Hi there folks!

I've been playing skyrim for 50 hours now, I've barely started any major questline, and still got 4 holds for me to visit. So far I'm loving the game but... There's something that's really killing the game for me, something that was implemented in Oblivion and usually modded into Morrowind, and severely contributed to my amazement and love for TES games. I talk about NPC schedules.

While in Oblivion this was really polished by Beth, this time it seems NPC have pretty random behaviours, and is not weird having people awake the whole day, some sleep at the weirdest time, and some aimlessly wander day and night, like in an unmodded Morrowind. Not only we have NPCs without any kind of schedule, like Lydia, but also, the ones who are supposed to have it behave in really weird ways: let me explain.

I just fast traveled to Markrath, 2:30 am. Well, the place in which I appeared was litterally crowded with people spreading out for some reasons. I enter the inn... the innkeeper is awake, as he always is, without substitution. The guys by the fire are still awake, and they won't move for their time being, you can check any time of the day. Lots of NPCs in lots of places have similar problems: living in an inn, insomiac, always doing the same [censored] thing... well, you get the idea.

The thing is... is this a bug I've somehow encountered or is it the way things are supposed to be? if the answer is the latter, why the [censored] did you do that, Beth? The single thing that you really nailed in Oblivion, now to waste? Night in cities doesen't seem nightly anymore, the NPCs lack any polished schedules, I can't avoid the feeling that It's a step backwards in an otherwise really good game, on pair with Morrowind in my top games ever list.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Please feel free to comment and discuss, and thak you in advance!

Id have to agree with you, I havnt figured out most of my targets patterns yet. It's frustrating breaking into a home at 4 in the morning and they are standing 2 feet in front of me simply kicking it like its midday. It's an ongoing thing as well.

It makes no sense to me, It just seems stupid to overlook this matter... and yet, I've seen no one complaining about it.

Haven't encountered those results in 105 hours of gameplay but one occuring problem I've had was (like you said) the sleep deprived inn keepers. The others by the fire or walking around generally head out around 10-11ish game time. Seen one drunkard even wander outside markath just to be killed by a wandering giant :dance:

There are topics in bugs forum that say this can be caused by disabling Vsync which causes night/day desync over time in game.

Fast travelling is your issue, don't fast travel to cities and you never have this issue. Seriously, it works for me.

Wow, so It's just me, then? I'm playing in the xbox version, I won't get the PC one till this christmas... So... I'm just [censored]?

I can't say I have noticed it that much. Cities certainly seem quiter at night, especially inns, and most people definitely seem to be sleeping at night.

He's an innkeeper, they're open 24/7


And I've yet to see those "permanent" customers, most of them are sleeping in their beds at night or they're at somewhere else.

Not for me though... And regarding innkeepers, they usually had a bed near the entrance in Oblivion, it makes way more sense.

Arzalar - I've got the 360 version too. If you need to go to a city, fast travel somewhere near, but not the city itself. Enter the city old school style and all will be rectified for you

I'll try that, then. Does that also fix the indoor behaviours as well?

yea it is quite odd waiting in someones house to murder them till 3am in the morning and there still not sleeping

Not checked for indoor behaviour, but definitely fixes people wandering the streets at 3am.

The farmer remembered to pain the appropriate symbols on his cow and lead it to the Giant Camp as an offering at the right time.

They do this every so often and since he's been doing it the giants have never attacked his livestock.

Maybe you're spending so much time fretting over the details of the ever present Innkeep that you're missing out on new stuff like that?

Azrael
The Nord with the Sword

Nah, It seems something is really wrong... I wonder how widespread It is. Do you PC users have no problem regarding this matter? (Aside from the sleep deprived innkeepers)


And how the heck is that related to the rest of the thread?

This is no different than Oblivion. Three Brothers Inn, all the inns. If they are awake when you inter just go out and come back in. Most of the time that will fix it.

not experienced those problems myself on the xbox.

The MOBs for an area, when you fast-travel in or 'wait' time, do get spawned, usually that is hidden because the travel point is outside of POV. Sometimes you load before they arre all spawned though and you see them "port-in".
They tend to pick up their normal behaviour in first in-game hour and usualy all-but instantly, but only after they have reached their intended position (travelled from their spawn-point if that is different).

Pretty standard really.

Trust me, It's not that they're awake when I enter the inn, It's that they simple never ever sleep.

NPC schedule are weak. But its not a game killer.
My biggest drawback is the game lighning now. Its awfull you can t have a dungeon athmosphere without screwing the outdoor lightning.
Dungeon and nights are awesomely too clear, light is generic and not directional a sky with a full moon will shine the same as a night without moon for example.

The problem is when you fast forward time or blink into a city at 3am it takes around 30 minutes to a hour of in game time to settle things down. They do not immediately spawn to their 3am position - they spawn then walk to their 3am activity.

Really I thought the lighting was very well done. I love how it being night actually matters. It's a lot harder to see at night, like it should be. On the topic of schedules, I haven't noticed any issues at all. Seems to be just like oblivion in that regard. Maybe you are encountering a bug caused by fast travel and it will be patches.

It's still a huge letdown for me... And while It's true that dungeons are too bright, the awesome design kind of compensate for it. If you think nights are brighter than they should, try lowering the brightness.

Such thing does not solve the matter in my game, some houses are forever empty, no matter what time I check, and It's inhabitant is wandering aimlessly even at 4 am

Have noticed the innkeeper thing, haven't paid a lot of attention to other npc's but my impression is that many are in the same place I saw them last. I haven't got vsync disabled, and I never fast travel.