OK, very glad I finally tracked the cause of this one down, since it was driving me nuts. I play Skyrim AE (1.6.1170), but because of Skyrim's versioning BS, I also have Skyrim SE (1.5.97) installed for certain purposes (regenerating the grass cache, basically). So in my Steam library folder, I have two game install folders:
Skyrim Anniversary Edition 1.6.1170
Skyrim Special Edition 1.5.97
and then a Skyrim Special Edition symlink going to whichever one I'm using at present, usually 1.6.1170, and another that goes to the other one, with the version in the name (e.g. SkyrimSE 1.5.97), so that all I have to do is rename the symlinks to swap which game version MO2 (and everything I run through MO2) thinks is my game directory. (Why the links, you ask? Well, it's marginally more idiot-proof than doing the exact same thing by renaming the directories itself, because I, an idiot, messed that up exactly once and would like to have to re-download two separate versions of Skyrim never again, thanks.)
The link approach works for all my executables except the most recent version of LOOT. When my "game directory" is actually a symlink and I load up Synthesis or Wrye Bash or Outfit Studio or DynDOLOD or xEdit or w/e, they can see my entire enabled MO2 modset. When my "game directory" is actually a symlink and I load up LOOT, LOOT can't see the MO2 VFS and only loads the vanilla masters and CC content, i.e. the stuff actually in the directory the symlink links to.
FWIW, before the most recent LOOT update (0.28.0), the symlink approach was working fine and had been since like 2023. I'm pretty good about updating LOOT when it tells me to, I just haven't had time to really debug this since that the new version was released and have been grumblingly using the ancient built-in in MO2. I did finally think today to try just renaming my links/folders so MO2 was actually looking directly at the appropriate game folder, not a symlink, and what do you know: LOOT can again magically see the MO2 VFS, so it is definitely a problem with using a symlink, and definitely specific to LOOT since I don't have this issue with any MO2 executable other than LOOT.
I'm on Windows 11, FWIW, and all my gaming stuff is on a non-Windows drive. Also, full disclosure: I'm a technical person and a software developer, but outside of gaming/modding I exist 100% in a Unix and Mac environment and I find the way Windows handles file and directory paths kind of weird, so if there's a way I can fix this by recreating my symlinks by the light of the full moon or w/e please let me know.
OK, very glad I finally tracked the cause of this one down, since it was driving me nuts. I play Skyrim AE (1.6.1170), but because of Skyrim's versioning BS, I also have Skyrim SE (1.5.97) installed for certain purposes (regenerating the grass cache, basically). So in my Steam library folder, I have two game install folders:
and then a
Skyrim Special Editionsymlink going to whichever one I'm using at present, usually 1.6.1170, and another that goes to the other one, with the version in the name (e.g.SkyrimSE 1.5.97), so that all I have to do is rename the symlinks to swap which game version MO2 (and everything I run through MO2) thinks is my game directory. (Why the links, you ask? Well, it's marginally more idiot-proof than doing the exact same thing by renaming the directories itself, because I, an idiot, messed that up exactly once and would like to have to re-download two separate versions of Skyrim never again, thanks.)The link approach works for all my executables except the most recent version of LOOT. When my "game directory" is actually a symlink and I load up Synthesis or Wrye Bash or Outfit Studio or DynDOLOD or xEdit or w/e, they can see my entire enabled MO2 modset. When my "game directory" is actually a symlink and I load up LOOT, LOOT can't see the MO2 VFS and only loads the vanilla masters and CC content, i.e. the stuff actually in the directory the symlink links to.
FWIW, before the most recent LOOT update (0.28.0), the symlink approach was working fine and had been since like 2023. I'm pretty good about updating LOOT when it tells me to, I just haven't had time to really debug this since that the new version was released and have been grumblingly using the ancient built-in in MO2. I did finally think today to try just renaming my links/folders so MO2 was actually looking directly at the appropriate game folder, not a symlink, and what do you know: LOOT can again magically see the MO2 VFS, so it is definitely a problem with using a symlink, and definitely specific to LOOT since I don't have this issue with any MO2 executable other than LOOT.
I'm on Windows 11, FWIW, and all my gaming stuff is on a non-Windows drive. Also, full disclosure: I'm a technical person and a software developer, but outside of gaming/modding I exist 100% in a Unix and Mac environment and I find the way Windows handles file and directory paths kind of weird, so if there's a way I can fix this by recreating my symlinks by the light of the full moon or w/e please let me know.