Vilja doesn't use her bow any more.

[naramoore]

This is the history, because I don't know quite when it started happening. This started weeks ago only I didn't realize what was happening at first.



1. I noticed that she was not using her bow and I checked and found she was out of arrows. I figured this was normal behavior, since some advanced NPC do not re spawn arrows. I only later learned that Vilja is suppose to spawn steel arrows.



2. I wasn't tracking the problem well but I think I gave her elven arrows and she again ran out.



3. I gave her arrows from another mod. A lot of them. I noticed she did not seem to be using them.



4. I read that she only used vanilla style arrows. So I replaced them with a mix of vanilla arrows.



5. I notice that I never see her with her bow, only a custom version of Dawnbreaker.



6. I load her with a set number of dwarven arrows and steel arrows so I can track if there is any arrow usage. There isn't. She always has Dawnbreaker or spells. Occasionally she has a staff. I note she casts healing spells on me as requested. But never a bow.



7. I have now pulled Vilja's bow from her and given her another bow in the vague hope this will make a difference.



I have no modes that effect archery or arrow generation. No major game/combat/perk overhauls. I currently have 77 mods installed ordered by loot. Checked in TES5Edit for obvious conflicts. So far the problem hasn't bothered me enough to start pulling mods and doing radical load order surgery. Partly I need to develop a test bed that forces her to use a bow if she is going too.



Any ideas of what could be wrong and/or how to easily test if she is using a bow.

[naramoore]

In Vilja's words "Strange"

Either installing "Crash Fix" fixed things, which seems unlikely.
Or switching out her bow did it. Though picking my horse as her first target might not have been the nicest thing she could have done.

Or option 3: Since I asked for help it fixed itself to show me up.

[pegueng]

Rofl... I liked option no 3 😀
Not that I have any real clues about yer problem, unless you have any follower mod like AFT or whatever they're called installed. I believe that their behavior flags can have impact on followers NPCs behaviour systems. Depending on loadorder... Perhaps.

[CollinMacleod]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but what fighting style is she set for?

If you use her target function, she has her own special bow, and her own arrows. It doesn't matter what bow you give her. She can only fire those that are set up in the script. If you remove them, then select target, she may not have the time to create them...

As far as mod arrows, the arrow function is very finicky.  She will normally use whatever is available, even firearms if the mod is properly done. But NOT through the target function.

[naramoore]

She is set up to use ranged attacks by preference, which I have verified.
She is set to use mainly healing and buffing spells.
I don't use the target function. I let the AI handle battles.