Companion/Partner Bug'd AI

[storminmormon]

I use a full FCOM setup, and installed Companion Vilja, Ruined-Tail's Tale, and CM Partners Basic NE. My brother and I both play, and all of these companions were working great, but on both of our games, the companions from each mod will lately presume to...

- Randomly not attack anything

- Randomly not attack NPCs, but will attack creatures

(not faction-based - even if they are hit repeatedly, they will not even heal themselves, let alone start defending)

- Often just stand where they are, with 1,000 lbs of junk or naked

- Not react to summon or combat tactics switches

Also,

- There is no, and never has been the CM rings in the inventory on this computer. No idea why.

 

Vilja, specifically...

- Stands around doing nothing but follow 60% of the time

- Heals herself and me while she's "unconscious"

- Cycles weapons

- Vegetates if I use the Vilja Combat Spell on her to reset her AI, stands there with her hands in weapon pose, when the weapon is either unequipped or on her back/belt

 

Ruin, on the other hand...

- Won't even follow me a good portion of the time

- Rarely responds to his Summon spell

 

It's probably worth noting that Vilja was installed after I rebuilt my latest Bashed Patch, but I perused the Bashed Patch options, and the .esp never comes up in any of the Import options.

 

I also use Deadly Reflex 5, which went kind of loopy on my brother's game, after he accidentally dropped the Reset Hourglass, picked it up, activated it, and now the buttons he used for dodge and bash ( F and X, respectively) won't respond in the game at all, but they can be changed and the animations/functions still work. Not like that in any of my saves. I will concede that I am using Duke Patrick's Combat Archery, which does say (in the readme, I believe) not to combine DR and DP mods, but I've done this before and it worked perfectly, though I am willing to remove DP if it is the cause of the problem. I'm not sure on any of it, but it seems like the complexities of the combat scripts could be interfering with the companion AI & scripts?

 

Load Order:

Active Mod Files:

 

 

00 Oblivion.esm

01 Francesco's Leveled Creatures-Items Mod.esm [Version 4.5b]

02 Francesco's Optional New Items Add-On.esm [Version 4.5b]

03 Cobl Main.esm [Version 1.72]

04 Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esm [Version 1.34]

05 Mart's Monster Mod.esm [Version 3.7b3p3]

06 FCOM_Convergence.esm [Version 0.9.9a7]

07 Armamentarium.esm

08 CM Partners.esm

09 HorseCombatMaster.esm

0A ScreenEffects.esm

0B Unofficial Oblivion Patch.esp [Version 3.2.0]

0C UOP Vampire Aging & Face Fix.esp [Version 1.0.0]

0D Oblivion Citadel Door Fix.esp

0E Francesco's Optional Chance of Stronger Bosses.esp

0F Francesco's Optional Chance of Stronger Enemies.esp

10 Francesco's Optional Chance of More Enemies.esp

++ FCOM_Francescos.esp [Version 0.9.9]

++ FCOM_FrancescosItemsAddOn.esp [Version 0.9.9]

11 FCOM_FrancescosNamedBosses.esp [Version 0.9.9]

++ oc_darker_nights.esp

12 Natural_Weather_HDR_with_darker_Nights_by_Max_Tael.esp

13 LightsOut.esp

14 Cutthroat Merchants.esp

15 ScreenControls.esp

16 Streamline 3.1.esp

++ FineWeapons.esp

17 NexonsArmoryENG.esp

++ RustyItems.esp

18 KDCircletsOOOOptimized - NPC Equip.esp [Version 1.2]

++ FCOM_KDCircletsOOOOptimizedNPCEquip.esp [Version 0.9.9]

19 ExnemRuneskulls.esp

++ FCOM_ExnemRuneskulls.esp [Version 0.9.9]

1A Cobl Glue.esp [Version 1.72]

1B Bob's Armory Oblivion.esp

1C FCOM_BobsArmory.esp [Version 0.9.9]

1D Oblivion WarCry EV.esp [Version 1.08a]

1E FCOM_WarCry.esp [Version 0.9.9]

1F Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esp [Version 1.34]

++ ArmamentariumLLVendors.esp

20 OOO 1.32-Cobl.esp [Version 1.72]

++ FCOM_Cobl.esp [Version 0.9.9]

21 Mart's Monster Mod - Additional Enemy NPC Vars.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

22 FCOM_Convergence.esp [Version 0.9.9]

23 FCOM_RealSwords.esp [Version 0.9.9]

24 FCOM_DurabilityAndDamage.esp [Version 0.9.9]

++ FCOM_SpawnRatesSlightlyReduced.esp [Version 0.9.9]

++ Mart's Monster Mod - More Passive Wildlife.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

++ FCOM_SaferRoads.esp [Version 0.9.9]

++ FCOM_LessRats.esp [Version 0.9.9]

++ Mart's Monster Mod - Less Bone Loot.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

25 Mart's Monster Mod - Zombies for Body Meshes.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

26 Mart's Monster Mod - Safer Quest Locations.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

27 Mart's Monster Mod - Gems & Gem Dust.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

28 Mart's Monster Mod - Hunting & Crafting.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

29 Mart's Monster Mod - Farm Animals.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

++ Mart's Monster Mod - Diverse Runeskulls Loot.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

2A FCOM_MoreRandomItems.esp [Version 0.9.9]

++ ArmamentariumLL4OOO.esp

++ MMM-Cobl.esp [Version 1.69]

2B Anduril Reforged.esp

2C BladeSong.esp

2D The Ayleid Steps.esp [Version 3.4]

2E RTT.esp

2F The Lost Spires.esp

30 Mart's Monster Mod - City Defences.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

++ FCOM_Ruin.esp [Version 0.9.9]

31 xuldarkforest.esp [Version 1.0.5]

32 LostSpires-DarkForest patch.esp

33 xulStendarrValley.esp [Version 1.2.2]

34 xulTheHeath.esp

35 XulEntiusGorge.esp

36 xulFallenleafEverglade.esp [Version 1.3.1]

37 LostSpires-Everglade patch.esp

38 xulColovianHighlands_EV.esp [Version 1.2.1]

39 xulChorrolHinterland.esp [Version 1.2.2]

3A xulBeachesOfCyrodiilLostCoast.esp [Version 1.6.4]

3B xulBravilBarrowfields.esp [Version 1.3.3]

3C xulLushWoodlands.esp [Version 1.3.1]

3D xulAncientYews.esp [Version 1.4.3]

3E xulAncientRedwoods.esp [Version 1.6]

3F xulCloudtopMountains.esp [Version 1.0.3]

40 xulArriusCreek.esp [Version 1.1.3]

41 xulPatch_AY_AC.esp [Version 1.1]

42 xulRollingHills_EV_withoutWheat.esp [Version 1.3.3]

43 xulPantherRiver.esp

44 xulRiverEthe.esp [Version 1.0.2]

45 xulBrenaRiverRavine.esp [Version 1.1]

46 xulImperialIsle.esp [Version 1.6.7]

47 xulBlackwoodForest.esp [Version 1.1.0]

48 xulCheydinhalFalls.esp [Version 1.0.1]

49 xulAspenWood.esp [Version 1.0.2]

4A xulSkingradOutskirts.esp [Version 1.0.1]

4B xulSnowdale.esp [Version 1.0.2]

4C xulCliffsOfAnvil.esp [Version 1.12]

4D xulSilverfishRiverValley.esp [Version 1.0.1]

4E Natural_Vegetation_by_Max_Tael.esp

4F Quest Award Leveling.esp

50 LTDVampireOverhaul.esp

51 SupremeMagicka.esp [Version 0.90b]

++ SM_OOO.esp [Version 0.90]

++ SM_COBL.esp [Version 0.90]

52 SM_EnchantStaff.esp [Version 0.90]

++ SM_NoSpellLights.esp [Version 0.90]

++ SM_Scrolls.esp [Version 0.90]

++ SM_SigilStone.esp [Version 0.90]

53 MidasSpells.esp

54 Duke Patricks - Combat Archery.esp [Version 5]

55 Deadly Reflex 5 - Timed block and 1.5x damage.esp

56 DeadlyReflex 5 - Combat Moves.esp

** Let There Be Darkness - Cyrodiil.esp

57 CM Partners.esp [Version 1.8]

58 Elves Of Lineage II.esp

59 CM Partners NPC NE.esp

5A CM Partners More NPCs NE.esp

5B CM Partners Marker NPCs.esp

5C 1em_Vilja.esp [Version 3.0]

5D Cobl Races.esp [Version 1.52]

++ Mart's Monster Mod - Resized Races.esp [Version 3.7b3p3]

++ _No__persistant_enchantment_glow_fix-1843.esp

** FCOM_Archery.esp [Version 0.9.9]

5E Cobl Silent Equip Misc.esp [Version 01]

5F The Myrmidon.esp

60 Bashed Patch, 2.esp

 

I used BOSS for my load ordering - pure Godsend, that BOSS, if I may give a plug.

 

 

 

Computer:

 

 

Pavilion p6510f PC

AMD Athlon II 630 Quad-Core Proc

4GB RAM

ATI Radeon Integrated (I know, but it runs the game w/UL + NE at 12+ FPS in combat w/HDR)

 

 

 

Thank you.

Edited July 11, 2011 by storminmormon

[Striker879]

If I recall correctly there are issues between Vilja and Ruined Tail that cannot be resolved (have a look through the Companion Vilja thread or post your question there as Emma is very good at providing solutions to Vilja related problems and doesn't mind if the question has been asked 100 times before ... she knows that it would be an onerous task to read through all 3500 posts).

 

My own experience with CM Partners is similar ... sometimes they'll just go brain-dead for a while (never all of them at once, they take turns). I mostly use them for populating various inns and homes now.

[storminmormon]

My own experience with CM Partners is similar ... sometimes they'll just go brain-dead for a while (never all of them at once, they take turns).

 

But, with as wildly popular as all three of these mods are - Vilja and RTT being in the top 30 ever or something - I cannot imagine everyone having these same issues and just ignoring or playing around them.

 

I'll ask Emma, but if anyone reading knows of anything else, I will take a bullet for you, and then a second bullet if the shooter tries again.

[Emma]

Are you using the latest version of Bash (292)? This is known to still be a bit buggy, and I know that Vilja is one of the mods that is affected, although the report I have heard has been regarding her inventory - it cannot be accessed, instead you get a floating skull!

 

Else, I don't know what to say, as no-one has reported anything like this before. I've never heard of Vilja just standing about the way you describe.

 

As for "problems" regarding Vilja and RTT, the only thing I know of is that the dialog for RTT is set up in such a way that it is impossible to introduce Ruin as an unique companion to Vilja. This might be a design-choice of the author of Ruin - instead of a normal greeting, he only has greetings with choices, which makes it impossible to add any additional topics to him (maybe a wise choice for a quest-npc). So, it's not a conflict, nor a real problem, it just eliminates a proper "introduction" that will make Vilja recognize him as an unique npc.

 

What happens if you put the affected companions in a safe interior cell and leave them behind there for +72 game hours? Will they behave normally when you pick them up again? Doing this is a good standard solution that one can always try if a npc is acting up in any way. Just make sure that you don't enter the cell for at least 72 game hours!

[cdcooley]

This problem sounds very much like AI overload. If the game gets overwhelmed it will not assign actions to all of the NPCs. In that case it would make sense that Vilja's scripts would keep her following and healing the player, but any AI actions might get skipped by the game, especially in combat. Check out the performance tweaking guides and see if you can trim back something to recover some CPU power and see if that helps.

[storminmormon]

I looked into the performance tweaking, and started only using one companion at a time. The CM Partners are oddly still buggy, but Vilja and Ruin seem up to speed after doing the 72+ hour waiting, for the most part. What I do not understand, however, is how it is only companion NPCs that suffer from AI overload, because the enemies were just as vicious and unforgiving as ever? It is also notable that I set the Bashed Patch option of Combat NPC Limit to 10, and the summoning limit to 5 per caster. In a ruin filled with Daedric Plane Summoners (gotta love FCOM), each one unloading 5 daedra, the AI didn't seem negatively affected...

 

Thank you so much! I really do appreciate the help, you're both amazing.