Tonight, I went through getting something scripted just right. Changing up the script, going into game, testing. Changing up the script, going into game, testing. Repeat several times.

Upon my last test, a completely unrelated script just stopped dry, doesn't work any more. And the script that I was actually changing, started behaving really strangely, a big delay before it started and it quit halfway, havok on the object ceased, etc.

This kind of thing has happened to me before, I was forced to create new references and scripts (which were identical, but these worked).

What is the cause of this weirdness, and how can I prevent it?

Today, I made a new object, with the same model, and made a new script, which was exactly the same as the old, and put it in a new cell. Behold, it works again.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about here?

If the cell is cluttered, and the script it long and the game has to check many variables etc., scripts will take long to execute. I usually split my long scripts to smaller parts and apply them to a few objects and/or quest scripts, so the game can handle them swiftly. Of course this takes up more memory and so on, but... I don't know of any other way :-/ Someone else must have a better answer, but until that... Well, just 'gotta' go with that, at least in my case...

Well, i don't think that could be the case here. The cell is in fact a test cell and is quite empty and the scripts are quite simple. Actually, in your case i can be more specific. This is the cell from the video i've sent you. The script that was being edited was a spell the creature casts, which is remarkably simple and worked fine until my editing spree, in fact it still works fine. However, now the sliding rock at the beginning does not move, ands the creatures death script. Is the onee that yields strange effects.

Making a new, identical cell nut reusing all of the same scripts fixes everything! :/

Hmm... That is odd indeed... Can you use another cell, or are the objects/scripts/etc. bound to the one specific cell (which I doubt)?

A good cause for this is a dirty save game.

Your 'old' script has already run, or partially run as the old version. You then save your game.

You go into the CS and change it and load your dirty save game. The script already has things set in it, which could cause the problems you are seeing.

Placeing a new object would ensure its run clean since its not in your save game 'yet'.


Always test with a clean save game that has NEVER been saved when your mod was in your ACTIVE mods list.

Was loaded with a clean save each time. I even went so far as to copy the esp, deactivate the original, and activate the new esp, again with a clean save.

sometimes objects just become corrupt on their own and deleting and re-adding them will fix the problem. Mostly its a dirty save but since thats not your issue, I would say its a corrupt object.

Thank you sir, you think it's because of the frequent editing and checking of the object?

It can happen with any object. If deleting the object and placing a new copy of it fixes the issue, then that is what happened.

Doing this gives the object a new form ID, so to old form ID may have become corrupt in the mod.