Creature control through ActionOverride

chimeric

If you have experience moving people around, PC or NPC, with ActionOverride, I'd like to hear from you. Especially if you have done it from outside - from an ActionOverride in an invisible creature's script, for example. Did you run into any special difficulties? Were the actors neutral - I mean, NEUTRAL? Or did they have some other kind of allegiance? Did their scripted actions get in the way, did they distract them from following the commands? What did you do then?

I would really like to learn about moving people around for my blue charms.

Ardanis

ActionOverride() is primarily used for cutscene control, and I don't recommend using it outside without really knowing what you're doing, because...

Did their scripted actions get in the way, did they distract them from following the commands? What did you do then?

...there is no in-built resistance to ActionOverride() interference in quest scripting. That is, one can make a quest not fail if its character was AO()'ed at the critical point, should they put they mind to it, but it's not a common practice.
Likewise, target object's own script can also interrupt whatever it was AO()'ed to do, especially if it's some long procedure. Can circumvent it with SetInterrupt(FALSE), but it will make impossible to save the game until you SetInterrupt(TRUE) it back, so you really shouldn't do it for extended action sequences.

Were the actors neutral - I mean, NEUTRAL? Or did they have some other kind of allegiance?

Doesn't matter.

I would really like to learn about moving people around for my blue charms.

See above about clashing with with other scripts. It works ok when you have the situation under control, either in cutscene mode or by knowing exactly who is supposed to do what and how (i.e. having written their scripts yourself). However, when you can charm anyone at random, there's no such control to speak of, so you may or may not interrupt something you weren't supposed to.

Of course, most of the quest-related actors are not hostile, and those hostile usually exist only to be slain, not to mention there're not too many quests that even feature non-cutscene non-dialog non-fight scripting in the first place. Still, expect that some unique bosses may get screwed to varying degree (possibly along with the game, if you roll an epic fail ) if you AO() them at the wrong moment. Some are immune to charm all along, though, so as long as you patch the immunities you should be a bit safer.

chimeric

I don't think this a problem. Scripted sequences and cutscenes are rather obvious, the props of the drama are all in sight. I suppose a disruption could happen... but then, this call is only going to target GOODBUTBLUE creatures made such by the new charms. It's a beckoning call for them to get closer and follow. And their scripts are most likely not going to be affected unless PC figures as an enemy there. If the scripts are set to go off at the exact moment in time, then... But this can all be as easily interrupted by the old green charm if you get it in at the wrong moment and move the creature off someplace.

To try out whether going blue affects scripts I just called on Tarnesh again and made him blue with a charm before he could approach the party and start his dialogue. I caught him mid-step with the spell. There is a built-in second of Feeblemind to clear the action queue, but he only paused for that moment and then went on with his part. I couldn't control him with an ActionOverride if I wanted to - I've tried doing it to busy creatures when I was making Taunt. They totally ignore it.

For creatures not so rigidly scripted allegiance makes a difference. If their scripts tell them to attack the enemy, then they will throw themselves on whoever that is at the moment. Real neutrals, on the other hand, don't have a side until someone attacks them, so there is no action queue to struggle against. That's why they are all neutrals in cutscenes, you never see a creature fighting because of allegiance, only because it follows a predetermined sequence.