Fallout NV NPC animations stiff during dialogue

[dubiousintent]

As I understand it (remember I haven't done any of this myself), animation techniques are the same regardless of the action. The difference is in what "triggers" each. "Idles" are randomly selected when not moving. Take a look at the description pages of "Behaviours - Idles Headtracking run etc." and "PC Exclusive Gender Specific Cycling Idles". Their scripts and "AI travel packages" would give you an idea as to how they are triggered.

 

My suggestion to fix your original problem would be to uninstall (not merely "deactivate") all the mods that include animations, then check that the folders under "Data\meshes" where the animation files are located are actually "empty" of any remaining content, and then re-install the mods you intend to keep in "least to most priority order". That way the last installed will overwrite any from the earlier installed.

 

-Dubious-

 

[skullsridge]

I deleted all the animation mods as you suggested, but I still see .kf files under "Data\Meshes\Character\_male (and) _1stperson", and they've been modified recently, about three days ago, though that might be from cache verification, I'm not sure what I did on the 29th. Is it normal to still have files in the character meshes folder after uninstalling animation mods?

 

Edit: After doing as you suggested, uninstalling all animation mods from the NMM, and starting a new game, sure enough, the bug persisted. I still get the stiff pose.

 

I give up. Unless someone else makes a mod forcing NPCs to play vanilla idle animations as some sort of compatibility patch, there's not much else I can do. I'm tired of sorting out the same bug for almost a week, on top of trying to get WMX and WRP to behave, even with the compatibility patch.

 

At this point, I'm almost out of tricks to try for getting rid of this bug. It might have something to do with Asurah's animations (seeing as it's still in alpha), or it might not, but either way, it is not worth the hassle of getting rid of all the animation mods (for a second time), verifying the cache (for the fourth time), sorting out the texture bug with WMX and WRP (for the seventh time), and fearing that I might break my game with all the mods I'm juggling around to get rid of a single, insignificant bug (for the umpteenth time).

 

One last small, pointless, stupid thing I could do is boot up the steam launcher, and tick "load loose files". Maybe that'll cue up some animations from one of the mods that just aren't playing. I know it won't actually do anything, but I just gotta exhaust my options. I'll edit this again after I try it. After that, I'm done, unless there's an idle animation pack out there that affects NPCs and not just the player. I assume the two you linked are for the player only, so I'll leave those alone unless you tell me otherwise.

 

Edit 2: Nope, "load loose files" didn't free me from my stiff torment.

 

*Sighs* Oh well. I did just about everything I could think of without completely wiping FNV from my computer, and knowing my luck, that wouldn't fix anything either. It's just the way my mods are, and I can't do much about it, unless I leveled up my Science stat and suddenly became good at using blender to look up all the idle animation files, which I lack the competency and now the patience to do.

 

Dubious, thank you so much for dedicating so much time towards my struggle. I'm sorry I couldn't bear any fruit for all the suggestions and tasks you set, but I am glad that I wasn't alone in my turmoil. I will play FNV with all its stiff mannequin NPCs in tow with a smile on my face, because at least I know that I did all that I could.

 

If you have any further suggestions for me to try, do speak up. I'll try anything else you have in mind. If not, then I once again thank you for all the help you've been willing to give me. Take care, Dubious.

Edited April 1, 2018 by skullsridge

[dubiousintent]

Apparently you missed the part of my instructions about:

then check that the folders under "Data\meshes" where the animation files are located are actually "empty" of any remaining content

You say:

but I still see .kf files under "Data\Meshes\Character\_male (and) _1stperson", and they've been modified recently, about three days ago

Those two statements do not equate to the same thing. Seems to me you may have missed a mod that included animation files and failed to uninstall it.

 

Uninstall mods first, then delete any remaining files ".kf" files under "Data\Meshes\Character\_male (and) _1stperson", then "verify local files", and finally re-check those folders to see if any "loose files" got placed there. I believe they should still be empty at this point. If that is the case, re-install your animation mods one at a time and check some of the animations that seem stiff to you.

 

You can trigger "idles" by equipping a weapon (such as fists) and then holstering the weapon and waiting a few seconds for one to kick in. They rotate through the animations if you wait long enough.

 

"Dialog" will require the precise circumstances needed to trigger the animation.

Don't worry about my time. I'm retired and this is my hobby. It's an interesting "new" problem so I'd like to find a solution.

 

-Dubious-

[skullsridge]

Alright, well I'm gonna just take a few days to just enjoy my game as it is, because uninstalling and reinstalling all of my animation mods took way too much time and caused way too much stress, and I really do not want to do all of that again, on top of verifying my files for the fourth time in three days, then reinstalling my mods in a very specific and archaic way, then resolving the texture bug that occurs when WRP and WMX are in the same room together (even with the compatibility patch), then repairing DarnUI because it's a pretty princess that needs everything to be exactly the way it is at all times, and then I get to pray to whatever God will listen that everything I did solved the bug, only to inevitably find out that it's still there...

 

I apologize for such an outburst, but I'm just way too tired to keep doing this over multiple consecutive days over a problem that really isn't that big of an issue. I will come back to fix the problem at a later time, but it's not tonight, and it's not tomorrow. I just want to play my game and enjoy it without having to worry that all my 70 mods are going to break it any further than a slight animation bug.

 

I will try your suggestion sometime after the weekend, but I need time to just appreciate FNV as a game, and not as a problem that I have to solve. Working on the same issue for almost a week deflates a lot of joy that I could be having with the game otherwise, with no guarantee that anything will come out of the effort made to fix it.

 

After I uninstall the mods again, delete the remaining files, verify local files, and then reinstall the mods, I will report the results here.

 

Have a good night, Dubious. I'll get back in touch sometime soon.

[dubiousintent]

Understood. I'll still be here. (As they say: "The good lord willing and the creek don't rise.")

 

-Dubious-

[skullsridge]

Hehe...

 

Hehehehe....

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!!!

 

IT WORKED!!

 

HOLY CRAP!

^^ My actual verbal reaction to not finding a single NPC with the stiff pose.

 

Okay, I did everything that you told me to do, and SONUVAB**** it worked! Even my current save is fine, nothing broke when I reloaded it (which I know you told me not to do, but I had to test it). Oh my god, I cannot believe that this actually worked. Wooooo!!!!

 

Dubious, friend! Thank you so much for your wisdom! I am so happy right now! I will now rip and tear my way through the wasteland, knowing that not a single person there is a mannequin.

If the stiff pose comes back for whatever reason, I'll let you know, but goddamn I'm so pleased.

 

Have a good night Dubious.

 

Edit: Actually, one last problem I'm encountering, which is trying to get WRP and WMX to behave. I have the compatibility patch installed and in the proper place, and I toggle archive invalidation every time after reinstallation, but I still get texture errors. I've been reinstalling the mods in different orders, but I still get the issue. I've fixed it twice before, but I can never remember (or even know) how I fixed it. I know this is a relatively common issue, and I know it's fixable, I just need some outside guidance to solve this once and for all.

Edited April 2, 2018 by skullsridge

[dubiousintent]

Glad to hear your "pose" problem is resolved.

 

"Compatibility patches" to make one mod work with another need to be placed after (as in "physically lower, higher numbered") in the "load order" than all of the plugins they are designed to make compatible. ESMs should always be placed at the top (lowest numbered) positions in the "load order", followed by the related ESPs though they can be separated from their ESMs by other plugins. "LOOT" does a good job of determining those basic orders. Getting the "load order" incorrect will cause "Missing Master" errors as well.

However, with replacement mesh/texture files what is important is the "install order": the sequence in which you install (and overwrite) files. Only the last file to be installed will be the "winner". So they are a completely separate consideration to the plugins (ESM and ESP) files of the mods and compatibility patches. If you are toggling "ArchiveInvalidation" once you have finished installing replacement files but still get missing errors, then you are really missing some file. Make sure you are not confusing missing "textures" with missing "meshes". Please see 'Solutions to Mesh (Red "!" icon) or Texture (solid color) problems' section in the wiki "Fallout NV Mod Conflict Troubleshooting" guide.

-Dubious-

[skullsridge]

Okay, finally got it to work, just had to reinstall WRP and WMX plus patches in a very specific order. A tad bit frustrating but at least now I know what to do.

 

I believe that brings my modding to a close, for now. I don't think I'll be adding anything else, aside from some minor texture updates later in the future (like Willow's Cazy hair, because I guess I'm that kind of person).

 

Dubious, once more, with feeling, thank you very much for your time and patience in helping me through my modding escapades. I appreciate it whole heartedly, and wish you the best of luck in helping others like myself. You do great work here, and I hope you know that this forum is far better with your support than without it. Take care, Dubious, and farewell.

 

Kindest regards,

Skull