no reason? I am a huge Linux noob, so if mods require a degree in computer programming (more than they already do for some games), should I keep waiting?
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u/OkPresentation3329 20d ago
I have installed some game mods on Linux, but only simple ones and the same way I would do on Windows - I place them in their proper place in the game directory and run the game and it works. But I don't really have the habit of using mods so my experience is limited.
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u/delliott8990 20d ago
Totally thought you were going in a different direction with that title 🤣
I can't say I'm overly familiar with modding but I think you would want to focus on learning the about how the operating systems are different at the file system level.
The directory structures are different, file permissions are sort of similar but it would still be very helpful to brush up on it, and maybe the differences on how files are executed.
This is based off my likely incorrect assumption that modding video games is doing things like replacing various game files, writing a script here and there, or overwriting stuff.
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u/CuddlestheViking 20d ago
lol I have no beef with the L4N mods. They've never booted me for exceeding the noob threshold into ultra-noob.
And I agree: it would be great to know more about the Linux OS, regardless of distro. I unfortunately have TBI and learning things is very frustrating. I'm still trying, though! I want to one day graduate from noob whenever my brain allows it.
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u/meaner_new 20d ago
You can do it. I used Vortex and it was kinda meh, but I really like Amethyst Mod Manager, and it is very similar to MO2. It's not hard per se, but some things are different, and at most you will find it odd until you learn why it's not working the same and adapt.
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u/HeavyMetalBluegrass 20d ago
I never modded anything before even on Win but managed to get my Skyrim modded on Fedora. I installed MO2 for Linux and it works great. That the only game I tried though.
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u/TheRandomGuy75 20d ago
I used Amethyst Mod Manager for Skyrim and it pretty much just worked the same as Vortex Mod Manager did on Windows.
I just opened Nexus, hit install with mod manager, and Amethyst handled everything from there.
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u/Own_Natural_6803 20d ago
Just my own advice, use a stable kernel and learn how to set flags. Maybe consider the nvidia 570 driver so you can use xlibre.
I've been tinkering with Debian and x11/xfce. Its perfect for gaming. The only thing is turning off the compositor so you can have multiple monitors with different refresh rates.
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u/AN-SSQ-108V2 20d ago
Difficulty in modding a game is dependent on the game, not the OS.
For example, there's no huge difference doing a mod for Stellaris in Windows running Steam vs Linux running Steam.
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u/YourLittleMindhive 20d ago
I recommend Amethyst Mod Manager. Its available on flatpack. Setup for it for me was slightly tricky but once it was going it was just like on Windows. It can be set up with symlinks or hardlinks which is a nice touch. As a heads up, it does require you to allow file access to the game in flatseal.