one merchant, two chests

[Georgiegril]

I want my merchant to be a innkeeeper type behind the bar, by an apothecary when she is not. I have tried creating 2 chests, with different times, with different linked ref/radius settings, no dice. Am I doing something wrong, or chasing a dream? Thanks for you help and ideas!

[tetradite]

I want my merchant to be a innkeeeper type behind the bar, by an apothecary when she is not. I have tried creating 2 chests, with different times, with different linked ref/radius settings, no dice. Am I doing something wrong, or chasing a dream? Thanks for you help and ideas!

 

I know it can at least partly be done. I have a merch that references the same container twice through separate factions depending on where they are. So I don't see why two different types and containers is impossible.

 

What specifically is going wrong?

[Georgiegril]

Not 2 merchants 1 container, (that I have done) but 1 merchant 2 containers.

Specifically, my merchant will only use 1. If I set it up so that each of the chests is supposed to be accessed at different times, all I get is the first one.

If I try different locations (I'm not sure I didn't have overlap) I still just get the first one.

If I remove the first one, I get the second one.

 

I don't know if there is something I need to add to the factions list, or to the merchant?

Or s it something like with lanterns where the merchant using the second chest would actually have to be a separate identical merchant and there is a script that toggles between them? (That seems awkward, hope that isn't the case!)

 

Thanks, tetradite, btw for the quick reply. I took a break for a bit. I really appreciate your help.

[tetradite]

It is definitely doable in principle, I've just done it :biggrin:

 

What I have got working is:

 

- An NPC with JobMerchantfaction, and 2 services factions, one linked to my Blacksmith merch container (set to trade within the blacksmith's cell), the other to my apothecary merch container (set to trade within a radius of a reference point in the exterior).

- Both services factions are 24 hour

- The NPC has an AI whereby they are in the exterior in the morning, and inside the blacksmith shop in the afternoon

 

In the morning when she's outside she trades as an apothecary, as soon as she steps inside in the afternoon, she trades as a smith.

 

 

Also, out of interest I tried setting both services factions as trade "at self", so theoretically she should trade with both merch container inventories at the same time - this doesn't work. This gets me the same issue you have above with only the first one working.

 

 

It seems it doesn't play nicely when there's any "overlap", but it is definitely possible to get them to trade with a different inventory when they are in a different location.

 

 

I've also found the "time" settings on the services factions to be tweaky and screwy tbh. It may be that using the trading times as the "separator" isn't enough. As I say though, being in a different location definitely works.

[Georgiegril]

Thank you so much for your help! I don't have her moving very far (no loading cell, alas) but U will try to see if I can space out the locations a bit further. You have given me hope! (as well as extremely helpful advice) Many, many thanks! (And a kudo too...I was surprised I hadn't already given you one...much overdue!) :biggrin:

[tetradite]

No worries.

 

A thought occurs to me, it may be to do with loading/reloading.

 

This is purely theoretical, but I'm guessing that since it evidently only lets one merch faction/container at a time work, and the first one evidently takes priority even if it is outside of it's trading time, then LOGICALLY it should also take priority even if it's outside of it's trading area. I.E what I have working possibly shouldn't logically work.

 

I know it does work, but bear with me.

 

This makes me wonder if actually what's making it work isn't actually the fact that the different merch setups are in different areas, but the fact that the player and/or the NPC has moved into another area and so kind of "cleared the NPC's cache" if that makes any sense... like if when the NPC is loaded in the cell, the AI runs through and attaches the first working merchant package it comes to, but if the player and NPC both remain in that area when the changeover between the trading setups takes place it doesn't work because there's nothing to force the AI to re-evaluate which packages to use.

 

I.e it MAY logically be possible to make multiple merch containers work for one NPC, in one area, if either:

 

- the player actually leaves the area while the changeover between factions occurs (I'm guessing you're testing by waiting there?)

- the NPC leaves the area while the changeover occurs.

 

Not tested, just a thought. If I get chance tomorrow I might test this, if only because I'm interested now :thumbsup:

[Georgiegril]

And there I was, thinking it would be so easy.... your explanation makes a lot of sense. Actually I eventually plan to have an interior attached to my little project, but I wanted to get a few more features in my first version. So if I were patient (ha!) then your solution would also work for me.

 

I am looking at the conditions, too...but I have barely used those things, so...we'll see. If I could get one set up where she was only selling from one chest when she was on a marker, and another chest the rest of the time, that would do it. I am giving up for the night but I'm sure I'll be back at it tomorrow. I am so grateful for your help! Sorry to get something stuck in your head....I know how that goes.:rolleyes:

 

Edit: After hours of trying to make this work, I'm ready to give up until I get the interior area done, at which point, I am hoping your strategy works for me as well. If you do happen upon a better way, I would love to know, however! Thank you for all of your help, you are awesome!

Edited August 28, 2012 by Georgiegril

[David Brasher]

Why don't you have two twin NPCs that look exactly the same? One would be the bartender and the other would be the apothecary. Each would have her own chest. You would arrange to enable and disable them to swap your merchants when the player was not watching.

[tg08096]

Why don't you have two twin NPCs that look exactly the same? One would be the bartender and the other would be the apothecary. Each would have her own chest. You would arrange to enable and disable them to swap your merchants when the player was not watching.

 

The only issue with this is if one were to be killed. Definitely the easier and more reliable option if death is not possible though.

[David Brasher]

It would not be hard to set the two merchant characters to be essential. Many modders do this with their custom merchants anyway because they really don't want them to die in a dragon attack and not be able to sell their new items into the game.