Plot a route for your NPCs
Routes are drawn once into a numbered slot, then handed to whichever NPCs should walk them.
In the menus: ESC → Design → NPCs → PLOT ROUTE...
Draw a route
A map has 10 route slots, shared by every director, and each holds up to 16 waypoints.
Pick the slot in Route:. NICKNAME gives it a unique single-word name up to 10 characters. That name appears in selectors and can replace its number in console commands.
Then select PLACE IN WORLD. Plotting opens on the append slot. CLEAR THIS ROUTE wipes one.
A route with waypoints is yellow in the selector. It turns green when at least one NPC is assigned to it.
- MOUSE1 drops a waypoint where your crosshair meets the floor, facing the way you are looking
- E and Q step which waypoint the next drop writes to. Choosing an existing waypoint replaces it, then advances the selection
- R removes the last occupied waypoint
- Backspace clears the selected waypoint
- MOUSE2 leaves and reopens the wizard
Clearing a waypoint leaves a numbered gap. Later waypoints keep their numbers when you save and load the scene.
The wheel drives 6 dials and TAB steps between them:
| Dial | What it sets |
|---|---|
| Dwell | how long the NPC waits here, 0 to 30 seconds |
| Emote | an emote to strike on arrival |
| Exit Emote | whether the NPC drops that emote as it walks on |
| Remove NPC | whether the NPC despawns on arrival |
| Gait | keep the current pace, or switch to walk or run |
| Combat | keep the current state, or switch weapon fire off or on |
With Emote selected, wheel-up moves up the list and wheel-down moves down.
Exit Emote also clears the pose when Dwell is 0, so the NPC can leave without waiting.
Dial them in before you drop.
All 6 reset after every drop.
Keep carries the NPC's current gait or combat state forward. Stage NPC weapon fire covers arming the NPC and setting its aim before Combat switches that fire on.
Choose how the route repeats
Choose Mode in PLOT ROUTE..., then select SET MODE. It affects every NPC on that route:
| Mode | At the last waypoint |
|---|---|
| Loop | walks back to waypoint 1 and goes round again |
| Ping-pong | turns round and retraces the same waypoints backwards |
| Once | stops and holds there |
| Repeat | snaps back to waypoint 1 without walking it |
Put an NPC on the route
Select the NPC's row, then ROUTE.
Pick the slot, then ASSIGN TO NPC. None takes the NPC off.
At least 2 waypoints are required. Assignment starts movement immediately. For a triggered start, leave the NPC unassigned.
Use WALK / RUN on the selected NPC to toggle its pace on the route. The new setting appears in chat.
An armed NPC can face its target while following the route. NPC combat covers firing and cover.
An NPC that gives up is marked
(stalled). Clearing the route, re-plotting it or reassigning it revives it. A deep drop, void, lava or slime ahead can make a walker wait, try another path or stall. The default safe-drop check looks 256 units down.
Route a vehicle
Vehicles use the same route slots, assignments and modes.
Ground vehicles steer across the map.
Riderless fighters also climb or dive towards each waypoint’s height. An NPC pilot cannot fly a fighter.
Seat NPCs in vehicles covers drivers and passengers on ground vehicles.
Vehicles obey Dwell and Remove NPC, but skip say, emote, exit-emote, gait and combat waypoint actions.
Prefer the console?
Assign or remove a route
/npc edit 4 route 1
NPC 4 starts towards route 1's first waypoint without a chat reply. Reassigning restarts the route. A nickname can replace 1.
/npc edit 4 route none
/npc edit 4 run 0
route none removes the route. run 0 walks, run 1 runs. Pace changes do not assign routes.
Syntax: /npc edit <id|targetname|name> route <1-10|nickname|none>.