Move NPCs in formation

Reviewed

A formation makes a group of NPCs follow one routed leader while keeping the spacing you arranged.

In the menus: ESC → Design → Manage → GROUPS

Arrange and group the NPCs

Place at least 2 living NPCs where you want them in the formation. They must all be on foot and none can be a vehicle.

Create an empty group on the GROUPS tab.

Then return to ESC → Design → NPCs and repeat these steps for each NPC:

  1. Select the NPC's roster row and choose GROUP.
  2. Select the same group in GROUP MEMBERSHIP.
  3. Choose ADD TO GROUP.

For a mixed group, turn on SYNC NPC in GROUPS. It shares NPC actions and ignores other members. Without it, the group must contain NPCs only.

Choose the leader

Plot a route with at least 2 waypoints, then assign it to exactly one NPC in the group. That NPC is the leader. Leave every other member with Route: None.

With SYNC NPC on, assigning a route keeps the sole routed leader or makes your selected NPC the leader.

The formation begins automatically. Each follower keeps the position it held around the leader when the formation formed.

Use WALK / RUN on the leader to set the whole formation's pace. Followers inherit that setting. They can still pause individually if Turn to face players is set and a nearby player looks at them.

Use waypoint actions

Waypoint actions belong to the routed leader. Emote, Say, Exit Emote, Remove NPC and Combat do not repeat across the followers.

A Dwell stops the leader, so the followers settle into their places around it.

A Gait action changes the leader between walk and run, and the followers take the new pace.

On a Repeat route, the leader snaps from the last waypoint back to the first. The followers snap with it and keep their places around the leader.

Prefer the console?

Repeat /group add for every member. Assign the route only to the leader; a successful assignment is silent:

/npc edit 4 route 2

Use /npc edit 4 route none to take the leader off, or /group remove patrol npc 5 to remove one follower.