Tool Setup: Merge Plugins

An advanced tool for Bethesda titles in Merge Plugins by mator, this guide details how to set up merges to appear in Vortex when they are created.

What is a "Merge Plugins"?

Merge Plugins Standalone (or just Merge Plugins), is a tool for combining mods from Bethesda games which have .ESP/.ESM files. It uses the xEdit codebase as an API, and can be used with Skyrim, Oblivion, Fallout New Vegas, Fallout 3, and Fallout 4. Merge Plugins Standalone is the successor to the Merge Plugins xEdit Script.

Where to get Merge Plugins

You can get xEdit from Nexus Mods, or from the Github page. Files from different Nexus Mods sites are the same application provided version numbers match.

• Latest Full Release - Nexus Mods

Other Versions

• Experimental Releases - GitHub

Installation

For this application, we actually don't want to install it with Vortex, as a single installation of Merge Plugins can be used for multiple games.

Simply download the files and place in a suitable place on your PC.

Set up with Vortex

When adding the tool to Vortex, the settings should look similar to this:

Run your Merge Plugins from the play button next to its name on the Starter dashlet.

Configuring Merge Plugins

Once you open Merge Plugins the first time, ensure you select the game you wish to manage. You can also create different profiles within the app for alternate load orders.

At the next step, you can right-click and choose "Uncheck all", then press Ok. This is fine because we don't actually want to merge anything at the moment.

Merge Plugins will ask you to configure your settings for this new profile. If you have already opened the app previously, you can find the settings by pressing the big cog on the main toolbar.

In the settings, under "Merging" set "Merge destination directory" to your Vortex Mod Staging folder.