Oh, no I can only launch the game through the Steam app. When I try to launch it direct from C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Knights of the Old Republic II\swkotor2.exe I get an error message about how I need to have steam running and signed in to a library that owns the game. Even when I do have steam running and signed in to a library that owns the game.
This has to be a separate issue because it was happening before I installed any mods, but I didn't consider it a huge deal because I could always launch the game through the app. But maybe whatever is causing that issue is also interfering with mods? I'll google around, see if I can fix it.
I manually added TSLRCM to C:\Program Files (x86)\lucasarts\swkotor2, and it works, I've tested it. It wasn't until this thread that I realized the actual swkotor2.exe wasn't in that directory though, it was only in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Knights of the Old Republic II.
I don't know why TSLRCM is working when I installed it in a folder that doesn't have the executable in it, but it is. I'll try uninstalling it and reinstalling it in the technically correct spot
Okay! So, I have a gog copy of the game too, but I haven't logged into gog in a long time and I didn't want to reset my password again. But nothing I did solved this issue with my steam copy, including a full uninstall/reinstall of both the game and Steam.
So I finally just reset my gog password, downloaded that version and I really wish I had just done that in first place. Mod worked first try on the gog copy. Thanks for your help, sorry I ignored the easy solution all day