

"Instead of permanently removing a file, mod authors can now choose to archive it which will move it into a file archive and make it impossible to download directly unless specifically requested e.g. If a mod used in a collection can be deleted, that pokes a rather large hole in the convenience of the feature. That's at least part of why they'll no longer be allowing mod authors to permanently delete their files from the site, Nexus say. Another user can now add this meta file/this collection from the site to Vortex and Vortex will then fetch all the download links for the mods, download them, and install them in the same way the original user (the 'curator' of that mod list) has them installed on their PC - complete with conflict resolution data and all." We refer to this list on the site and in Vortex as a 'collection'.

"How it would work is, using Vortex, someone could build a mod list/mod setup locally on their machine, then export a meta file with all the information about the mods/files/conflict resolution etc. A Collection will be more like a directory pointing to the location of several different mods on the site.

They aren't "mod packs", Nexus explain, because mods aren't packaged and redistrubuted by Collection creators. Collections are meant to ease new folks into the process even more gently by presenting a group of mods that play nice together without them sorting through conflicts and edge cases themselves. Even if it's gotten more approachable over the years thanks to mod managers such as Nexus's own Vortex manager, there's still the possibility of sorting out conflicts between mods, managing their load order, and sometimes doing extra tweaking in configuration files. Installing mods for a game is a daunting prospect at first. That's where their upcoming Collections system comes in. Foundationally, Nexus say that "it is our conviction and vision that modding should be as easy as possible, so more people can enjoy this hobby that has brought us all together and that laid the foundation for the very existence of our site and community 20 years ago." Nexus Mods have written an update about their plans for the Collections feature and, as they warn, it is indeed a long one. It's a big change, and Nexus have written a rather long post (longer than this one) explaining the "how"s, "why"s, and "what now"s of the new system. Instead, mod authors will be able to archive files, though they'll still be downloadable via Collections that include them. In anticipation of launching the Collections system, Nexus say that mods can no longer be completely deleted from the site. Mega game mod hosting site Nexus Mods have revealed more information about their upcoming Collections feature which they hope will make installing mods a more approachable experience for users.
