NEED HELP WITH AI PACKAGES!

[cdagger]

Hi.

 

I've been looking for a solution to this problem and have a clue but don't know how to implement it.

 

Here's my problem. I have a base mod, I have it populated with NPCs. I have my NPCs all running AI packages. When I first go to the base in game (testing), the NPCs will run their AI packages flawlessly. They are all running sandbox packages, a sleep package, and with the exception of the doctor, they're all running a default NPC dialogue package. As long as I stay in the base, they will continue to run their AI packages flawlessly day after day after day. But when I leave the base and go to another cell, say Megaton, and start interacting with other NPCs, then go back to the base, all of the NPCs are standing directly in the center of the cell completely off their NPC packages (with the exception of the default NPC dialogue package) and will not go back on their packages.

 

It doesn't matter how long I stay, if I wait, if I sleep, if I go and come back, they never go back on their packages again. I'm not running any kind of quest associated with the base, so I am wondering if perhaps what is neccessary, is some kind of quest that includes some kind of script, that tells the NPCs to keep running their AI packages. I read a few things about NPCs evaluating their package (evp) and there's supposed to be some kind of command that you can implement in the conditions or perhaps in a script that tells the NPC to evaluate its package. While I have been able to find information stating it can be done, I've found no information on how to actually do it.

 

In closing, my desired goal is to get my NPCs to stay on their AI packages continually (or at least when I'm there at the base). Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the problem can be? :thanks:

 

cdagger

[unperfek7]

I got a similar bug before. Its a really weird bug, cause I dont really know a real solution for it. but what I did is I've redone the navmesh from start again and moved some xmarkers abit....then they continued their normal daywork.

 

I got this bug in Underworld, creating a new apartment, they were all loading in the new apartment just standing around , like yours.

[Cipscis]

Is the "No low level processing" checkbox ticked or unticked? I haven't done much work with AI, but it sounds like this mightp/i] be related. The box should be unticked.

 

Cipscis

[cdagger]

I got a similar bug before. Its a really weird bug, cause I dont really know a real solution for it. but what I did is I've redone the navmesh from start again and moved some xmarkers abit....then they continued their normal daywork.

 

I got this bug in Underworld, creating a new apartment, they were all loading in the new apartment just standing around , like yours.

 

 

Hi iPlayboy,

 

Thanks for the info. I really don't think it's the navmesh or x marker. The NPCs have no problems that I'm aware of navigating the cell, or even going to connecting cells via doors. My sandbox packages and sleep packages are all referenced to the x markers and as I stated earlier, when they're on their AI packages they work great. I spent a lot of time setting up the navmesh and have finalized it and checked for warnings. The GECK says there's no warnings, and the navmesh appears finalized properly, there are green triangles at the appropriate doors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is the "No low level processing" checkbox ticked or unticked? I haven't done much work with AI, but it sounds like this mightp/i] be related. The box should be unticked.

 

Cipscis

 

 

Hi Cipcsis.

 

Thanks for replying. The no low level processing box is unticked in all the AI packages. In the sandbox and sleep packages I have "the must reach location" box ticked off, and in "enable fallout behavior" I have hello to players ticked, random conversations ticked, reaction to player actions ticked, and allow idle chatter ticked. These are the only ones I have ticked off on the flags tab. As far as the schedule goes, the sleep schedule is set for a certain time and a certain amount of hours, most of the sandbox packages are set with a schedule in the same way to start at certain times and run for certain amount of hours.

 

I do have a generic sandbox package that I'm running on all NPCs that's set to run anytime. It's basically a package to go hang out in the base bar.

 

Again when I first go to the base and for as long as I stay there initally all NPCs will run their AI packages on time and perfectly but as stated before when I go to another location like megaton and engage with other npcs then come back it's as if they stop running their packages. It almost seems like once the NPCs have run their AI package it acts as though it's through running those packages for good. As if they're just running them once then stopping. My goal is for the NPCs to always run their AI packages through out the game.

[genovauk]

try typing SetDebugText Actor into the console and select one of the npc's to see what packages they are running, that way you can at least see if they are running any at all, and maybe some more info maybe usefull in there to see what the problem may be, if you use scroll lock out of the console you can change what debug text shows on screen. here is the list, I used this alot when I was making npc's back in oblivion (link to the geck wiki) :

 

http://geck.bethsoft.com/index.php/Category:SetDebugText

 

Also if you are using the coc command to get into your cell quicker don't, I found it makes things not work properly, new textures don't show up correctly, some sounds don't play, don't know if doing this would effect packages but you never know

[cdagger]

try typing SetDebugText Actor into the console and select one of the npc's to see what packages they are running, that way you can at least see if they are running any at all, and maybe some more info maybe usefull in there to see what the problem may be, if you use scroll lock out of the console you can change what debug text shows on screen. here is the list, I used this alot when I was making npc's back in oblivion (link to the geck wiki) :

 

http://geck.bethsoft.com/index.php/Category:SetDebugText

 

Also if you are using the coc command to get into your cell quicker don't, I found it makes things not work properly, new textures don't show up correctly, some sounds don't play, don't know if doing this would effect packages but you never know

 

 

Hey genovauk.

 

Thanks. I'll go ahead and try using the console command to see if I can find anything there. As far as the coc command goes, I'm not using that. I had suspicions that could be part of the problem so that's one of the things I eliminated early on. I am using the tmm 1 command which is reveal all map markers so I can fast travel to the cells entrance since it's a good distance away from my test start point which is vault 101. I wouldn't think this would cause a problem, since the map marker is set to an exterior cell. At any rate I'll try it and see if it reveals anything and let you know what I find. Thanks again for the help!

 

cdagger

[cdagger]

Hey genovauk.

 

I tried to use the set debug text. It didn't work. I found this quote on the wiki link you gave me.

 

"Category:SetDebugText

From GECK

Important: This function has been disabled in the final released game."

 

 

I've been trying other things in testing with various results. At this point what I think I need is a script that tells my NPCs to reset their AI packages.

 

Does anyone have a script like this or one close to it?

 

:thanks:

 

cdagger

[cdagger]

Hey.

 

Just an update, this is really for anyone that might run into a similar problem in the future. I got my NPCs to finally run their AI packages correctly. The problem was, my navmesh afterall, as iPlayboy mentioned. I had inenvertantly created a very small second navmesh directly underneath my first navmesh, it was only 4 vertices and 2 triangles, barely big enough for 1 NPC to stand on. It was right up against the first navmesh from the bottom side.

 

I had already examined my navmesh thoroughly before hand, and only accidentaly discovered it in the cell view window when looking for something else, it said there were "2" navmeshes. Even when I clicked on to view the navmesh from the cell view window, I couldn't see it. I had to zoom in from the bottom to view it. It seems all of the NPCs were trying to gather on this second navmesh. I simply deleted the navmesh and that took care of the problem. I feel kind of foolish after spending a week on this issue. But in the future if anyone runs into a similar problem, make sure to check how many navmeshes you have in your cell view window. Kind of simple when it's all said and done but sometimes it can be easy to over look the simple things.

 

 

On an off note, something else I discovered, don't place your xmarkers underneath objects like desks or counters or solid objects etc. Put them in the open for the NPCs to be able to reach. I placed 3 xmarkers under solid objects that I referenced my NPC AI packages to for the convienance of adjusting my radius, after I deleted the second navmesh, I found out my NPCs were rezzing inside the solid objects and getting stuck.

 

 

At any rate thanks to everybody for the suggestions and the help. Hope this little bit of information might be useful to someone in the future. Anyway this is solved, I'm done. :banana:

 

cdagger