I've added something like 18 NPC's to Nellis AFB, many never leave there interior cells but a few have travel, find, and, eat, packages. I want to add about another 11 custom NPC"s but, as I add more my sandboxes and, patrols keep getting broken.

I get one to work as intended, add another and that one breaks one of the former ones. I've tested my mod both as an .esp and, an .esm and, even with a clean save!, I get the same result when I keep adding NPC's. At first, I thought it was a simple .esp navemesh, pathing issue but, it wasn't fixed by an .esm conversion.

The majority of my NPC's have complex AI packages attached to them, telling them when to eat, sleep or, go to a specific location. Mostly, not generic "DefaultSandbox stuff"! I have a good idea of what I'm doing but, I seem to be missing some detail which would make them work the way I intend!


If any kind soul out there, who knows something about how AI works would take a look at my "WIP" I would be more than grateful!

I wanted to make a new update this weekend but this AI thing is killing me.

thanks for any help,

cev

didn't see your post before. I noticed the same thing and really can't help you. Perhaps it is an engine limitation.

Above a "certain number" NPC AI becomes to bug. I don't know exactly how much but with more than 10 it seems safe to stick with basic sandbox packages or the NPC will sometimes do things others are supposed to.
eg : they are supposed to sleep from 22 to 6 in a certain bed but they sleep in someone else(owned) bed from 0 to 8. and travel to linked reference don't work. They just can't stay where they are.

And it is worse if they are supposed to execute a script at the start or end of package. Scripts and short packages (travel to editor location-must complete) are ignored. Very irritating

If you find a solution, please share it

do you have "no low level processing" disabled and "quest item" enabled in the npc tabs? first means it won't process ai if pc not in cell. second means, quest items are processed always and with higher priority or something (the first always helps, the second sometimes causes a bunch of other probs)

edit: could also be another navmesh-issue, so you could try to set the esm-flag (just the flag in the file header, without further conversion) in fnvedit and see if it persists then