New merchant, how to make him just stand behind his counter

[Deleted5305171User]

Hi everyone,

i recently started with creating my own mods and currently i'm working on a custom house with a merchant. I managed to create the merchant and everything, but i can't figure out how i make him just standing behind his damn counter. In the creation kit i placed him behind it, and gave him the AI Package "DefaultServicesEditorLoc24x7" and according to several tutorials he should just stand where i placed him. But when i load the mod he stands far away from that place at first and i have to reenter the house. Then he is at the right place, but always using the alchemy lab which is next to the counter. I tried different AI Packages but it makes no difference, even without any packages he is always using the lab. >:(

Does anyone know how i can solve this issue? Please don't flame me if there's a simple and obvious option that i'm missing, as i said i'm not that advanced in modding :confused: I spend the whole afternoon with tyring around and searching for a solution and slowly i'm going crazy :devil:

[Jason2112]

Think there is a path system you could use with stalls at points. I notice all merchants seem to bobble a bit.

A quick fix may be to set the merchant on a small nav-mesh island. So there is no other place to move to.

I'd look into the path system myself ... good luck!

[jet4571]

Use a patrol package for his work hours. Place an xmarkerheading behind the bar and have it linked ref to your idle marker and furniture items you want the merchant to use. Usualy a CounterBarLeanMarker or CounterLeanMarker are the furniture items used. you can put a barstool behind the bar with CrossedArmsIdleMarker and SweepIdleMarker. Make each have patrol data of 30- 45 seconds and linked ref into a loop so they dont just stand at his post genericly like bethesda did for shopkeepers. They wont go off and use some random idle marker or furniture item until the partrol route ends at the hour you set it to unless you have it 24 hours a day then the merchant will be on duty forever.

[Deleted5305171User]

thank you so much jet4671, works perfectly now :biggrin:

 

Edit: hmm unfortunately it only works perfect as long as i don't leave the house. when i leave and reenter the house, the merchant spawns at a completely wrong postition, i can't figure out why exactly this postition. :confused: if i disable and enable him, then he's at his counter and runs through his routine..

 

Edit2: Ok i think the navmesh is the problem. i'm going to edit them again and then i will let you know if everything works

Edited March 24, 2013 by Guest

[jet4571]

I should hope it works, ive used that technigue many times and just made 4 more of those setups today for a worldspace i am working on. Yeah a bad navmesh can seriously bugger up patrol AI packs.

[Deleted5305171User]

finally it works as intended, but i used a sanboxworking package, because with the patrol package he's often only switching between two tasks.

thank you again for your help :thumbsup:

[jet4571]

I dont really use those packages, but I do have a long patrol route of at the very least 5 markers and furniture items up to maybe 8. Reason i use a patrol is if there is another NPC that stays in the location or a follower will relax when the player stops moving. Once they relax if the closest item for them to use is behind the counter they will go to it and other sandboxing npcs will naturaly just randomly use one of the markers.

 

With the furniture and idle markers once I place them I edit in the patrol data tab and I set them for a time of 20 at the lowest and 45 at the highest and each one different, then add a check to the "ignore by sandbox" checkbox. This makes it where they have enough tasks that it can appear to not really be repetitive unless you spend more than a couple minutes watching them, and other NPC's will not go behind the counter and use one of the markers or furniture.

[Deleted5305171User]

yes i see your point. which patrol package do you use exaclty? i have 5 markers/forniture items for him but with the DefaultPatrolLinkedRef he's just switching between two of them..

[jet4571]

I right click select new then use the "Patrol" template, just the most basic and generic patrol available. drop an Xmarkerheading into the cell where i want the shopkeeper and then use that for the starting ref for the patrol package. then set the start time for the patrol and how many hours. Close the package and drop idle markers and furniture where i want the shopkeeper to be working at, and what types of furniture and idle for the shopkeeper to use. After they are placed I select and edit the Xmarkerheading, linked ref to one of the idle markers or furniture. Then edit that idle marker or furniture and check the ignore sandbox, add patrol data such as 30 seconds, and then link ref to a different marker or furniture. repeat until you run out and link that last one to the xmarkerheading to make a circuit.

 

I made a sample to show you how I set up my shopkeepers. "coc 00patrol" to see in the game. ai package and cell is at the top of the 2 lists.

[Deleted5305171User]

ok, i did it the same way as you except for the package, i duplicated the defaul thing and customized it a bit. but i will try to make a new package with using the basic patrol template. and thanks once again, you helped me a lot :wink: