Is this possible?

[rtol321]

I seem to remember that in oblivion all the npcs were given schedules to eat, sleep and drink. I haven't noticed this in fallout three, but I'm sure it's possible to do. This coupled with npcs sharing the pimary needs added with fwe, could make for a much more realistic experience.

 

So my question is, would it be possible to attach a script to the npcs, that requires them to eat, sleep and drink? Bethesdas radiant A.I would take care of the rest.

[Mechwarrior94]

Yes, it is scriptable so it could be done. The Havok engine can do this as well, so should not be a problem. Only thing is, I haven't seen anything like that in FO3 so far (anyone ideas or suggestions?)

[pkleiss]

Its fairly straight forward, if you know how to create AI packages. Just give your NPC several AI packages that perform each task and put them on a schedule like:

 

Sleep from 23:00 for 8 hours

Eat from 7:00 for 2 hours

Eat from 13:00 for 2 hours

Eat from 19:00 for two hours

Sandbox any other time

 

The sleep package likes to have an owned bed for the NPC to sleep in

The eat packages like to have a location and a food to eat. You can assign a general location for eating where the NPC will pick a chair or stool nearby or you can do the same as the bed and assign a specific chair to eat from. Note that if some other actor is already in this assigned seat, your NPC will just stand nearby and wait for the chair to become available. Or you can place ownership on the chair so than no other actors can sit there.

[rtol321]

Alright, thankyou.

 

How would I go about adding the primary needs to npcs?

[pkleiss]

I don't use PN, so I can't tell you. Why not shoot the author a PM or open that mod in the geck and check out what they did?

[rtol321]

Good idea, I'm thinking they most likely had to narrow down the needs to the player after creating the script, so all I would have to do is backpeddle a bit and it would effect all the npcs.

[pkleiss]

This is just a guess, but I would say that affecting every NPC in the game would be much more difficult than affecting only the player. You would have to keep track of each NPCs 'needs' which would either require some tremendously complex quest script or have each NPC run its own script - which would lead to massive mod conflicts as well as not being able to track NPCs from other mods. Personally, I don't think its worth it to apply needs to NPCs. Since the player can't tell what state they're in, would it really matter? If there is some effect that you are after, you can fake it by applying said effect at some time via a script. Not knowing what you are after (since I don't use PN), I am unable to offer better advice than this.

[rtol321]

The reason I would like this is because I am creating a total conversion, and I would like it to be as immersive and realistic as possible. This way you would realy notice the consequinces of hoarding all that water for yourself.

 

If I could asign the needs to each npc I create, and then let the ai packages take care of the rest, I'd be ok with that. Think of it this way,

 

I script all the npcs created to require sleep, food, hydration at the same time intervels as the player. I attach ai packages that sustain those needs at the correct times.

 

npc (A) is told he is hungry, this does not effect his behaviour until the ai package kicks in telling him to eat.

 

In ther words, the needs and the packages supplementing the needs are in no way related apart from timing.

[pkleiss]

I think I understand what you want now. So its not like the NPCs will keel over from hunger or pass out from lack of sleep, they will just go about a schedule of eating, sleeping and what not. There are hundreds of NPCs in the game not to mention the leveled NPCs (like raiders or wastelanders). That is a very time consuming undertaking on your part. Your mod will end up being the kind that can't be combined with a lot of other mods, you know, as you will be modifying each and every NPC's AI packages. How do you plan on handling NPCs that do come from other mods? And what about NPCs like the ones in Rivet City that already have schedules for eating and sleeping and other things (like going to the chapel and manning the shops).