Technical Info concerning Interiors

[sandor]

Seventh Topic.

AI packages Technical terms

Types of Packages

Originally written by Seafort

Seafort FAQ board.

Escort package:
If the follower falls behind by a specified distanct, the escorting actor will stop and wait, doing a "come along" animation or traveling to the actor to get back within range. The wait distance is determined by two game settings, one for indoors and one for outdoors.
If the Player is being escorted, he does not get a follow package forced onto him. Also, the wait distance is set on the target tab. It is recommended that the wait distance be a value greater than 400.

Eat package:

In order to eat the actor must have an ingredient that restores fatigue in his container. If he/she does not have the food item they will attempt to gain the object by buying, killing, stealing or finding it. No actor with a responsiblilty above 30 will steal or kill for food unless it is a creature. If they can not find food they can use they will go into a wander state (act just like wander behavior) and search for food again perodically.

Cast package:

The location is where you want the spell cast. This means if the location is a reference and the spell to cast is a touch or target then that is the intended target. The target of the package is the spell you want to cast. It can be a specific spell which they will cast even if it is not in their spell list. If you pick a object type to cast it will only use their spell list.

Accompany package:

Target: Who/what to accompany. A target is required for an accompany package.

Find package:

Location: When the actor reaches the location, do a search (within radius = fAIAcquireObjectDistance) and build a list of targets up to the specified Count. Go and activate each of them. If you run out of targets before you reach Count, wander within Radius of the Location for the duration of the package, periodically rechecking the area for targets.

Target: Travel towards the target until you get within Target Radius, then activate the target. The count setting determines how many of these the actor will attempt to find.
Actor travels to within the specified Radius of the Location, then finds the target and "activates" it. The meaning of activate depends on the target.

Targets: NPC - Talk to him, or fight if you don't like him.
Creature - Attack it.
Object - Pick it up.
Container - Open it.
Chair - Sit in it.
Door - Open it. Go through for load doors.

Flee package:

Will cause an actor to run to a location or from a target. If you don't put a target on the package then the actor will flee to a location and remain there running the cower animation. If you put a target on it then the actor will run away from a target keeping the distance that is specified in the target data. If he is the right distance from the target he will stand and cower. This package will not end until a new package evaluates.

Follow package:

Location: Who/what to follow. A target is required for a follow package.

Sleep package:

Location: Where to sleep. It can be as specific as the third bed from the left in the mages guild or as general as Tom's house. If it is a general location then the actor will sleep any bed in that location that is not owned by another NPC (unless they have a low responsibility) and is not occupied. If they can not find a bed they will go into a wander state perodically checking for a bed.

Travel package:

Location: Go to specified location. If the quest conditions force the actor to use this package again, he will just stand there. If a furniture object such as a bed or chair is seletected then the actor will lay in the bed or sit in the chair.

Useitem Package:

Target: The item to be used. It can be in the actor's inventory or in the world near that location.


Wander package:
Location: Go to specified location and wander near it, within specified radius. . Actors in wander packages are also trying to find people to talk to within their social radius. If they find a chair in their wander radius they will likely sit down for a while.

From the Elderscrolls Construction set Wiki
CS Wiki,

Flags on AI Packages

Continue if PC near: This package will not terminate (iterate to done) so long as the PC is nearby. Primarily used to keep shops open so long as the PC is in there, even if the package should have expired.

Must Reach Location: Package will not terminate until the location conditions are satisfied.

Offers Services: If the actor is a service provider, he will offer services so long as this package is running.

Must Complete: Package will not terminate until all the conditions are met. For example, the target must be found with a find, the location must be reached with a travel, etc.

Once per day: Package will no run again in the same day. A day is defined as a 24 hour block beginning when the package was first selected by the actor. This is useful to make sure that a package is not immediately selected again after being completed, even though the conditions might select it.

Skip Fallout Behavior: The actor will not engage in dialogue or other behavior not relevant to the package. He will enter combat to defend himself, but not for other reasons.

Always Run: Actor always runs during this package. Some packages are actually collections of other packages. For example, Wander may initiate travel or dialogue. In some cases these secondary packages will not inherit the Always Run status. Dialogue is the most notable example. Therefore the actor will run from place to place, but when the Wander selects a nearby NPC to engage in dialogue, he will walk to the NPC. This can be corrected with the ForceRun script command if necessary.

Always Sneak: Actor always sneaks during this package. Some packages are actually collections of other packages. For example, Wander may initiate travel or dialogue. In some cases these secondary packages will not inherit the Always Sneak status. Dialogue is the most notable example. Therefore the actor will sneak from place to place, but when the Wander selects a nearby NPC to engage in dialogue, he will walk to the NPC. This can be corrected with the ForceSneak script command if necessary.

Allow Swimming: Actors will not swim to reach destinations unless this flag is set.

Allow Falls: Actors will not jump off of an elevation that will cause damage unless this flag is set.

Armor Unequipped: The actor will unequip armor (and equip clothing) for the duration of this package. Very useful for sleep packages on armored characters.

Weapons Unequipped: The actor will unequip weapons for the duration of this package. Very useful for sleep packages on armed characters.

Defensive Combat: The actor will not attack an NPC or creature, unless he is attacked first. Normally an actor will attack characters he hates, or that attack his friends or steal his stuff. This flag cancels that behavior. The exception is for the Accompany, Escort and Follow packages. For these three, if the target is attacked, the actor will join into the combat.


Door Flags
At package start: Lock/unlock doors: When the package starts, the actor will lock or unlock all the doors in the cell.

When at location: Lock/unlock doors: For the duration of the package, the actor will keep all doors in the cell locked or unlocked. If the player or another actor changes the lock status of a door, the NPC will force it back to the indicated value.

At package end: Lock/unlock doors: When the package end, the actor will lock or unlock all the doors in the cell.

Priority of packages.

In the AI window you'll see the packages listed.

The higher the package, the higher the priority.
Let's assume we have two packages, a sleep pack and an eat pack, both with a "duration 0 and time of any". The eat pack is above the sleep pack and therefore has a higher priority.

Because of the "duration 0 and time of any" the eat pack will be executed and the sleep pack can't be executed, it has a lower priority.

The meaning of "duration 0 and time of any" --> If there are no packages with a higher priority, this pack will run for ever. In general this type of packages has to be placed below (last in the list) the other packages unless you added a specific condition.


In the next reply I'll start explaining a few packages e.g. eat, sleep etc.