Controlling NPC movement between quest transition

[kwoodard65]

Good Day,

 

During extensive testing of my pre-release of the WaV Mod under TESIV Oblivion, I have encountered a problem with NPC movement between successive transitioning of each new quest.

Here is the scenario:

 

The Player first encounters a NPC during a quest which the topic of discussion triggers the next quest. The Player moves on to the next quest level of completion. Using packages to control NPC behavior, I attempted to control the movement of the NPC from one location to another location on the change of a quest. However, after several successive quests when the Player returned to the original location to find the said NPC, the NPC was no where to be found. During my troubleshooting, I continually unloaded my Mod against my saved Player file, saved my game and then loaded back my Mod to another saved game version. This action had limited positive effects but did not resolve the issue at hand. I was able to mediate the problem by creating a new NPC reference of the same character by placing the NPC within the desired location but is this a best practice? Wouldn't eventually during real game play, the NPC would meet up with its doppelganger? My top priority within any Mod development for Oblivion is to create an intriguing world with an exciting story line and a realistic, innovative environment. I often think about my gaming world when going to bed each night. Yes, I do have a life but this is how creativity within the human brain works, at the unconscious level. I have resolved script issues even in the shower! Anyway, I suspect my issue arises from the actual aspect of going back and forth between game saved levels between each quest. I am planning today to begin my main quest over from the beginning and observe the results. I would prefer that my NPC would simply be waiting for me at my own convenience and choosing. This is how is in the real world. If someone give you a job assignment and says, "I will be here when you get back", it is a reasonable assumption to expect this individual to be at the designated location as expected.

 

Does anyone have any ideas?

 

Cheers,

KWITS

[Striker879]

My own experience using AI packages to give my NPCs a somewhat realistic 'life' focuses a bit more to the unpredictable nature of life as opposed to your slant on it. By that I mean most of my NPCs will use conditions to enhance realism (who would sit under the Chorrol Great Oak and read if it's raining for instance). I do have a patrol using four NPCs outside of White Stallion Lodge who I wanted to follow a rigid schedule (they are there to deal with the times when Mazoga brings an 'unfriendly' home with her so my residents of White Stallion can enjoy a carefree existence). The four cover a 24 hour schedule consisting of eating, sleeping, patrolling and a little R&R time. The only conditional packages are reading packages if it's raining, the patrol packages are rigid. Most of the time when I arrive in the vicinity of White Stallion they are somewhere along their patrol route, just as you would expect. Sometimes one will be missing (they patrol in pairs). I'll go looking for the missing patrol and I'm often amazed at where they are coming from when I find them (from off in the boonies north of Telepe for example, far off their patrol route). In my case I chalk it up to "Guess she needed some privacy for a pottie break" (in other words it 'adds' to the realism, even if it adds inconvenience).

 

I could be wrong on this, but my understanding and observations say that the game doesn't really 'continue' an NPC's life when the player isn't in the same cell or adjacent cell. As you approach the cell they would be in according to their AI schedule the game calculates where they should be at that time and what they should be doing. It places them and starts their appropriate package running. Even if you don't run into my 'off in the boonies' situation that can still lead to some unexpected results depending on the type of package they're executing (i.e. they may be closer to their start point for that package even if the time should have them closer to their end point).

 

I'm not much help when it comes to scripting vs using AI packages to control NPC behavior, as that is the next step my own modding efforts need to take but I haven't started down that trail. I think scripting should offer more control and less random variability (though I may be deluding myself). You may be interested in some of the discussion in a thread started by kingtitan: NPC Packages.

[kingtitan]

Its pretty late here, but I saw that Striker had already posted, so I think I might be able to offer some of my packaging knowledge here too. I'll read up on the posts tommorow, but at least right now, I'll be following the thread. Hopefully be able to follow up with a helpful response too!

[kwoodard65]

Good Day,

 

This issue appears to be now resolved. I performed the following actions that might have led to the final fix.

 

1. Added all ending and intro quest stages to the NPC's package in which the NPC would be expected to begin dialogue

2. Used the MoveTo function within the Mod's main script

3. Used the enable function against the NPC reference

 

Regards,

KWITS

[kwoodard65]

Good Day,

 

Although I now consider this topic closed since my NPC is waiting for my arrival back to town at her designated location, I am still having issues with my NPC's packages. For example, during testing, sometimes my package launches enabling the NPC to travel and while in other cases, the NPC does not travel to the referenced location. What causes this eractic package behavior?

 

Thanks,

KWITS