How to generically modify movement for NPCs/creatures

[jaime74]

Hi,

 

this is a quite generic modding/scripting question, in which I could need some help:

 

I am thinking about creating a mod that modifies physical movement in certain situations/environments, e.g. while under water. It should automatically alter speed and gravity factors, depending on certain attributes and skills like strength, athletics, fatigue or the current X/Y/Z position etc.

 

I believe that I already know (roughly) how to do this with vanilla and OBSE script functions for the player character himself, but what if I want this to have the same effect on NPCs and creatures?

I have too little understanding of the basic/vanilla game mechanisms/scripts to easily understand how this can be done, e.g.:

 

• Which elements of the vanilla scripts would I have to touch and/or overwrite to implement such a generic logic?
  
• Do I have to use quest scripts for this (which I suppose to be a quite heavy-weight apporach), or is there some other way?
  
• What possible complications would I have to deal with (incompatibilities with other mods, or even breaking the vanilla game)?
  

Any help, even only some generic directions, would be very helpful. Maybe there are modders that have already created similar things?

Thanks a lot!!