Pickpocketing and Blade of Woe Bugs: NPCs Randomly Disappearing, Slowing Down, and "Out of Range"

mythlover20

Evening.

I've been experiencing this bug ever since Dragon Bones and Update 17 went live. Whenever I trail someone to pickpocket them they will always move incredibly slowly, turn randomly, immediately turn around and walk six steps back then turn around again and follow their previous path. Every time this happens, especially the freezing, I am unable to interact with the character. If the NPC returns to normal speed I can then interact with them.

Often, if I kill these NPCs just as their random slowness starts with the Blade of Woe, they will freeze, and/or disappear from the spot where they were killed and reappear several meters away. When this happens I am unable to loot their bodies. Even when standing on top of them they are always "Out of Range".

This has occurred on all of my characters, most recently with Ivorea El'ethia and Kani Lavellan. It has also occurred in all zones of the map, normal and DLC.

In game name: @mythlover20

SGT_Wolfe101st

I concur, I just submitted an identical post. It is awful right now trying to pick pocket. If the pathing was intentional then fine, but at least make the system work. The other issue I am having is the BoW. I tend to use the Pick Pick Stab method and I will get to point where my BoW just simply stops working, no prompt for the synergy, just not an option.

SaintSubwayy

can confirm this bug
its pretty annoing when you want to steal ect.

mythlover20

Yeah, I use the pick, pick, stab method, too. Another problem I have is that I will sometimes fall out of the map after killing an npc who was just that little bit too close to a wall. When I have no money to port somewhere else, I have to buy a house with another character, or be permanently stuck there. Really annoying.

bongtokin420insd16

ditto. its like they double back and keep walking at the same time. Totally messes with Stealing.

FastBen

I have another problem with the blade. I pickpocket without any problems but when I want to stab I can’t, because only the feed ability from the Vampire skill is active and not the “Use blade of Woe”. I moved to another NPC and still the same. I logged off and still the same. And this was the whole day. Didn’t have that problem the day after though. But it happened for third or fourth time now and it is very annoying.

MajesticHaruki

Yeap same here. Pickpocketing is a nightmare right now.

virtus753

I've noticed these problems as well, mostly in Vvardenfell. NPCs often get slowed, the detection eye stays permanently open even when the NPC is not aware of me and there's no one else around, and the "out of range" error appears even when the prompt to steal shows a percentage for chance of success. In my experience, sometimes the NPC then rubberbands several meters backward along the pre-programmed path, but other times I will have to back off of the NPC to "reset" it so I can steal properly again, with no rubberbanding involved.

This is specifically a problem when NPCs move as you try to steal from them. Occasionally stealing while moving with them will work just fine, but more often than not something will go wrong with the NPC's pace, detection, or location. Stealing in place does not cause these problems. Unfortunately, many NPCs -- especially in the Morrowind expansion -- seem deliberately programmed to move often as a challenge for would-be pickpocketers, which means that many NPCs are exhibiting this bugged behavior.

I would also like to add a graphics glitch to this list of bugs: when I'm caught, the NPC from whom I'm trying to steal will often rotate slowly in place to face me before scolding me and (eventually) turning back. I've seen certain NPCs react much more realistically: for example, the ones in St. Delyn's Inn act offended and perform some sort of emote (e.g. come get me, finger pointing, helpless hands up). The bugged NPCs continue to do the exact same thing they always do, like the laborer sawing wood on the lower level of St. Delyn's Canton (Gonbubal). If she catches you stealing, she will spin around slowly and scold you verbally but continue to saw -- right into your head. The sound effects persist as well, which doesn't make it any less disconcerting.

anadandy

I concur, this has been happening PC-NA since the last patch - and like the above poster said it's most egregious in Vardenfell. NPCs doubling back a few steps, super slow motion walking and "out of range" notice.

Also BoW issues: Sometimes upon activation of BoW - the game will play the "Blade of Woe" sound as if it was a success but the NPC is still there, alive and well.

MinuitPro

anadandy wrote: »

I concur, this has been happening PC-NA since the last patch - and like the above poster said it's most egregious in Vardenfell. NPCs doubling back a few steps, super slow motion walking and "out of range" notice.

Also BoW issues: Sometimes upon activation of BoW - the game will play the "Blade of Woe" sound as if it was a success but the NPC is still there, alive and well.

Or better yet, the NPC will be aggravated because of BoW - happened twice on Saturday for me... use blade from stealth and oh, so now we're in combat w/ bounty... excellent work devs.

Mix

I too have encountered this bug. I found them to be "resetting" to the location where i pickpocketed them in their path - then they continue on as normal. From time to time when I kill them with BoW their body leaps out of range - going out of the immediate area and returned their body will be where it should be and lootable (not out of range).

For me, it has been strange, but hasn't affected my ability to pickpocket/BoW much at all - just the looting thing really...

bongtokin420insd16

Spot on i see it all the time thieving in vivec city. That exact NPC has sawed off my head too..... jerk lol

The detected bubble is a real annoyance. Like literally there is no one around.

RoyalPink06

mythlover20 wrote: »

Evening.

I've been experiencing this bug ever since Dragon Bones and Update 17 went live. Whenever I trail someone to pickpocket them they will always move incredibly slowly, turn randomly, immediately turn around and walk six steps back then turn around again and follow their previous path. Every time this happens, especially the freezing, I am unable to interact with the character. If the NPC returns to normal speed I can then interact with them.

Often, if I kill these NPCs just as their random slowness starts with the Blade of Woe, they will freeze, and/or disappear from the spot where they were killed and reappear several meters away. When this happens I am unable to loot their bodies. Even when standing on top of them they are always "Out of Range".

This has occurred on all of my characters, most recently with Ivorea El'ethia and Kani Lavellan. It has also occurred in all zones of the map, normal and DLC.

In game name: @mythlover20

yo, same

Thunderclap

Other problem is after a kill with this skill I don't get the speed buff.

Turelus

Same for me on PC EU.

NPC's will slow down, rubberband, have their bodies in a different place to the loot locations etc.

Generally can be reproduced by just sneaking around following NPC's.

Salvas_Aren

This bug is especially annoying if you try to woe-blade an NPC walking in a steep space, like on the ships at Davon's.

anadandy

Other thing that seems to happen frequently is after killing, corpse is unlootable - usually because they snapped to being under furnishing or stuck in a corner. Have tried /reloadui but still unlootable corpse.

Apache_Kid

This is a problem on Xbox NA as well. I made a thread about it as well and the issue was completely ignored.

SAD

Salvas_Aren

They dont care about our little thief needs. Foremost they care how ppl feel about watching us steal and kill, so they made that Vivec ordinators immortal. Now the RPs are happy because more guards.

Villainy

Theres another thread on this sadly i can say has seemingly been ignored that i tagged @ZOS_GinaBruno in

Villainy

So to speak legerdemain used to be easy to level using pickpocketing and now being caught with a green 95% is simply showing how they do not give a damn if we have issues or not. Another reason to find a better bug fixing place to play