Dogmeat keeps getting stuck in a command mode

[SirGalahad]

This started happening today, and I've only been playing a couple days at this point: Dog meat is STUCK in some weird command mode I've not seen before, where I can only cycle between STAY and FOLLOW. I can't trade with him or do any of the "normal" interactions. Some times, there are four "flashing" arrows pointing inward--they shake a little and the stems stretch between long and short.

 

TAB does absolutely nothing.

 

The command mode might end randomly, after sufficient key bashing, but then just starts up again the next time I communicate with the dog.

 

Any ideas?

Edited March 29, 2018 by SirGalahad

[JimmyRJump]

Had this a couple of times when the game was just released back in November 2015 without any mods installed since there were none yet. Can't remember what I did -if anything at all. I think it went away as unexpectedly as it came...

[SirGalahad]

I verified game files via Steam, but this did not fix the problem. It rewrote my INI files, so I had to setup the video quality again and disable the damn game controller so my keyboard would work. I'd like to know what asshat at Bethesda thought it would be a good idea to disable the keyboard right off the bat.

 

The Dogmeat problem remains. I can tell him to STAY or FOLLOW. I cannot trade with him. When I look his way, the HUD shows "E) COMMAND." If I press E, I get the four flashing arrows and an eternal choice of STAY or FOLLOW. I can look away from Dogmeat, press TAB, and the flashing arrows return to the regular reticule, and looking back at Dogmeat, the HUD shows "E) COMMAND," again.

 

Funny how you say you've had the same issue, but my Google searches thus far come up with nothing. When I read about how bug-ridden the game was upon release, and struggle with this Dogmeat bug, I have to think that I haven't waited long enough to start playing.

 

I tried console commands that are supposed to disable and enable the dog, but that did absolutely nothing. He remains on screen throughout, entirely broken.

 

I uninstalled the game.

 

I will try again, but should this bug reappear, I am done with Fallout 4.

Edited March 29, 2018 by SirGalahad

[JimmyRJump]

Have you tried moving towards Dogmeat in the bugged situation? I seem to recall that, when getting the pulsing arrows to make Dogmeat go to a certain spot, when I stepped towards him the menu jumped back to the options and the missing ones were present then.

[SirGalahad]

Have you tried moving towards Dogmeat in the bugged situation? I seem to recall that, when getting the pulsing arrows to make Dogmeat go to a certain spot, when I stepped towards him the menu jumped back to the options and the missing ones were present then.

 

Uh...no, I did not try that—at least not intentionally. I may have done it accidentally.

 

I uninstalled the game, but only with Steam, which was not sufficient, apparently. Once it reinstalled and I saw I still had all my saves intact, I knew I missed something. The bug was still there—Dogmeat remained worthless.

 

I just completely uninstalled the game:

• Uninstalled via Steam
• Deleted the entire Fallout 4 folder in My Documents
• Deleted the entire Fallout 4 folder inside Steam's D:\Steam\steamapps\common folder
• Deleted the entire Fallout 4 folder inside the C:\Users\[this is me]\AppData\Local folder

I haven't gone through the Registry and deleted every reference to Fallout 4, but this should have it carved out sufficiently.

 

I will try reinstalling again. Damn glad Comcast lifted that 250 GB cap.

[SirGalahad]

So all that does not completely uninstall the game. Still had the same saves and the Dogmeat bug after another hour of downloading.

 

Unbelievable.

 

Approaching Dogmeat very closely does turn the flashing arrows into the bracketed square, but does not offer anything but STAY and FOLLOW commands.

 

I'm not reinstalling Windows for this damn game. I'll just not play it, instead.

 

Have to figure out how to completely uninstall the thing. Maybe this is what the Steam Cloud thing Steam does. Maybe the Nexus Mod Manager is causing it. I don't freaking know.

 

Will look around to see if it is even possible to delete these saves, first.

Edited March 29, 2018 by SirGalahad

[SirGalahad]

I used Nexus Mod Manager to completely uninstall every mod. I only had three, so that wasn't hard.

 

I disabled the Steam Cloud for this game. Will have to remember to do that for my other games, too. Steam Cloud seems a great way to ensure bugs become permanent fixtures.

 

I deleted the INI files. I started the game, but did not begin a new game. This only created Fallout4.ini and Fallout4Prefs.ini. The third INI, Fallout4Custom.ini, is missing. I guess that gets created with a new game?

 

This would mean there is no way to use mods immediately with a fresh installation? You would have to create a new game, wait for a chance to exit, and then install mods and suffer all the various warnings anew?

 

And you get to use your controller for everything until you edit the INI files! What a steaming load....

Edited March 29, 2018 by SirGalahad

[JimmyRJump]

This is all very strange.

[Deleted40542685User]

Have you tried starting the game with out the controller plugged in, just use the keyboard?

[SirGalahad]

Have you tried starting the game with out the controller plugged in, just use the keyboard?

 

I have done that before, with other games. But it's connected to the back of a very heavy case in a darkened room, generally a PITA to disconnect. Besides, I should not have to disconnect it. Rant: This is the worst PC user interface I've seen since the second Deus Ex game (Invisible War?), to be certain. It screams "CONSOLE GAME!" throughout, without regard to the PC gamers who made Bethesda Games possible. Why would I not be surprised Fallout 4 disables the keyboard when detecting a controller? I mean, who doesn't spend $2,000 to have a glorified XBox?

 

I'll try to stop.

 

A friend with the exact same Dogmeat bug finds that getting close enough allows the normal four communication options. She may have been telling him to sit in a given spot, then got close. In my case, it did not matter how close I got. There were only the two options, STAY or FOLLOW, forever and ever. With those damn flashing arrows....