Followers Stuck in Sandbox AI

[Bugnexus7]

Greetings, all!

 

I have a problem that has been randomly manifesting itself since I started playing Skyrim. I've done numerous searches looking for a solution, found many others with the same problem, but not a single post with a solution. So far, the ONLY solution I've found was to go to a previous save.

 

Problem: Followers enter sandbox mode and for some reason never leave it even though they have been given other commands.

 

Details: This problem has eventually occured on almost every follower I've ever used in the game, including vanilla followers, Inigo, Vilja, Selene Kate, MInerva, etc. Whenever I go to a location that has ANY ilde markers, be they a chair, a rail-lean location, a forge, even the tankard/drink animation, and followers are set to sandbox for any reason, eventually one of them will get stuck doing so.

 

By stuck, I mean that they will take commands, but only partially act upon them. For instance, if I tell them to follow me they will do so, but at a distance and ONLY walking. They will immediately try and use the nearest Idle marker again. They will NOT stealth--In fact this is my main indicator a follower is broken, when they will not stealth for any reason. I suspect that the problem has something to do with saving while they are in sandbox mode.

 

This problem seems random in who it effects, they only requirement is that they were in sandbox AI mode.

 

NONE of the console commands fix it, including toggling off/on AI (tai), combat AI (tcai), resetai. I even tried killing them with the "Kill" command and resurrecting them (they were STILL sandboxing after a death!). Recycle actor has no effect other than stripping the follower. Disabling the .esp for the effected follower, loading,saving, reactivating esp doesnt work.

 

I've been suffering from this issue with numerous mod loadouts, and even NO mods--the Vanilla game with no mods does this to me as well.

 

Over the years I've tried AFT, UFO, EFF, Immersive AFT, MHIYH 4.3, Simple Multiple Followers...and more importantly, NO mods! Followers break eventually regardless of framework used.

 

As a result of this issue, I've never actually completed a full playthrough of all the DLC as I eventually encounter the issue and break my game further trying to find the source of the problem. Serana has broken in this way EVERY time.

 

After facing this issue for so long, I'm about to throw in the towel and just delete Skyrim and everything associated with it. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Although a means of clearing the stuck sandbox AI from a follower would be enough for me to keep playing, a solution to prevent them from getting stuck in the first place would be Ideal.

 

Thanks in advance,

Bug

Edited November 14, 2016 by Bugnexus7

[Bugnexus7]

Not a bump, but added info and a possible CURE.

 

I was looking at the Multiple Floors Sandboxing Mod (I've used it on occasion) and noticed a comment by the author that stated there is a CAP of 20 on the number of npcs that can be controlled by sandboxing AI at any given time within a cell.

 

In hindsight, it occurs to me that most situations where followers bugged out were very busy locations.

 

Possible scenario:

 

Me and 6 followers enter the Inn where there are already 12 NPCs (20 npcs controlled by AI). A 21st npc enters the tavern and instead of that npc losing AI, the first on the list of 20 (one of my followers) is bumped off the list instead, interrupting that followers AI while they are in sandboxing mode, thereby locking them into it (that uncontrolled state is baked into the save, with no means to reactivate it).

 

A little Google work led me to a mod called "Artificial Intelligence Limit Increaser" that raises that cap to 100 (80 for combat).

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/50823/?

 

Considering that this problem RARELY happened for me in Vanilla Skyrim, I'd have to say that is because there are few situations in vanilla where there are more than 20 npcs in a cell. I use 3DNPCs, inconsequential Npcs, etc, so my game is usually highly populated. I am beginning to think that was the problem all along, and that increasing the cap is the fix. It seems I've been crashing into the AI cap all along.

 

I think some confirmation is in order--Time to install that mod!

 

 

[Bugnexus7]

Confirmed Fix!

 

Problem was as explained--I was reaching the AI cap for NPCs and as a result, followers got stuck in whatever AI mode they were in when the cap was reached.

 

The solution is the "Artificial Intelligence Limit Increaser" mod by TonyCubed2 ( http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/50823/? ). This mod effectively increases the AI cap to 100 (80 for combat), meaning this problem will not occur until a cell has more than 100 npcs in it--a highly unlikely occurance unless you're using mods to do exactly that.

 

Verified with actual save that had three followers that broke right after loading it EVERY time. Installing this mod at end of load order and none of the followers break now.

 

This mod will NOT retroactively fix already broken followers--You will still have to go back to a save before they broke. ( I tried it on a save with those three followers already broken and they remained broken.)

 

I hope this helps others with this problem.

 

Ciao!

Bug

 

[Silvring]

Bugs... thanks for posting this. I was lost and couldn't find a solution. I know this post is somewhat old, but it saved my game and wanted to give you thanks.

[TheFeralDog]

its 2021, i reverted too an earlier save and followed what you said and it worked, (earlier save was like 5 minutes before everything when infinite sandbox in the bee and barb) it did take me and hour and several failed methods of fixing said issue before arriving here. thank you