SSE AI Packages vs AI Package Templates

[Pnubs]

I'm trying to create a generic package (template) that multiple NPC Guards can use without having to create unique packages for each guard. From what I've read on the CK wiki, it seems like a template would be the way to go. However in trying to use one package template between 2 guards; whenever I changed a specific reference for one guard, that same data would be applied to another guard. This is despite selecting/de-selecting "Public" checkbox for that specific form. I don't have a great understand of this evidently. From the wiki's introduction paragraph on package templates, "For example when you tell Actor A to travel to some place, he is essentially doing the same thing that Actor B needs to do when traveling someplace else. The only particular difference is WHERE he is traveling to. Templates are perfect for this, because a template defines the overall behavior for an actor, and supplies data where you can specifiy the specifics for the behavior." Based on this, shouldn't I just be able to change parameters locally in a package template?

Edited December 24, 2022 by Pnubs

[thumbincubation]

I had a bit of difficulty figuring it out also, and I never felt like I got what what I needed out of it.

 

I frequently create guard forces, with staggered shifts and such, for my personal mods. What I ended up doing was creating one master package for myself, not designated as a template but serving that purpose for me. Then I open it up, add something like "Day" or "08x12" to the name, change the schedule, save as new. Open, add "night," or "20x12," change the schedule, save as new, etc. Once I'm done I usually have at least 2 sandbox specific time (guard post with more freedom), 2 sleep, 2 eat, and 2 sandbox anytime packages, and then I drag and drop them into the specific guards, depending on their schedule and specific post location.

 

I realize this doesn't answer your template question, and is creating more packages, however you're not stuck building a new package from scratch every time. Just open, change, and save new. (or, safer but slightly slower, right-click > duplicate, open duplicate, change, save NOT as new.)

[Pnubs]

I appreciate your reply. This sounds similar to how I've been doing it, but before getting too far, I wanted to see if there was a simplified way of doing it. I'm doing the staggered schedule as well, so basically I've created "generic" packages, such as sleep, eat, etc, that just use generic variables, such as findfurniture "chair". However, when trying to do the patrol and training (UseWeapon) packages, I have to set those to specific references. So if I have 20 guards, that's 20 different patrol packages that just have different refs. Very tedious. It sounds like you used the Sandbox templates instead of Patrol templates? I thought about doing this but the only problem is that I plan to have non-Guards sandboxing around in the same cell and I don't want them to use the patrol idles. As I'm typing this out, I realize I can set those to not be used by non-Guard NPCs within their package. I might go this route but curious to see what you did specifically?

Edited December 24, 2022 by Pnubs

[Sphered]

A template is meant to prevent the need to keep reinventing the wheel for a different package, as it can take a bit of time to sculpt one from scratch. You still have to make a new package for a new goal, in case I understand that you hope to create less packages

 

To actually reduce packages, would entail building multiple stacks within one package, each with various conditions to perform them. Aka ifinfaction ABC, skip these stacks and do this one. Etc. This can be very efficient once you build a solid product, but getting there is prone to easily messing something up, and can be painful if you want to revisit something and update it

[Pnubs]

I see, thanks for your explanation of that. Makes a lot more sense when you frame it that way. So it really just comes down to the procedure tree of actions. Just weird because I recall seeing something in the wiki along the lines of "use a package template instead of making multiple of the same package that do the same thing but just have different parameters set." Yea the way you're mentioning seems to be way more involved than just making separate packages but I appreciate the insight as I may need to mess around with conditions in the future. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything obvious, as I often do lol.