After converting from .esp to .esm, some NPCs are missing.

[Deleted9173440User]

If you've come across this problem, and found a solution, I could use some help.

I converted my mod from an .esp to an .esm for 2 reasons.

1) It solved the grass bug issue. (This was the biggest reason.)

2) So we can create plug-ins for the mod in the future.

I tried TES5Edit, Wyre Bash, and TESVSnip, all of which were the latest updated editions and all gave me the same result.

The mod was complete. Everything was perfect except the floating grass bug was heavily present.

Upon converting the mod to a master file, the grass bug cleared up but a new problem showed up. Some of the NPCs are not rendering. I have navmeshed the entire world by hand. That is not the issue. The packages have all been tested to great lengths. That is not the issue. I have 3 NPCs that live in the same cell. They are all supposed to leave at 8 in the a.m. to go work at the market. 2 function perfectly. The third is nowhere to be found. When I enter their home, they are not there. When I leave their home, they are now sitting at their booth in the market.

I will use one NPC for example. Chubb is supposed to stand outside his front door and sweep. He is placed through the CK inside his home, as are many other NPCs nearby that do work properly. On a brand new game, no other mods running, he is not there. All I have to do is go in and out of his front door and then he immediately appears at his front stoop, sweeping and talking as intended. Some of the NPCs missing are key NPCs with quest dialogue. I have checked the mod for errors, cleaned, converted back and forth, tried previous editions of my mod, only to get the same results.

The next step I took was to go in the CK and move every single NPC 1 or 2 units on their X or Y coordinate. Then I saved this as a plug-in. It worked. Every NPC showed up and rendered properly. However, with a plug-in present once again, the grass bug returned immediately.

Any constructive ideas?

- Junk

Edited March 15, 2017 by Guest

[agerweb]

I have had this problem when I converted an esp with existing NPCs into an ESM all the NPCs stayed inside - as it happens I only needed as an ESM temporarily so I converted it back. I believe what you need to do is create a location for everywhere you have a NPC, (eg MyBigHouseLoc) and you set each NPC's persistence location to the location they start off in.

 

BTW you may find the grass problem come back, ESMing is not a necessarily a final solution unless you are not going to jump about between worldspaces in the CK again. It seems to be a particular problem if you have more than two worldspaces. All a bit weird, buts that's skyrim. From a playing perspective if you do the ini changes and then save in an interior space then restart the game it goes away (in that save).

[Deleted9173440User]

Agerweb! Once again you come through my friend. I have a location set up for each world, town, house, Inn, etc. but did not set all persistence locations for NPCs. I tried setting one and it made no difference but I will take another look. As for the grass bug, I have all the ini settings in place and have done "TG" in console and saved in interior and on and on. NOTHING has solved it for me. I agree on the bouncing back and forth between worlds, definitely what woke it up. I will try your persistence settings and report back here.

Thank you for responding (:

-Junk

[Deleted9173440User]

Well sir, sad to say that didn't do the trick. I even went as far as placing a new reference of the NPC in its place, set the persistence reference to that starting location and gave the REF an ID. Same results. This one's got me stumped. As soon as I change the mod back to an .esp, everything and everyone works perfect. But upon changing to an .esm, they are not even in their cell, they're just "not there".

[agerweb]

Yes that happened to me and the only suggestion was the 'persistence' if it doesn't work then you must go back to an esp.

 

This seems to be a feature because I have done a number of compatibility patches for mods which requires them to be temporarily esmed whilst working in the CK - in my dotage I often forget to change them back to esp's before testing and often but not always the PC's stay at home or go away completely.

[Deleted9173440User]

Well that sucks lol. Then I'm back to the drawing board with my grass bug. Turning my mod into a master was the only thing I found that would kill the grass bug. But, as you say, if the bug returns anyway with an esm, then it's all for not. Thank you once again Agerweb (:

 

UPDATE: Figured it out Agerweb. Seems the only difference between my NPCs that do work as opposed to the ones that don't is a "Persistent" Flag in "Cells" and "Worldspaces". Some are already persistent due to a quest or the object they're linked to. Through TES5Edit, I set the "Persistent" Flag on the ones that were temporary. I can't seem to do it under "Non-Player Character (Actor)", I have to do it under "Cells" and "Worldspaces", depending on where the NPC is located at the start. But now they all load and function properly. Thank you. You had me down the right path with the "persistence" being key.

Edited March 16, 2017 by Guest

[agerweb]

Now that is good to know.

[Deleted9173440User]

Just a follow up. Completed my mod. Tested EVERYTHING and EVERYONE. All is well. I can also now fast-travel (if I choose) from anywhere to anywhere and not one hint of the grass bug. I made a temp dummy plugin for testing and the grass bug returned immediately with the esp. Upon removing the esp, the grass bug is gone once again. Just thought I'd post my findings.

- Junk