7 replies to this topic

[Lollia]

I have a troublesome quest. It relies on a different quest being complete before its dialogue can show up, but even when that condition is filled, the quest will not begin at all--no matter what. I can force it to via the SetStage command. The dialogue then runs fine and an item is given to the player, but that's where the success ends.

 

The quest is supposed to be repeatable, but it insists on shutting itself down completely. Please help me make sense of this. This is all I've been messing with in the CK for the past three days.

 

Stage 5 (which is the quest's set starting stage) features the first dialogue. Once the dialogue is spoken, the script tells it to move to Stage 10. Stage 10 tells the game to give the player the item. So far so good--except of course for the quest refusing to start unless I use the SetStage command--setting it as Start Game Enabled makes no difference, and actually causes the dialogue to never appear.

 

Back in Dialogue Views, the next piece of dialogue has the player thanking the NPC for the item. Once the dialogue is spoken, the quest is moved to Stage 15. Stage 15 tells the quest to reset itself. But it just shuts down instead, and can only be replayed by using the SetStage command.

 

I tried looking at how the cooking quest for spouses works, but I was unable to replicate its function--even when I blatantly copied it.

 

To sum it up: The quest won't start without the SetStage command, and it won't reset itself so that it can be replayed. How do I fix it? 

 

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Here's the some extra details so you can help me figure out what I'm doing wrong:

 

 

Quest Data tab:

 

Priority 30, checked for Allow Repeated Stages

(Please remember that making the quest Start Game Enabled caused the dialogue to vanish. Refreshing the SEQ file did not help.)

 

 

Quest Stages tab:

 

5 =

the selected Start Up stage.

 

 

10 = 

;player has asked for help, give potion

Game.GetPlayer().addItem(Alias_SpecialPotionAlias.GetReference())

 

15 =

;Reset the quest
Reset()

 

[NOTE: I was advised to try adding this last bit below the reset command. With or without it, the result is the same--the quest refuses to reset or revert to Stage 5.]

;kmyQuest.Lollia_DoM_PotionDialogueRepeatable.SetStage (5)

 

 

The Quest Alias tab has the aliases for the item and the NPC who gives it.

 

In Dialogue Views = I explained above what Stages each segment points to. The only conditions are that the prerequisite quest must be fully completed, and that the ID for the speaking NPC must be a match.

 

 

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EDIT on May 23: I managed to fix the reset problem! 

Read the edit on post #5 below if you wish to see how. 

 

I still need some help getting the quest to start. I have other quests that are not Start Game Enabled which are conditioned to only start when another specific quest is complete, and they all work fine. I really don't know what is going wrong here. Any advice is appreciated. 

 

 

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EDIT on May 30: Everything is working properly now. 

 

I may have mangled my quest into an untidy heap of scattered thoughts and countless ideas, but it was all worth it in the end because I finally understand how script properties work. 

Edited by Lollia, 30 May 2021 - 10:23 AM.

[IsharaMeradin]

Have you tested on a new game?  Or on a save that has not seen the mod in question yet?  If not, try it and see if that resolves the issue.

 

Reason: Once a quest is loaded into the game, it does not like being updated.  If a part of the quest did not have a script, that part will continue to not have a script until the quest is forcibly stopped and started again.

[Lollia]

Have you tested on a new game?  Or on a save that has not seen the mod in question yet?  If not, try it and see if that resolves the issue.

 

Reason: Once a quest is loaded into the game, it does not like being updated.  If a part of the quest did not have a script, that part will continue to not have a script until the quest is forcibly stopped and started again.

 

 

Yep. All of my tests have been conducted on brand new games--which is truly saying something, because I don't use any alternative start mods, so I have to go through the whole cart and Helgen joyride each time I test a new change. 

[IsharaMeradin]

Then I am at a loss.  Hopefully someone who has done more quest / dialog work than I will come along to assist.  Sorry.

[Lollia]

Then I am at a loss.  Hopefully someone who has done more quest / dialog work than I will come along to assist.  Sorry.

 

 

Thank you for trying to help. 

 

If all else fails, I'll try my luck on Discord. I really hope it won't come to that, though. It's not the easiest place to troubleshoot problems. 

 

 

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Edit: I managed to fix part of it!   

 

I still cannot for the life of me get the quest to start on its own, but now it resets itself properly back to Stage 5.

 

I changed Stage 15 to read like this:

 

Stop()
;Reset the quest
Reset()
Start()

 

So now I can obtain the item as many times a I like--although I will be adding a timer to it once I have the start up issue fixed. Any advice on fixing the latter is still very much welcome. 

Edited by Lollia, 23 May 2021 - 06:03 AM.

[xkkmEl]

Could it have to do with the quest start event?

 

I am definitely a newbie at modding, but as I understand it you'd have to setup a SM event to start your quest, or explicitely start it in the predecessor quest's completion script.

[Lollia]

Could it have to do with the quest start event?

 

I am definitely a newbie at modding, but as I understand it you'd have to setup a SM event to start your quest, or explicitely start it in the predecessor quest's completion script.

 

 

I might have to look into doing that, but right now I am trying to see if the fault is my own impatience. I have other quests that, like this one, are also not Start Game Enabled, and they run (and start up) just fine. Like this one, they are conditioned to check for a different quest to be complete. I've opened these functioning quests up and done side-by-side comparisons, and everything is set up exactly the same. 

 

The only thing that comes to mind, is that one of these quests used to give me intense grief--so much so that I experimented perpetually on it trying out all manner of ideas, until I became utterly vexed and gave up. Once I had given up, I took to playing the game and was busy blissfully forgetting all that had transpired in the CK--when suddenly the quest decided to work!   

 

For that quest, The Pale Lady quest being complete (and Eisa Blackthorn remaining alive) were the only requirements it was conditioned to check. The player was then supposed to be able to track Eisa, but nothing ever happened--until the player switched cells. Using the coc command or fast traveling appears to be ineffective--you have to physically travel into a different cell--and not just switch rooms. I completed the Pale Lady quest and nothing happened. I then exited Frostmere Crypt and nothing happened. I walked a bit further on, and nothing happened. However, the moment I crossed onto the nearby road and walked a few dozen steps, the quest came to life.

 

So maybe it's the same case with this one. Perhaps I have to actually play the game and give the quest a chance to start up at its own speed.   At least, that's what I'm currently hoping is the case.

 

I just started another new game, so I'm off to see if I can persuade the quest to start. 

Edited by Lollia, 24 May 2021 - 07:20 AM.

[Lollia]

The issue is solved at long last!    

 

I'll keep it simple: script properties. I FINALLY understand how they work.