Doing the companion questline for the first time now, and am supposed to go with the circle to Ysgramor's Tomb.

Now I realize I could probably make my own way there, but decided to follow the circle making my way there. The pathfinding svcks!

I can't understand why the developers would not hard-code a route for people to take in these sorts of specific quests that involve long-distance travel. The pathfinding algorithms clearly aren't up to the task.

I'm now going around in circles near Dawnstar - my peeps go up one slope quite a long way, then think better of it, double back, and try another way. After a while, they turn back again, and repeat the previous mistake. And so on. They're on their third go-round now.

I think I just have to find my own route there, and hope that the others eventually show up.

Really svcks though.

It's always been best in Bethesda games to just go your own way when you're supposed to meet someone at a particular location. They'll be there when you enter the destination cell. Following NPCs leads to stuff like what you described, plus makes them vulnerable to attacks from enemies that spawn when you enter a cell.

heh... I usually follow the group until the path branches off. one way to Windhelm and the other to Dawnstar. I leave them there and take the path over the mountain. They do just run in circles but always beat me there if I fast travel

They are not the only ones. The Dark Brother hood quest to follow and kill

. I followed him in circles around Dawnstar as well hoping to follow him into Windhelm and kill him.

Or FT to Winterhold and follow the coast, it's an easy route around a glacier which levels off till you step onto the sand. from there it's almost straight across the water to the island. Either will do. Dawnstar or Winterhold.

Why they don't just get a carriage to, say, Winterhold is beyond me. Surely that's not completely beyond scripting capability!

The only effective long distance pathfinding I've seen is Delphine on the way to Kynesgrove, not much in the way of Drama.

But Delphine and Esbern en route to Karthspire? That is one hilarious adventure. They're supposed to be following me, but by time we get to Ivarstead, with Dragon spawns et all, the madness is in full swing. Try it some time.