Someone must have run across this issue. I have a basic FCOM install:
Oblivion GOTY
DLCs
Bob's Armory
Frans
OOO
Warcry
MMM
FCOM
UOP v324
UOP SI v14
UOP DLC patches v15
OBSE 18 beta 6
OSR
WCPS
Wrye 277
Merge all patches and option in bash patch

During daylight hours, when entering IC through market district, or being near guards in the IC, they randomly equip their torch for a few seconds (5 or so) and then un-equip the torch.

Pretty annoying. Anyone run across this? Is there a fix?

As far as I know, it's just a case of them equipping the torches because they are in their inventory, and then the script kicks in and they realize it's not night and put them away.

Unlikely to be fixed unless you took away the torches and scripted giving it to them only at night...in which case you'd have the opposite problem.

I experience this, too. I've always figured it is as Showler says. I've never thought enough about it to request a fix. Hmmm...

gothemasticator

Thanks for the quick responses. It was driving me nuts as it only happens in the IC. Do you know if it is specific to FCOM or one of the FCOM mods (OOO, Frans, Bobs, MMM, Warcry)?

I believe it's OOO.

I always use OOO (and the rest of FCOM) and I don't recall this ever happening to me. It's possibly because I use the "Exterior Actors Have Torches" mod? Peter ID, maybe you could try that?

I'll give it a shot when I get home tonight but if I recall correctly I had the same issue when using the dungeon actors and exterior actors have torches with my setup.

I noticed that this quirk did not happen (I only tested twice) after I added origin of the mages guild, enhanced daedric invasion, the lost spires, the elder council, ruined tail's tale, and cuo_chorrol. I will check again. And this ONLY happens in the IC, whether I fast travel to the market district or walk in through the door. I also tried not using OBSE - in case that was a problem, or only using the leveled lists in the bash patch.

IIRC, dev_akm said that it is nothing that can be done about it. They will equip the torches briefly, just as showler said.

Thanks for the info. Now I can put this to rest.