Every single ambush I set up on my map (a dwemer dungeon) will not work, even though other maps within my plugin work fine. I have fully navmeshed the entire map and copied the prefabs over from the warehouse_ambushes cell. I can not seem to get this working and it's driving me crazy. All ambushes, dwarven spheres, spider bots, falmer, and even nordic ones just don't work. For example, a spider bot will simply stand outside of its linked ref until it is activated, where it then attacks. The animations, like the opening and closing of the pipe, actually play and make sound and everything. This is a very strange bug that absolutely ruins my entire map (which I've been working on for weeks) unless it's fixed. Can anyone help me solve this?

Are the npc set to trigger on detection or when entering the trigger. I think the ck tutorial covers both cases. maybe the player is stealthy and the npc has not detected them?

It's not that they don't trigger properly, they just don't sleep inside of their linked refs like they are supposed to. An example being a dwarven sphere and his port that opens and releases him when triggered.

But to answer your question the trigger goes off when the the NPC enters, I don't have it set for detection.

EDIT: I have solved the problem.

The save file I was using was bugged. I believe it is because I had previously changed the name of a cell to something else, created a new cell, and gave the new cell the old name. My save file had already been to the old cell when it had the name and I think the encounters and such were still registered with it, creating some form of bug. Either way keep this tip in mind:

If something weird is happening, try another save file.

Glad you got this fixed!
Yes, I have had issues with some NPC mods I have done with bugged saves - and the fixes not registering until a new clean save - or even until a new game!

That's probably what caused mine to be buggy as well, I made a dungeon and this happened once but it fixed it'self and I never found out why.

Has anyone found out the reason for this? I am also having this exact issue. Different saves have different results. My normal character save file has all of them outside of their linked refs, a lower level characters has 2 of the 6 outside of them and a fresh level 1 character works fine.

Just tried playing through my dungeon with a completely clean save. Went through the opening with no mods and once I escaped Helgen, I saved, turned the mods on, and went to my dungeon. Every single ambush was like this and it keeps happening. These are ambushes copy/pasted from the Warehouse cell as well. I'm at a loss.

Mine are also copy pasted from the warehouse and they are inconstant with saves. Friends have gotten it on my map on their computers as well. Usually a fresh character will work, but sometimes not.

I wonder if putting the leveled enemy or just regular enemy under or behind a wall would remedy this? At least the player won't be able to see them.

Mine are actually behind the wall for all cases (it was easier to see them that way in my layout). I tried putting them in front like the warhouse had them but that doesn't seem to work. They look like they are just going to the nearest navmesh point and standing their.

On second thought, I don't think placing them behind or under a wall will work. They'll probably fall in the empty space and get teleported to the beginning of the level or something weird like that. I wonder if having room bounds corrects this? I have not optimized my dungeon yet.

I'm bumping with a solution I tried that didn't work. I put the monster markers into another room away from the player, in a place the player could not see into unless they triggered the ambush box. This did not solve anything. Instead, the animation of the sarcophagus door would play and they would come alive where I had left them. In one situation, the draugr still stood outside its sarcophagus as it had been before. I also tried playing this dungeon on a friend's computer and ambush NPCs will still randomly stand outside their respective portals.

My only guess as to how to fix this is to make an .esm of my mod once it's done. That seems to solve just about everything from what I can tell.

Does the draugr have the master ambush script? ( I would assume so if it was pulled from the warehouse).
Is the draugr link ref'd to the sarcophagus? I asume you have also looked at the tutorial in the CK wiki. I'd also go over a vanilla set like Bleak Falls Barrow with a fine tooth comb to se what is up.

Thanks, but, yes, I'm certain that everything about them is correct. I have made no attempt to modify the warehouse ambushes. This problem only started to occur recently, like in the last month or two. I had ambushes of all kinds (centurions, Falmer, and chaurus as well) and they worked like a charm on multiple dungeon tests (even with dirty saves). Now NONE of them are working 100% of the time, even on a save made with no mods activated.

It's because of the latest patch. I too have the same problem with my ambushes. I think the problem might occur when copying and renaming esp files, because every few edits I make a new copy and the problem seems to start happening again.

Yikes. I hope this is not the case. How else are mod authors supposed to keep backups?

Well, if it can be contained by not making a backup then the best solution would be to just wait until you are absolutely sure that everything is finalized with your mod and you are complete. Then just make one final backup and just remake each of the ambushes and everything should be fine on that final esp file. At least that's what I'm hoping happens when I finally finish my mod in the next few days.

I've also been having this problem. Works fine when COC'ing from the main menu, but when an existing character enters all the ambush draugr just stand outside their sarcophagi.

I am having this same problem with my mods. I followed the tutorial to the letter, copied and pasted the prefab from the ambush warehouse, made sure the navmesh was done properly. The ambush actors are still standing outside of their linked refs. The only way it works like it is supposed to all the time is if I COC into the cell from the main menu. I have tried multiple ambushes set to one trigger and it actually will work partially with some save files and not at all with others. Right now I have a multiple ambush set up where six draugr are supposed to pop out of their coffins, but for some reason with all of my saves only two of them are initially in their coffins while the other four are still just standing in front of their coffins. I am about ready to pull the hair out of my head! Has anyone found any kind of a solution to this problem?