Tale of Two Wastelands

The most recent video for installing TTW using MO2 was by Cloudisms here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJENm5x ... =Cloudisms

which is based on instructions here:
https://thebestoftimes.moddinglinked.com/intro.html

However there is an "Outdated" disclaimer on the title. Since there wasn't another more recent installation tutorial, I had to resort to using this tutorial.

The major difference between the video pre-setup for the Steam library paths and my Steam setup is that this video was designed to bypass issues Windows had with installing the game in Program Files. However, my Steam libraries are not installed anywhere on C:. I recently built a custom gaming PC and dedicated an entire 4TB SSD exclusively to my Steam library on E: drive.

So the process of making the Games folder to contain the parallel SteamLibrary folder was unnecessary. I had to modify the video's Prerequisite segment (from 0:27 to 2:41 min) and only created the Modding folder on E: instead.

So by 9:35 min of installation process, the differences between the video's FO3/FNV installation v. my paths are:

Video installation paths:
C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 3
C:\Games\Steam\steamapps\common\Fallout 3
C:\Modding\Tale of Two Wastelands\MO2\mods\Tale of Two Wastelands

My installation paths:
E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Fallout 3 goty
E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas
E:\Modding\Tale of Two Wastelands\MO2\mods\Tale of Two Wastelands

After installing MO2 (portable instance version) based on these updated paths, I successfully installed these mandatory support files (ROOGNVSE, TTWHotfix, JIP LN NVSE Plugin, JIP LN Settings INI). Problem is these mod utilities don't have a Data folder structure like xNVSE. Which is where I ran into my first problem trying to install the Essential mods. The problem seems to be the Data folder which doesn't appear to have been explicitly included in MO2's installation path for FO3 & FNV? Should the above installation paths be:

E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Fallout 3 goty\Data
E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Fallout New Vegas\Data

To allow MO2 to install xNVSE (and all other mods with Data folder in directory structure)? I'm unable to use the automatic way of dragging the mod .7z/.rar etc. archives directly onto the Downloads window to install them. And even trying a manual install doesn't work. Yes I'm logged into Nexus and removed the "Unblock" status from the xNVSE archive. Yet I'm getting the content of <data> doesn't look valid error message. Also the red border isn't interactable, so it can't be adjusted:

https://ibb.co/xfWwR8N

That's when I noticed quite a few files in the Data tab/folder had an <Unmanaged> status or were highlighted in red

https://ibb.co/QjhcZN0

So that's why I'm thinking it has something to do with the Data folder in the MO2 installation path. I installed an older version (TTW 2.9?) ages ago when installation was different from the current 3.3.2 version. Ran into similar issues but was always able to workaround by either ignoring error message (as it was a false positive). Or moving/adjusting the red border to fix the directory tree structure. But with the current version, doesn't seem anyway to do this.

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Why, exactly, do you install portable version?
Why not a full install?
With mod managers, portable only serve a temporary time, not a main time in case of TTW

I didn't know which install to use/would be better. I simply followed the video tutorial Cloud uploaded for this latest version of TTW.
So a global instance is better then? Because this is what I installed years ago (when TTW was ver 2.7? 2.9?) can't remember.

I used GamerPoets tutorial video and game installed with no issues. But the framework was different back then.
Instead of installing the game in a dummy Steam library, you would just point MO2 to the FO3 & FNV directories. Then indicate the directory you wanted TTW installed in. That process worked.

The latest version/Cloud's version is impractical if you DON'T have your Steam library installed on C:. As the installer is coded to regonize/install the necessary SteamLibrary on a non C: drive outside Program Files

But none of this part of the installation applies to my setup as explained earlier. My problem is MO2 not recognizing the Data folder structure as being valid. I don't have a manual way of importing any mods with a Data folder in their directory structure. Also the auto install feature is greyed/red circled out as I can't install mods by drag/drop

Any suggestions for a workaround?

My question earlier serve as your answer, by the way.

You whole problem seems to rely on using a portable version.

The method for TTW 2.9x might work with portable MO2, but that's, like, 5-6 years ago. MO2 is now 4.4, my man, and TTW is 3.3.2. Get with the time!

Use the best of time guide, that one and not a youtube video derived from that, for installation and start again~ DO NOT regret the old setup you use 5 years ago~ There's just nothing to regret there~ The old mods all need to be converted to work in 3.3.2.
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Dawg, thebestoftime work with plenty of real confirmation. I confirm it: as long as you follow to the letter, it just work. Any time you deviate for the instruction, you are going to pay for that deviation down the line~ That video guide, do you know how many work off the bat and how many are just fake confirmations?