NPC AI and Behavior: Weapon Choice

[FrankManic]

Hey folks. I'm messing around with the NPCs in game. I'd like to set it up so that well equipped NPCs, say Brotherhood and Enclave troops, Security Guards, Talon Mercs, have a primary weapon, a sidearm, and a backup weapon. So instead of just having a broken laser rifle your average Talon Mercenary would be armed with an Assault Rifle, his trusty 10mm pistol, and a switchblade, just in case.

 

The problem I'm having is that about a third of those Talon Mercs will chose to use the switch blade instead of one of his guns. It's okay when untrained raiders do it, but it's sort of silly when a Brotherhood Paladin is charging you, combat knife in hand, with a plasma rifle strapped to his back.

 

So my question is How do NPCs decide which weapon to use, and how can I set them up to use their primary weapon until that is destroyed, then pull a side arm, then, if they lose the side arm and still feel like fighting, they'll go to melee?

 

Also, how do I effect NPC fleeing behavior? I'd like to get NPCs to run away long enough to use a stim pack and then return to the fight. It seems like now once they start fleeing they'll continue fleeing and hiding until someone kills them. I'd prefer if they retreat, heal, then rejoin the fight, or flee and keep fleeing.