Need Modding Help: Random Encounters

[Reginald_001]

For one of the Add-Ons I am creating for Ivy, bounty hunters will pop up. The idea is simple: At random points in the game, when the player enters a new area and is traveling with Ivy, sometimes a set of mercenaries will approach that will try to take her from you. I was hoping I could add a custom faction, then add it to one of the levelled lists, and piggy bag it like that into the game, but I don't think it will be that easy.

Can someone give me a rough outline of the steps that I need to take to get my custom NPC's in the game?

 

- NPC's not a problem, most have been created.

- Do I need a new faction? Or can I add them to the raider faction?

- How do I make them appear in game as part of the normal random encounters?

- I'd like this to be with as little as possible scripting.

 

[Tyrant99]

I have a pretty good idea of how to accomplish this, I'm mostly a Skyrim Modder though.

 

My approach would be something along the lines of:

 

• Story Event Node Manager starts a repeatable Quest on a Change Location Event.
• The Quest fills an Alias if certain conditions are met. I.E. Ivy is your current follower, she is within X distance, any other conditions that you want.
• Upon Quest start, in the Startup stage there is a script fragment that runs a function in a script. The script would check if the Alias filled (all the above parameters were met), and then if true, you could also randomize it with an integer that could be added to MCM for player configuration later. (% chance of Mercenaries spawning)
• If all things pass as true, it will start another Quest that has all the Aliases that you want to create (your Mercenaries), you can create directly in the Alias tab. You could set the spawn point to be out of sight of the player using relative x y coordinates if you wanted.
• With Aliases you can re-use the same actors, pass in complex behavior and AI, scripts, scenes, custom dialogue, factions, etc. - So you'd have a lot of power making your Mercenaries do whatever you want them to.
• Then everything would shut down again, maybe on a timer or after a certain event etc. so it can all be triggered again later and could be repeated indefinitely.

[Reginald_001]

4 hours ago, Tyrant99 said:

I have a pretty good idea of how to accomplish this, I'm mostly a Skyrim Modder though.

 

My approach would be something along the lines of:

 

• Story Event Node Manager starts a repeatable Quest on a Change Location Event.
• The Quest fills an Alias if certain conditions are met. I.E. Ivy is your current follower, she is within X distance, any other conditions that you want.
• Upon Quest start, in the Startup stage there is a script fragment that runs a function in a script. The script would check if the Alias filled (all the above parameters were met), and then if true, you could also randomize it with an integer that could be added to MCM for player configuration later. (% chance of Mercenaries spawning)
• If all things pass as true, it will start another Quest that has all the Aliases that you want to create (your Mercenaries), you can create directly in the Alias tab. You could set the spawn point to be out of sight of the player using relative x y coordinates if you wanted.
• With Aliases you can re-use the same actors, pass in complex behavior and AI, scripts, scenes, custom dialogue, factions, etc. - So you'd have a lot of power making your Mercenaries do whatever you want them to.
• Then everything would shut down again, maybe on a timer or after a certain event etc. so it can all be triggered again later and could be repeated indefinitely.

Thanks! I will look into it!

[Carreau]

When i make random encounters, i usually just look at how a vanilla one is done and then use the same implementation. Bethesda has a bunch of templated RE quests you can copy to get the legwork done. Just add it to the right branch in the story manager and you’re on your way.