Skyrim Chain Beasts

[Jeffny]

15 hours ago, MTB said:

 

MCM is blank;

Do you mean - No MCM entry for Chain Beasts or entry is there but it shows nothing / only the logo / only the subpages but nothing in them / ...  

if its the last one maybe an old script hanging around (date of SCB_MCMScript.pex should be 25-2-22 for v056a) especially version from before v050 may cause that as the page names changed in that version to support translations.

If something else, I don't know what could cause this, you'll likely need to look in the papyrus script log to see if there are any relevant error reported (you can try searching for MCM and SCB).

 

 

hello

in the mcm menu, i have the scb menu and his sub menu, but no option

i installed the v04 and it works fine

[MTB]

4 hours ago, Jeffny said:

hello

in the mcm menu, i have the scb menu and his sub menu, but no option

i installed the v04 and it works fine

 

Yes, v5 changes the page names (to add multiple languages support) if either the properties on the quest or the script SCB_MCMScript.pex are old (from v04), no entries in the sub pages would be the results.

 

With a new game setting properties should not be a problem, so likely there is either an old SkyrimChainBeast.esm or an old SCB_MCMScript.pex hanging around.

 

The SCB_MCMScript.pex date should be from 2022 (for V055/56) if its like 05-21 or older then its v04.

The SkyrimChainBeasts.esm date usually stays the same even if it changes so instead check its size: it should be 857KB in size (v056) or 832KB (v055).   If its much smaller (like 767KB) then its V04x.

 

To be sure which files is actually being used, if you're using MO2: choose "explore virtual folder" (instead of skse) and then run,

-go to SkyrimChainBeasts.esm and check it's size.

-go to scripts and then find SCB_MCMPluginScript to check its date.

(Likely other mod managers have a similar features.)

 

Another way to test if correct esm is being used: temporarily remove the data\interface\translations\SkyrimChainBeasts_*.txt.  If the MCM pages now all start with $SCB_  then a v5 esm is being used and likely the MCM script is outdated,

if the MCM pages still show normally, a pre v5 esm is somehow still active.

(put back the translation files after this test.)

 

[MTB]

Bretny returns in another installment of the adventures of Bretny. This sequel to Bretny and The Chain Beasts and The Klymer Tales (see main file downloads) continues the story line and provides an illustrated walk through covering new content added since those stories came out. This installment has the first two parts of this story.   (Obviously contains SPOILERS for that content.)

 

Adventures of Brenty – Seek and You Will Find.

 

Chapter 4, part 1  BCB-Chapter4part1.pdf

 

As Bretny is reminiscing about her previous adventures and the origin of Chain Beasts she receives a mysterious invitation.  She finds allies in her quest to understand the truth behind Chain Beasts.

 

Chapter 4, part 2  BCB-Chapter4part2.pdf

 

Bretny is following up a seemingly shallow lead. However, she finds there may be more to it than she realized as it leads her into a highly stimulating adventure.

 

[donttouchmethere]

I might have missed it during installation: Are the patches for SLUTS redux/resume integrated into the main esps or do I need a dedicated patch plugin?

 

OH! Guess that could probably be interpreted as integrated?

[Added] Support for `ignore anyone in given faction'

• Used by the SLUTSResume patch (see https://www.loverslab.com/topic/94103-skyrim-chain-beasts/?do=findComment&comment=3354977)

 

Now for the SLUTS redux patch o.o

 

Basically would I could find:

Spoiler

SLUTS redux (?)

 

SLUTS resume (! but needed ?)

 

 

If I'm on it already:

Voices for Skyrim LE = no esp and extracted bsa (?)

Spoiler

 

 

Edited March 11, 2022 by donttouchmethere

[SwissxPiplup]

Hey there, I remember trying this mod way back when and having lots of trouble with it, so in the end I dropped it, although I always thought the concept was brilliant; I'm glad to have come back and found that it has been updated recently... Extremely recently, but I seem to be having a problem:

 

I was captured inside a cave somewhere near Dawnstar; as there was nowhere to place me, I believe it started a Simple Slavery capture instead, and so it walked me out of the cave, and all the way to Windhelm (this took a very long time even with a slaver boosting the chainbeasts' speed occasionally), passing it en route to Riften, unfortunately somewhere between Windhelm and Riften, in the centre of Eastmarch, the chainbeast (silver strider? I think it was called) kept looping back and forth in front of a rock formation while remaining fixed to the path, I attempted to keep moving forward with the struggle mechanic, but the chain beast was always able to walk back undoing the progress within the 5 second cooldown (the slaver speeding up the chainbeast didn't help either), I also attempted to move in other directions, even going off path, but it always wanted to find that same path and end up back at the exact same spot to loop at (See attached image).

I saw an earlier comment almost a year ago (within this thread) in which another user was experiencing this issue as well, which was fixed, but it appears the issue has reappeared, it's possible a later update occurring within the year has reintroduced it.

 

For a second, quicker issue I found, it appears saving and reloading will stop the crawling animation, causing the player to walk to their destination normally, although they still don't have control, other than the occasional struggle, this one is purely visual and doesn't break the chainbeast mechanically. I am using the mod, "EVG Conditional Idles" as well, and I was outside of a cave near Dawnstar when I reloaded the autosave, so it's possible the cold huddle animation that EVG has could have overwritten the crawling animation from chainbeasts, but the crawling didn't begin again even once I was in the warmer environment of Eastmarch where EVG wasn't performing any animations, so I think it's unlikely that mod is doing anything to this one.

 

Once again, I'm really happy to see this mod being updating again after so long away from it, and I legitimately can't wait to see what additions, changes, or further integrations you decide to add to this mod in the future, no matter how slow progress may be.

 

Keep up the good work!

[donttouchmethere]

1 hour ago, SwissxPiplup said:

in the centre of Eastmarch, the chainbeast (silver strider? I think it was called) kept looping back and forth in front of a rock formation while remaining fixed to the path

AH! Happened to me too.

That area is notorious for that. HSG slavers, SD+ slavers, various traveling NPC, Chain beasts, all get stuck in that loop there. I thought it was just me, because maybe my mod combo broke some nav-mesh.

 

I usually deactivate any stamina damage + set struggle time to max to allow me to basically move the chain beast to the place it might want to go. I even forced it to walk all the way to SS++ (that took quite a while), but it kept going down to that loop.

Neither ZAP furniture nor SS++ could get that chain beast to reconsider.

 

There is also a chance it wanted to go to the chain beast slaver cave near Ivarstead. It seems chain beasts struggle to reach that place. Usually I just move it there via struggle and that works.

 

A message would be great to know where the beast heads to (or better a debug MCM entry to not spoil the surprise), so I can help it to reach the right destination.

Edited March 11, 2022 by donttouchmethere

[DonQuiWho]

52 minutes ago, donttouchmethere said:

AH! Happened to me too.

That area is notorious for that. HSG slavers, SD+ slavers, various traveling NPC, Chain beasts, all get stuck in that loop there. I thought it was just me, because maybe my mod combo broke some nav-mesh.

 

I usually deactivate any stamina damage + set struggle time to max to allow me to basically move the chain beast to the place it might want to go. I even forced it to walk all the way to SS++ (that took quite a while), but it kept going down to that loop.

Neither ZAP furniture nor SS++ could get that chain beast to reconsider.

 

There is also a chance it wanted to go to the chain beast slaver cave near Ivarstead. It seems chain beasts struggle to reach that place. Usually I just move it there via struggle and that works.

 

A message would be great to know where the beast heads to (or better a debug MCM entry to not spoil the surprise), so I can help it to reach the right destination.

 

FWIW, and it was a long long time ago, I'm fairly sure that I experienced that localised loop / pathing glitch with a Prison Overhaul guard trying to take me to jail

[MTB]

2 hours ago, donttouchmethere said:

to know where the beast heads to (or better a debug MCM entry to not spoil the surprise), so I can help it to reach the right destination.

 

There's an app^h^h^h MCM entry for that. 

Open MCM>Status, click on the victim, choose `where am I going'.  A `tracking someone' quest will show a quest marker to the location the victim was going when you chose the option.  (The marker will not change even if the victim gets there or changes destinations.) Toggle the tracking option in MCM>Status to stop showing this marker.

 

4 hours ago, SwissxPiplup said:

spot to loop at

 

1 hour ago, DonQuiWho said:

pathing glitch

 

Yes pathing can be problematic.  If minor, struggling might work but for these cases, fast forwarding (in MCM>Status click on victim then choose fast forward) may be necessary.  Or, like dtmt suggested set struggle cost to 0 in MCM>Debug and guide the beast as long as needed. (Possibly using above option to see where its trying to go.)

 

4 hours ago, SwissxPiplup said:

took a very long time

 

Yes, it might drag you all the way across Skyrim. You can set a max travel time in the MCM>Gameplay (after which you will be fast forwarded to the next point) or manually fast forward when you grow tired of it.

 

4 hours ago, SwissxPiplup said:

reloading will stop the crawling animation

Entirely possible, I've not put in an explicit `reapply animations on load'; which may be a good idea.

I think there is a reset/reapply animation option in the MCM as well that you could try  (click victim in MCM>Status).

 

 

 

12 hours ago, donttouchmethere said:

I might have missed it during installation: Are the patches for SLUTS redux/resume integrated into the main esps or do I need a dedicated patch plugin?

One is built-in (it looks for S_L_U_T_S.esp but I think its for resume). I've not tested it. Use option Ignore SLUTS in the MCM>plugins. Let me know whether it works...

The patch for original SLUTS was version specific (i.e. would need to be redone for newer versions of SCB).

 

 

 

 

[SwissxPiplup]

5 hours ago, donttouchmethere said:

That area is notorious for that. HSG slavers, SD+ slavers, various traveling NPC, Chain beasts, all get stuck in that loop there. I thought it was just me, because maybe my mod combo broke some nav-mesh.

I didn't realise it happened with other mods as well, I do use various other Loverslab mods but I've never triggered any event of theirs that would drag me through Eastmarch, Chainbeasts is the first, which is why I made the bug report here, thinking it was localised to this mod alone. It could be that they're all affecting the navmesh in their own way, but unless they use their own navmesh separate from vanilla, then regular NPC's unrelated to modding would also get stuck there too, unfortunately I was forced to watch an imperial convoy transport a prisoner straight past me without getting stuck in the Eastmarch vortex of doom.

 

4 hours ago, DonQuiWho said:

 

FWIW, and it was a long long time ago, I'm fairly sure that I experienced that localised loop / pathing glitch with a Prison Overhaul guard trying to take me to jail

I am using Prison Overhaul as well, I guess I'll have to keep that in mind if I ever get caught... I guess the solution is to not get caught, but then I suppose I wouldn't need the mod in the first place. This is a vicious cycle.

 

2 hours ago, MTB said:

Yes pathing can be problematic.  If minor, struggling might work but for these cases, fast forwarding (in MCM>Status click on victim then choose fast forward) may be necessary.  Or, like dtmt suggested set struggle cost to 0 in MCM>Debug and guide the beast as long as needed. (Possibly using above option to see where its trying to go.)

 

Yes, it might drag you all the way across Skyrim. You can set a max travel time in the MCM>Gameplay (after which you will be fast forwarded to the next point) or manually fast forward when you grow tired of it.

 

Entirely possible, I've not put in an explicit `reapply animations on load'; which may be a good idea.

I think there is a reset/reapply animation option in the MCM as well that you could try  (click victim in MCM>Status).

I'll have to keep these in mind in future, it seems you have thought of these bugs and made workarounds but I just didn't look hard enough, I apologise; I'm glad I'll be able to experience what this mod has to offer in full now, even if there's a small break in the middle.

Cheers for the responses everyone!

Edited March 11, 2022 by SwissxPiplup
Fixed typo

[donttouchmethere]

3 hours ago, DonQuiWho said:

 

FWIW, and it was a long long time ago, I'm fairly sure that I experienced that localised loop / pathing glitch with a Prison Overhaul guard trying to take me to jail

Yes, those get confused easily too.

Oh boy did I waste hours to find a way to move them (what I thought) on the correct way. Any city overhaul that adds a wall around cities made them already unable to get anywhere.

My path-searching NPC are not touched by Dibella, but they are all touched by jaxonz positioner (looking at you SLUTS Riften handler).

 

1 hour ago, MTB said:

There's an app^h^h^h MCM entry for that. 

Open MCM>Status, click on the victim, choose `where am I going'.  A `tracking someone' quest will show a quest marker to the location the victim was going when you chose the option.  (The marker will not change even if the victim gets there or changes destinations.) Toggle the tracking option in MCM>Status to stop showing this marker

AH! Yes! Why do I only use those for NPC?

There is some dedication to get those beasts moving the correct tho, even if seems futile.

Okay, here is another idea and maybe it exists already. Changing the destination even after the beast already decided it's destination.

I usually use the combo "SS++ allowed" "SCB slaver allowed" "if no ZAP furniture is close by". Just not sure yet if the SCB slaver can overrule it all.

 

1 hour ago, MTB said:

Yes pathing can be problematic.  If minor, struggling might work but for these cases, fast forwarding (in MCM>Status click on victim then choose fast forward) may be necessary.  Or, like dtmt suggested set struggle cost to 0 in MCM>Debug and guide the beast as long as needed. (Possibly using above option to see where its trying to go.)

Most of the times it works, no matter how far away the destination. The beasts even found some zap furniture added by mods I didn't even knew about that they place one.

Usually I check the direction it's running until it get stuck and help if needed (I just defeated myself right, lol).

 

What would be even better would be an option for "unarmored" SCB body armor. The reason is conflicts with mods that register if the player wears something in slot 32. In my case most conflicts resulted from DFc and sLtr. This can happen if the PC is enslaved already while getting caught by a SCB.

Probably can remove the heavy armor flag myself, but just keep you informed.

 

The biggest chain beats  struggle to get close to the SCB slaver cave (they are awesome, I never get enough of those). But struggle tactic works there too.

 

2 hours ago, MTB said:

Entirely possible, I've not put in an explicit `reapply animations on load'; which may be a good idea.

I think there is a reset/reapply animation option in the MCM as well that you could try  (click victim in MCM>Status).

So far saving/loading a long chain beast trek worked for me.

 

2 hours ago, MTB said:

One is built-in (it looks for S_L_U_T_S.esp but I think its for resume). I've not tested it. Use option Ignore SLUTS in the MCM>plugins. Let me know whether it works...

The patch for original SLUTS was version specific (i.e. would need to be redone for newer versions of SCB).

I changed to SLUTS resume, so that means I won't use an additional patch.

 

To keep the overview it always good to know what the status is of compatibility patches.

[donttouchmethere]

35 minutes ago, SwissxPiplup said:

unfortunately I was forced to watch an imperial convoy transport a prisoner straight past me without getting stuck in the Eastmarch vortex of doom.

I some travels be able to leave the cell too. That made me even try harder lol

Immersive wenches (the traveling ones), SCB (if caught), SD+ masters (if enslaved), HSG (they already go in circles anyways), Enemy plus patrols (not sure if the even want to leave wilderness cells), all started to get collected in that loop and it became pretty crowded (+ my followers).

I saw NPC master that road without issue, so I'm not sure if it's an issue with the PC being stuck there (NPC conspiracy theory).

[donttouchmethere]

Skyrim Chain Beasts now has synthesized voices..mp3 ?

That sounds very promising ?

[jperrins66]

I like this mod mostly but I hate having to use a lock pick to get your stuff back, any chance you could add a mcm option to disable this ? I know you can do it from the mcm to get your stuff back anyway via debug, just would rather a mcm setting so you still need to find the box in the first place.

[donttouchmethere]

48 minutes ago, jperrins66 said:

I like this mod mostly but I hate having to use a lock pick to get your stuff back, any chance you could add a mcm option to disable this ? I know you can do it from the mcm to get your stuff back anyway via debug, just would rather a mcm setting so you still need to find the box in the first place.

You can use console in emergencies: Target the chest and type "unlock" ??

[MTB]

On 3/15/2022 at 4:08 PM, jperrins66 said:

I like this mod mostly but I hate having to use a lock pick to get your stuff back, any chance you could add a mcm option to disable this ? I know you can do it from the mcm to get your stuff back anyway via debug, just would rather a mcm setting so you still need to find the box in the first place.

 

Should be easy to add something, eg that locking is skipped entirely when max lock level is set below 0.

 

Edit:  A patch is up now.  I used = 0 to disable locking instead of < 0 as it allows making a patch that does not require clean saving and works with all recent versions.  (Anyone that wants to have boxes locked but at minimum possible difficulty level can still achieve that even with the patch by setting base and both `adds' to 0 and max >0.)

 

Edited March 18, 2022 by MTB

[jperrins66]

On 3/15/2022 at 5:08 PM, MTB said:

 

Should be easy to add something, eg that locking is skipped entirely when max lock level is set below 0.

 

Edit:  A patch is up now.  I used = 0 to disable locking instead of < 0 as it allows making a patch that does not require clean saving and works with all recent versions.  (Anyone that wants to have boxes locked but at minimum possible difficulty level can still achieve that even with the patch by setting base and both `adds' to 0 and max >0.)

 

You are a star my friend, thanks

 

[Yoen]

MTB hear me out...........

Chain Dragons

[donttouchmethere]

5 hours ago, Yoen said:

MTB hear me out...........

Chain Dragons

As vanilla dragon replacer! Muwhahahaha ?

Skyrim would become a nightmare ?

[MTB]

8 hours ago, Yoen said:

MTB hear me out...........

Chain Dragons

 

Their motto:  Nir Viik Gron

 

For a quick bit of fun try: 

open console: 

player.placeatme xx06cf3d 1  (replace xx with the load order of  skyrimchainbeast.esm).

 

Spoiler

This is just a little experiment. Not properly working and, if I ever get it working, likely not the final look.

 

 

[MTB]

 

So how do those Chain Beasts manage to get everything done; once a victim is down, they need to strip them, put them in chains and all that while at the same time taking care of any other hostiles in the area.
Well, turns out they have magical little helpers. Are they elfs, like in Santa's ones, not the mer in Skyrim? Not exactly.
They're Stripper beasts.
So why haven't you seen them you ask?
Well, obviously because they are invisible. Of course we are. What self respecting magical stripper beast wouldn't be...

Or more precisely, they were.  Wait what?
Thanks to experimental new magics mere mortals can now also observe the stripper beasts.  You can see me?
Not much of a comfort for the victims though, the sight seems to make them duck for cover... Well as long as I can still do my job that's fine I guess.

 

 

In other words; I've added an experimental improved,immersive,rustic,lore-friendly(well) new stripping mechanism.
Why now? One reason is that with floating beasts (let alone flying ones) the placement of boxes needed revisiting.

You can try it out with the SCB-exp plugin. It should be ok to add without clean saving.
Let me know whether it works properly, and whether you like it or it does not really add anything.

 

[DonQuiWho]

2 hours ago, MTB said:

 

So how do those Chain Beasts manage to get everything done; once a victim is down, they need to strip them, put them in chains and all that while at the same time taking care of any other hostiles in the area.
Well, turns out they have magical little helpers. Are they elfs, like in Santa's ones, not the mer in Skyrim? Not exactly.
They're Stripper beasts.
So why haven't you seen them you ask?
Well, obviously because they are invisible. Of course we are. What self respecting magical stripper beast wouldn't be...

Or more precisely, they were.  Wait what?
Thanks to experimental new magics mere mortals can now also observe the stripper beasts.  You can see me?
Not much of a comfort for the victims though, the sight seems to make them duck for cover... Well as long as I can still do my job that's fine I guess.

 

 

In other words; I've added an experimental improved,immersive,rustic,lore-friendly(well) new stripping mechanism.
Why now? One reason is that with floating beasts (let alone flying ones) the placement of boxes needed revisiting.

You can try it out with the SCB-exp plugin. It should be ok to add without clean saving.
Let me know whether it works properly, and whether you like it or it does not really add anything.

 

 

Hi

 

I'd love to try this for you, but if it adds an extra plugin, all my games are full.  Or is it one of those that doesn't add to the main plugin total?

[dulty]

Looks like it's an esp. I'll try it out later and report back when I don't have family over.

[Teh1]

i started trying out the mod but for some reason non of the animations are working. when the character is captured by the chain beast they start walking to the capture point. At the capture point, rather than using the item, the character just stands next to it and is frozen . idk what is happening.

 

[donttouchmethere]

13 minutes ago, Teh1 said:

i started trying out the mod but for some reason non of the animations are working. when the character is captured by the chain beast they start walking to the capture point. At the capture point, rather than using the item, the character just stands next to it and is frozen . idk what is happening.

 

It's important that you are positive that you have all the correct requirements installed.

ZAP furniture comes with ZAP, so that one needs to work. If you use ZAP furniture without a SCB scene, do they work?

Another thing to check if you have any FNIS errors.

And is the Furniture in use already? Means is another SCB catch in route to the furniture already?

How many SCB scenes do you tested already, is it the first try?

Is it a SCB placed furniture or did you place it yourself? Did a mod change the area around it?

Maybe path finding issue? You could use jaxsonz positioner to move the PC a little to see if that helps.

Edited March 26, 2022 by donttouchmethere

[MTB]

10 hours ago, DonQuiWho said:

 

Hi

 

I'd love to try this for you, but if it adds an extra plugin, all my games are full.  Or is it one of those that doesn't add to the main plugin total?

 

NOTE: Attached files only for suitable version of SSE (i.e. one that support ESL flagged ESP files).

 

You mean ESL flagged ESP?  It isn't but as far as I understand, it should work as one.  I've tried to create one and attached it

here.  I have no way of testing it atm.  

Also the PAHE plugin should work fine as an ESL flagged ESP as well. Added the ESL flagged ESP for that as well.

 

Also the WMPx(BAD) and BAD plugins should be fine to ESL-ify, though the latter will need compacting first, meaning it wont work on existing saves anymore.

 

 

SkyrimChainBeastsExp.esp SkyrimChainBeastsPAH.esp