How do I make my NPC harvest ingredients/hunt animals?

[1John418]

Hello there, please, help.

I've created this NPC and I want him to pick herbs around his house every afternoon. I tried using Find package with the following settings:

- time: 17, duration: 2

- Conditions: IsInInterior == 0
- Location: near current location, radius: 2048

- Target: any object, object ID: VipersBugloss, count: 10

 

He has lots of those VipersBugloss plants around his house, but he keeps ignoring this task. His Editor Location is the interior of his house, but even when I lure him out via Travel to the marker, he keeps ignoring the plants, even though the conditions are met.

Now, the same problem with trying to make him hunting the deer/bears. I tried copying the Package for hunting from the Imperial legion forester, but to no avail: he isn't do it.

Eating and Sleeping packages are okay. So it seems he is just lazy.

Any tips?

[Striker879]

I have a couple of farmer NPCs who pick their crops. They each have a package that already has them out in the garden area doing some work with a hoe. The actual picking crops package has some conditions (not raining and random percent). The Location is set to Near Reference and I've placed a marker (radius set to 1024), the Target tab is set to Any Object and Object ID is set to CarrotPlant (other packages are set to PotatoPlant, CornStalk and LeekPlant ... I use different percent chance to have them pick different types during the time the package executes).

 

The key thing is to select the correct item for them to pick ... CarrotPlant not Carrot for example. I believe in your case you'll want VipersBuglossLeaves not VipersBugloss.

 

Can't say why your NPC isn't hunting ... does he have the tools for the job (bows and arrows, swords or magic spells up to the job)?

 

The other thing to watch is package order. The game evaluates which package to run from the top of the list to the bottom. It will run the first package that evaluates as true with it's checks (time and conditions).

 

Go down through the NPCs packages and think ... will this package execute (all conditions met), and if the answer is no then go down to the next. You may find he's not hunting because some other package higher in his list gets selected before the game can even get down to his hunting package. Simply reorder the packages so that you achieve your design intent.

[1John418]

Thank you, Striker, it worked!

At least picking plants. I changed the position of X marker a bit and decluttered his package list. Now he is roaming the country, picking vipers bugloss (I hope to make him brew potions out of it later).

Didn't tweak the hunting yet though. Should I set Venison as the target of the Find package or creature deer? In the last case it might be a problem, since there are several types of deer in the game and he might ignore the rest. And if I get him killing the animal, should I set a new package for harvesting Venison out of it?

[Striker879]

The vanilla package you referenced for the Legion Foresters has Venison for the Object ID. Make sure you have Target ticked ... I believe that Any Object must be slected for the option Object ID to be available for selection.

 

That's most of why I was going on about package order in his list, because from your description I couldn't think of anything else that may be the problem (of course other than him having the tools to kill deer). Make sure the radius is the same as the vanilla package too, and for testing purposes you may want to console spawn some deer that will be within that radius (don't think he'll go looking for them outside the radius that is set). In the console "player.placeatme 31550 5" (without the quote marks) should give you five (you could also try player.placeatme 61440 5). The only difference is the first is CreatureDeerDoe and the second is LegionForesterDoe. If he doesn't go after the 31550 deer but he does go after the 61440 deer then we'll be learning something about that AI package.

 

- Edit - I believe he should automatically harvest the venison, at least that's been my experience with the Legion Foresters. If you don't beat them to their downed deer all that will be left for you is their arrows, the venison will be gone.

Edited June 19, 2020 by Striker879

[1John418]

Hey Striker, he is doing it, thank you!

Both types of deer are suitable (I checked them separately). He kills a deer and then picks the venison (the package is Find).

Unfortunately Chorrol constable (an NPC from UL) knocks him down after his awkward shooting nearby. But that's OK) Maybe that's why you shouldn't hunt near towns.

picture proof

Edited June 20, 2020 by 1John418

[Striker879]

Cool ... I didn't even know that there was two types of deer until looking into this problem. You may need to beef him up some before tackling the bears!!

 

So was the root of the problem he didn't have any deer within his radius before?

[1John418]

I'm not sure, because the radius was big (5000 I think) and there were some deer in the forest nearby. His other package aside from hunting during that moment was simply standing on an X marker near the wayshrine. Maybe the issue was in that he had no deer in his sight, even though the radius was big enough... Maybe you have to set wander package for hunters to actually walk around the forest so they can spot a deer first.

[Striker879]

If you look at the vanilla Legion Foresters they have their Find package for Venison and then their default Wander package (using one of the large radius aaaDefaultExplores). If you watch them they mostly just wander around and it's only when they spot a deer that they go into combat mode.

 

It's always a good idea to have a default package for your NPCs to execute. Put that package at the very bottom of their list and set time, day etc to Any. When all of their other package don't satisfy conditions (time of day, condition checks for raining or in interior etc) then they will execute their default package (normally a wander but it doesn't absolutely have to be a wander package).

 

In the case of your hunter I'd either give him a large radius Current Location wander for the times you want him hunting or a wander package set to a marker with a large radius (close to a spawn point for deer for instance). His default wander can then be an Editor Location package which will bring him back to a known location when his other packages aren't executing.

[bobbyskel78]

well, i just skimmed through this, didn't see anybody mention it and their doing what's expected ... a feat in itself.

i was thinking in regards to hunting, although it would be more broad than just deer. create a custom faction w/ a very low disposition towards those of the faction 'prey'. from what i remember, if the disposition < aggression, they'll act hostile.