How to use "Detect Life" constantly?

[TaiGer7]

Hi, friends! :biggrin: How can I always use "Detect Life" and "Detect Dead"? like I did in Oblivion but forgotten how (mod or..?)

 

Thanks VERY MUCH in advance! (with kudos)

[Sunnie]

You can not make Detect Life/Dead/Aura Whisper a constant effect. The spells have a range radius and ony shows everything that was in range at the time the spell was cast. It does a single check at the time of casting and will not show anything that comes into range (by any means) until the spell is cast again.

[Rosenzweig]

You can not make Detect Life/Dead/Aura Whisper a constant effect. The spells have a range radius and ony shows everything that was in range at the time the spell was cast. It does a single check at the time of casting and will not show anything that comes into range (by any means) until the spell is cast again.

 

Sunnie is correct. At most you could do is lower the casting time of the spell and the mana consumption to make it pseudo-constant.

[TaiGer7]

Thanks for your answers (gave you kudos)))

But how could it be in Oblivion then?

[SilverfeetStudio]

I think oblivion life detection spell had different mechanics, but could you write a script on a timer that automatically recasts detect life after x amount of seconds?

[Sunnie]

Thanks for your answers (gave you kudos)))

But how could it be in Oblivion then?

 

The problem is that everyone assumes that Skyrim is based off of Oblivion, which is not the case. Most game mechanics are closer to New Vegas. As for the Detect Life in Oblivion, the entire spell mechanics for Oblivion are different. In Skyrim, they use 1 single base mechanic for detect Life, Dead, Undead, friend/foe, and Aura Whisper (shout, actually has a duration but still works the same). in Oblivion there was just the one effect which was handled differently by the engine.

[GreenRazor]

You can not make Detect Life/Dead/Aura Whisper a constant effect. The spells have a range radius and ony shows everything that was in range at the time the spell was cast. It does a single check at the time of casting and will not show anything that comes into range (by any means) until the spell is cast again.

 

Sunnie is correct. At most you could do is lower the casting time of the spell and the mana consumption to make it pseudo-constant.

 

I humbly disagree. To test, open your console and type:

player.addspell 211ee

tgm

 

Now cast and hold the spell and walk around. You can walk way outside the initial radius and every living creature will still be highlighted by the detect life imod.

 

You should be able to duplicate the magic effects: DetectLifeEnemyExteriorConcSelf, DetectLifeEnemyInteriorConcSelf, DetectLifeFriendExteriorConcSelf and DetectLifeFriendInteriorConcSelf. Change the "Casting Type" to constant effect, add these effects to an enchantment, add the enchantment to something (like an amulet) and it _should_ work.

 

I'll test it out and get back to you.

[GreenRazor]

You can not make Detect Life/Dead/Aura Whisper a constant effect. The spells have a range radius and ony shows everything that was in range at the time the spell was cast. It does a single check at the time of casting and will not show anything that comes into range (by any means) until the spell is cast again.

 

Sunnie is correct. At most you could do is lower the casting time of the spell and the mana consumption to make it pseudo-constant.

 

I humbly disagree. To test, open your console and type:

player.addspell 211ee

tgm

 

Now cast and hold the spell and walk around. You can walk way outside the initial radius and every living creature will still be highlighted by the detect life imod.

 

You should be able to duplicate the magic effects: DetectLifeEnemyExteriorConcSelf, DetectLifeEnemyInteriorConcSelf, DetectLifeFriendExteriorConcSelf and DetectLifeFriendInteriorConcSelf. Change the "Casting Type" to constant effect, add these effects to an enchantment, add the enchantment to something (like an amulet) and it _should_ work.

 

I'll test it out and get back to you.

 

 

"Not so fast!" he says...

 

So, the "Detect Life" effect archetype does behave as Sunnie and Rosenzweig say. But, you CAN make it a constant effect. It just won't update to detect the life nearby. Instead, the actors in the area where it was first cast will remain "detected" even when you are far away. This means that the "concentrate" casting type generates a continuous "recast" for the spell instead of "holding" an effect over time. So, it would be possible to create a constant effect using a script with a loop or registering for an update event.

 

As a side note, enchantments in the Creation Kit are wonky. I can create an ability that generates a detect life constant effect using 4 magic effects. When I create an enchantment using the same 4 magic effects it works only sometimes. Exiting the game and reloading a save will cause the enchantment to work/not-work intermittently. This can be observed without changing the .esp with the enchantment. It is a "sometimes" effect. Seems like a bug to me.

 

So, the upside is that, with a little scripting, you can make a constant effect detect life ability. On the downside, I'm plagued with an obsession on this enchantment issue and I'm going to keep toying with it.

[Leeira]

Here is a nice mod which adds infinite, renewing "detect life" to a ring.

[MofoMojo]

Here is a nice mod which adds infinite, renewing "detect life" to a ring.

 

Thanks Leeira! Added a spell as well...and now the spell is properly toggleable. Source files and everything included in the 1.3 update.

 

-MM

Edited February 13, 2012 by MofoMojo