I am encountering a bug where some actors simply will not enter combat, more often when there are many actors in a cell at once that should certainly be entering combat. They just stand there, doing nothing, until some of the actors already in combat die.

Load order:

Oblivion.esmFrancesco's Leveled Creatures-Items Mod.esmFrancesco's Optional New Items Add-On.esmFrancesco's Optional New Creatures Add-On.esmBetter Cities Resources.esmHorseCombatMaster.esmUnofficial Oblivion Patch.espDLCShiveringIsles.espUnofficial Shivering Isles Patch.espBetter Cities .espRAEVWD Cities.espRAEVWD New Sheoth.espRAEVWD Imperial City.espDLCHorseArmor.espDLCHorseArmor - Unofficial Patch.espDLCOrrery.espDLCOrrery - Unofficial Patch.espDLCVileLair.espDLCVileLair - Unofficial Patch.espDLCMehrunesRazor.espDLCMehrunesRazor - Unofficial Patch.espDLCThievesDen.espDLCThievesDen - Unofficial Patch.espDLCThievesDen - Unofficial Patch - SSSB.espFrancesco's Optional Files.espDLCBattlehornCastle.espDLCBattlehornCastle - Unofficial Patch.espDLCFrostcrag.espDLCFrostcrag - Unofficial Patch.espKnights.espxuldarkforest.espxulStendarrValley.espxulTheHeath.espXulEntiusGorge.espxulFallenleafEverglade.espxulColovianHighlands_EV.espxulChorrolHinterland.espxulBeachesOfCyrodiilLostCoast.espxulBravilBarrowfields.espxulLushWoodlands.espxulAncientYews.espxulAncientRedwoods.espxulCloudtopMountains.espxulArriusCreek.espxulPatch_AY_AC.espxulRollingHills_EV.espxulPantherRiver.espxulRiverEthe.espxulBrenaRiverRavine.espxulImperialIsle.espxulBlackwoodForest.espxulCheydinhalFalls.espxulAspenWood.espxulSkingradOutskirts.espxulSnowdale.espxulCliffsOfAnvil.espScouter.espDeadly Reflex 5 - Timed Block and 250% damage.espDeadlyReflex 5 - Combat Moves.espBetter Cities SKINGRAD.espBetter Cities BRAVIL.espBetter Cities ANVIL.espBetter Cities CHORROL.espBetter Cities CHEYDINHAL.espBetter Cities LEYAWIIN.espBetter Cities BRUMA.espBetter Cities - VWD of the IC.espBetter Cities IC Arboretum.espBetter Cities IC Arcane University.espBetter Cities IC Arena.espBetter Cities IC Elven Gardens.espBetter Cities IC Green Emperor Way.espBetter Cities IC Market.espBetter Cities IC Prison.espBetter Cities IC Talos Plaza.espBetter Cities IC Temple.espBetter Cities IC Waterfront.espBetter Cities - Unique Landscape Barrowfields.espBetter Cities - Unique Landscape Chorrol Hinterland.espBetter Cities - Unique Landscape Cheydinhal Falls.espBetter Cities - Unique Landscape Skingrad Outskirts.espBetter Cities - Unique Landscape Imperial Isle.espBashed Patch, 0.esp

That's typical for AI overload and fixed by using reduced spawn rates. Not sure how with Fran's as I'm not using it, but guess you choose it during install? Shouldn't you have a Fran's esp besides the optional esp BTW - or is everything merged in it?

Might also help if you run Wrye Bash, and change the AI: Max Active Actors under the Tweak Settings in the Bashed Patch from the game's standard of 40 to 100. This doesn't mean the game will support up to 100 active actors in a battle, but it certainly does improve things, as I've discovered.

Thank you much. Wrye Bash only let me set it from default of 10 to the max of 50, I'm not sure what the difference in what I have and what you have is, but there wasn't an option for 100. Nonetheless, setting the value to 50 solved the problem completely. Thanks again!

Oh, and about Frans, it is a merged plugin. I'm tweaking a lot of the mods I have for my own personal use and taste, and its a lot easier to do everything in one merged file where applicable, so I chose to have the installer merge the plugin. That's why there were so many actors, btw, because I am messing with the spawn rates and unleveling the mod. (I think I may have them a little bit too high still too )