EasyNPC ‐ Command‐Line Arguments

EasyNPC supports several command-line arguments for settings that cannot be configured within the application itself.

Quick Reference

Long Name	Short Name	Description
--debug	-d	Enables debug (verbose) logging
--game {name}	-g {name}	Name of game to manage if not SkyrimSE, e.g. SkyrimVR
--game-path {path}	-p {path}	Path to the game instance's data directory
--post-build	-z	Run the Post-Build Checker
[Developer Options]		(Unsafe!)
--force-intro	-i	Always show the "first run" dialog on launch
--mo2-exe {path}		Path to Mod Organizer 2 Executable
--report-path {path}	-r {path}	Output path for completed build report
--vortex-manifest {path}		Path to Vortex bootstrap file

Argument Setup

Command-line arguments are set up in the executable/tool configuration of your mod manager.

Mod Organizer

Add options to the "Arguments" box in the Executable settings.

Vortex

Add options to the "Command Line" box in the Tool settings.

Option Details

Debug Mode

Add the -d or --debug option to enable debug logging. This will give you a more detailed log file, useful when reporting bugs. Aside from the log file, this option does not affect any behavior of the app, although it may result in slower performance.

Game Selection

The -g {game} or --game {game} option specifies which game is going to be managed. Supported values for {game} include:

• SkyrimSE (the default)
• SkyrimVR
• SkyrimLE
• EnderalSE
• EnderalLE
• Fallout4
• Oblivion

Although any of these values will be accepted, only the bold entries above are confirmed to work correctly. Alpha testers for unconfirmed games/editions are always welcome, but bug reports from these games will generally require much more detail.

This setting affects several related aspects of how EasyNPC behaves, including:

• Where it looks for the game data, if not overridden with the -p or --path option
• What kind of records are expected in the plugins (ESP/ESM etc.)
• The expected format for archives (i.e. BSA or BA2 files)

You have to specify this setting if you want to manage any game other than Skyrim Special Edition. At present, EasyNPC cannot detect this automatically, and a wrong/missing game setting is almost guaranteed to break the app.

Game Path

The -p {path} or --game-path {path} option tells EasyNPC where to find your game data. You normally don't need to specify this, as it will be inferred from your mod manager if possible, and your system configuration (registry, Steam manifest, etc.) if not. The most common reason for having to specify this option is an improperly moved game installation, e.g. dragging/dropping a Steam-managed game installation in Windows Explorer instead of using the Steam client to move it.

If the path contains spaces, this argument must be quoted.

Note: Although the argument is named "game path", this actually refers to the data directory. So:

• ❌ NO: -p "C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition" (missing "data")
• ✔️ YES: -p "C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Skyrim Special Edition\data"

Post Build

If the -z or --post-build argument is included, then EasyNPC will run in Post-Build Mode. This is a special mode that checks a game setup for conflicts and helps to resolve them where possible.

The post-build checker is expected to be run on your final playable mod list/load order, with the EasyNPC mod enabled and original NPC overhauls disabled. Because of this, none of the normal application features will be available in this mode. Specifying this option provides access only to the post-build checker and nothing else. Therefore it is recommended to set up a separate executable in Mod Organizer with this mode, similar to how you would set up a separate executable for xEdit's "quick auto clean". Vortex users don't need to add this option explicitly, as the toolbar button added by the EasyNPC Vortex extension automatically provides it.

Developer Options

These options aren't really intended to be used under normal circumstances, but documented here in case they help with a specific situation.

• -i or --force-intro forces the welcome screen (the one which asks to confirm mod directory) to show up each time the app is started. Generally, this is only meant for testing that screen. In some rare instances, if you are having trouble getting the app to start due to a bad setting, this might give you a chance to resolve it.
• --mo2-exe {path} takes a path pointing to the Mod Organizer 2 executable (including the actual ModOrganizer.exe file name at the end). This should almost never be required by a normal Mod Organizer user, as the path is automatically detected when EasyNPC is started from Mod Organizer. If there is specific evidence that EasyNPC is detecting the Mod Organizer path incorrectly, this may be used to override it. Its primary purpose is to aid in testing a Mod Organizer installation without having to actually launch from Mod Organizer.
• --r {path} or --report-path {path} set the output path for EasyNPC's build report. Note that this "report" is not a human-readable report, and generally does not contain any useful information. This file is specifically used to report status back to the mod manager after the app is closed, so that the mod manager knows whether or not anything was actually built. Most useful information about the build will be in the log file instead.
• --vortex-manifest {path} configures the path to the "Vortex Bootstrap" file, which is a file generated by the Vortex extension containing information about installed mods, files, paths, etc. This file is 100% necessary for EasyNPC to run on a Vortex installation, but you do not need to (and should not) specify it explicitly, because it is added automatically by the EasyNPC Vortex Extension.