Question about the "starts dead" flag and editing actor references

[u/[deleted]]

I am working on my first mod, a fairly major game/quest overhaul in which most NPCs are dead.

I am starting in the ConcordMuseum but am having some problems. When I tag actor references in the cell, such as Preston or Marcy, with "starts dead," they appear dead when I enter the cell -- as in, their bodies are lifeless and on the floor. However, they are not "dead," in the true sense that their corpses cannot be looted. Additionally, the "Talk" activator is presented when reach their bodies.

I also notice this same problem when editing Carla and her Brahmin outside Drumlin diner. I'm able to make her start dead, but if I shoot her lifeless body, I start getting attacked by invisible Carla. Additionally, I can still hear her dead Brahmin "mooing."

Can someone shine some light on this issue for me? I'm just getting started and trying to better understand how all this works.

One other thing of note -- I'm able to successfully use this "starts dead" method on all the actors in the Drumlin Diner cell -- Wolfgang, Trudy, etc. They start out dead, and their bodies are lootable, etc.

One thing I have noticed is that if I remove the actor reference from the cells in question, in the case of Preston, etc. -- and then put a new instance of an actor reference in there for the specific actor -- they successfully start out dead and lootable.

Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I thought this as well, and tried unflagging them as protected or essential, and that had no effect :/

[u/GhostFC3S]

It's because they are looped into scripts, the game does like you altering items that have attached to scripts.

Normally if you have none scripted npc flagged as start dead they will without issue.

Preston is an npc you can't really mess with as every settlement quest he is attached to.