NPCs not using Idle Markers

[McKeen]

It's me again!

 

I have NPCs with a Sandbox-Package with Idle Markers checked, but they "run around" not using Idle-Markers i placed in the Area.

 

And I have a NPC in a small Interior-Cell with some chairs and such, also with a Sandbox-Package with Idle Markers checked. But all the NPC is doing: Going to one chair, sit down, stand up, sit down, stand up... endless :blink: . Why that?

[pkleiss]

There could be many reasons.

 

What kind of IM are you using? Some idles won't work in some situations of for some actor types.

Are you using default IM or are you setting them up with specific idles?

Do the IM have any ownership that would exclude the NPCs? Is the cell owned?

Is the radius of the SB package large enough to encompass all the IM?

Are any other AI packages possibly interferring.

 

If an NPC is just sitting/standing at the same chair, chances are that's the only option for its AI package.

What flags are set on the AI packages?

Do you have any scripts running that may be interfering?

 

See, there are many reasons.

[McKeen]

Are you using default IM or are you setting them up with specific idles?

Do the IM have any ownership that would exclude the NPCs? Is the cell owned?

Is the radius of the SB package large enough to encompass all the IM?

Are any other AI packages possibly interferring.

 

If an NPC is just sitting/standing at the same chair, chances are that's the only option for its AI package.

What flags are set on the AI packages?

Do you have any scripts running that may be interfering?

.

 

Im using Workbench and Anvil Idle Marker and the "Warming Hands" Idle Marker at a Firebarrel which is the Reference for the SB-Package. The Radius is 1024 or greater. It is an Exterior and there are no Ownerships. The only other Package is a sleep-Package with a starting time set.

 

The Interior-NPC has 3 Chairs with markers and nothing has a Ownership.

 

And I have no knowledge of scripting :whistling: so im not using any.

 

At the packages all flags except eating & sleeping are on.

 

 

Hope this will help.

[pkleiss]

What about the flags on the flag tab. You only listed flags from the Sandbox tab.

 

If the NPC are running around in the exterior, could there be any enemies around? This will surely make the NPCs ignore their packages and employ their basic AI settings (like flee or attack based on their Agression and Confidence).

 

As for the chairs, some of them have the purple people standing around them, but are not active chairs. You have to make sure you did not use any static chairs, but rather chairs with a little chair icon.

 

Another very important point is that the navmesh must be done and finalized for the NPCs to be able to locate the idles. This probably isn't an issue for the exterior (unless you placed you objects where there was no navmesh), but could be for the interior if you didn't make a navmesh.

[McKeen]

What about the flags on the flag tab. You only listed flags from the Sandbox tab.

 

If the NPC are running around in the exterior, could there be any enemies around? This will surely make the NPCs ignore their packages and employ their basic AI settings (like flee or attack based on their Agression and Confidence).

 

As for the chairs, some of them have the purple people standing around them, but are not active chairs. You have to make sure you did not use any static chairs, but rather chairs with a little chair icon.

 

Another very important point is that the navmesh must be done and finalized for the NPCs to be able to locate the idles. This probably isn't an issue for the exterior (unless you placed you objects where there was no navmesh), but could be for the interior if you didn't make a navmesh.

 

The Interior is full navmeshed and finalized. All chairs a "furnitures".

At first try the NPC was using another chair. But since then, also after dis- and enabling the esp, the NPC only goes to this specific chair.

 

At the Exterior there are no enemys.

The NPCs walk over the idle markers but do not use them :verymad: !

At the Flags-Tab only "fallout-behavior" is enabled.

There are no schedules, no conditions, no Begin/End/Change, no Idles.

[BadPenney]

Check to make sure that the NPC has "no low level processing" unchecked.

 

I recommend that you try different sorts of AI packages than Sandbox. If you want an NPC to sit down and stay put, try a UseItem package on the chair. Tell them to sit down and use the chair for 2 hours, then sandbox only idle markers for 3 hours, then sit and eat for 3 hours, etc. Mix up the routine a bit.

 

It seems to be though that you have the smoothest results if you keep NPC schedules simple. Sometimes it seems more natural to me to see one NPC sitting while another sandboxes or patrols idle markers than to have one NPC try to do both. It is possible to thread a series of packages together to get variations in an NPC's daily routine, but I recommend a minimum of 2 game hours at each package to be sure the NPC has time to be active in it before it times out.

 

You might try experimenting with the package flags too. "Must reach location" and "must complete" are sometimes useful, sometimes obstacles. Try unchecking "enable fallout behavior" and select only certain applicable behaviors under it. Try different misc flags. Try restricting allowable behaviors.

 

Studying setups in vanilla NPCs is also very helpful. I especially found checking packages in Rivet City's Marketplace and the Muddy Rudder helpful for my own NPCs.

[pkleiss]

I have NPCs on a sandbox package that use both the anvil and workbench idle markers in an interior cell.

 

There are a few other obscure possibilities for the erratic behavior.

 

Dirty save issue - start the game from a save where you have never entered the cell(s) with the idles. This forces the game toload the cell from scratch and not from info in the save game.

Navmesh pathing bug - this can occur in areas where you have made your own navmesh. It usually only manifests after a fast travel or re-load of a save game within fallout - either turm your mod into an esm or exit the game completely, then load your save.

Markers are being clipped by collision geometry - make sure they are close to the ground without going through the ground geometry and make sure they are not too high off the ground as well. Navmeshes must include the markers.

 

I hope something in these posts helps...

[McKeen]

Thank you all for your feedback!

 

I took a look at Vanilla SB-Packs and most don't use the "wander"-flag.

Will try that and will think about and try some other suggested things this weekend.

 

Will feedback then.

 

:thanks:

[McKeen]

OK i cant get this to work :( Thank you all, i won't work on this further.