How do I stop NPCs from stealing my stuff?

[User1]

"Dynamic NPCs turns this game into an ASCII DayZ."
I heard they don’t open safes but I don’t have one at my base.

[X-PLODE]

You tell them not to pick shit up, if they’re enemies you blast them.

[User1]

Okay but what if I’m the kind of character who occasionally leaves the room or falls asleep?
Does it help to dig downstairs or do NPCs also loot different z-levels than the one on which I am? I met one who spawned in one of those generic basements of a house but he didn’t move until I came.
I guess I could also place my stuff in lockers and hope that no NPC walks past them?

[Shopkeeper]

I prefer to keep my stuff in an enclosed room on the ground level of my base, usully a scienice lab. If there is absolutely no way for an NPC to see you, your stuff, or a way for them to gain entry from the outside. You shouldn’t have to worry about them stealing from you and I’ve never had one spawn in my base upon returning.

I’ve had a good enough number of NPCs spawn in the underground portion of a bunker that them stealing things might be an issue, if they could actually see more then a square away in darkness, they usually end up just pathing themselves into a corner and cowering for eternity.

[deoxy]

NPCs don’t pick up stuff from vehicles, ever*, so that’s how I usually deal with valuable stuff - put it in a cart, or build some kind of generic vehicle-storage-of-spaces.

More immediately, they won’t pick up what they can’t see, so put stuff in furniture that doesn’t show you what’s in it until you are immediately adjacent - that helps a LOT.

*unless it’s changed in the last month or two.

[User1]

I guess I’ll just use a car then. What if the car is damaged so they can see items inside?
Is there a way to lock doors or a mod that allows this or how am I supposed to keep NPCs out of a real base?

[Azrad]

Unless it’s been changed, NPCs won’t travel up or down z-levels (unless they’re following you), so storing your stuff a z-level down should do the trick.

[BorkBorkGoesTheCode]

I had this problem when I increased NPC spawn to 50.00. In older experimentals you could put your valuables in a windowless room and remove ALL items form the surrounding area and the NPC AI wouldn’t approach your stuff. (If you leave any items near your storage room, then an NPC may wander into your storage room while foraging.) I think this strategy still works.

[deoxy]

I had this problem when I increased NPC spawn to 50.00. In older experimentals you could put your valuables in a windowless room and remove ALL items form the surrounding area and the NPC AI wouldn’t approach your stuff. (If you leave any items near your storage room, then an NPC may wander into your storage room while foraging.) I think this strategy still works.

That should work fairly well most of the time, but when an NPC is going somewhere, they are known to go into obvious dead-end places (like the building at the top of a lab), even smashing their way in (at least through windows, but furniture, too, IIRC), so there’s no guarantee. “Vehicle” storage (including “vehicles” that will never move) is the only guaranteed method I know of.

That said, off-primary-z-level stuff should be REALLY close to that good, since the NPC would have to spawn down there (which CAN happen, if you’re on that z-level somewhere nearby, but it should be really, really rare).

[EditorRUS]

Um… I might be really wrong, but you can define zones and if I remember it correctly, you can set this zone as NPC-steal free.

[deoxy]

Um… I might be really wrong, but you can define zones and if I remember it correctly, you can set this zone as NPC-steal free.

That only works on NPCs that have joined you.

[User1]

NPCs don't pick up stuff from vehicles, ever*

An NPC who joined me did pick up gear in my vehicle when I allowed him to. At least he said he wanted to pick up something, idk if he did. So if he did then it seems that at least friendly NPCs take from vehicles at least when you're inside them too.

[EditorRUS]

That only works on NPCs that have joined you.

What's the problem then? If an NPC doesn't know you or a rival or just an ass, why would they care whether it's your stuff or no one's? That is intended. I thought the question was "how do I stop friendly NPCs from stealing my stuff".

[deoxy]

[quote=“EditorRUS, post:13, topic:11968”]

That only works on NPCs that have joined you.

What’s the problem then? If an NPC doesn’t know you or a rival or just an ass, why would they care whether it’s your stuff or no one’s? That is intended. I thought the question was “how do I stop friendly NPCs from stealing my stuff”.[/quote]

I get that it’s intended, and it’s the right way to do it, yes, but the question still persists - how do I PROTECT MY STUFF from them? That’s a good question to have to be asking, but it’s still being asked, eh?

[baldamundo]

Liberal application of bear traps?

[User1]

Liberal application of bear traps?

Traps just make NPCs smash down the wall on the adjacent tile and walk right past them. I'm also considering garages as long as NPCs don't learn how to press buttons to open those doors but maybe they'll just smash their way inside.

[Azrad]

It would be nice if turrets you set up can identify NPCs that are part of your faction and ones that don’t so they can shoot them thieving NPCs from eyeballing your stuff. Alternatively, the ability to lock metal doors could be nice.

[deoxy]

Alternatively, the ability to lock metal doors could be nice.

Locks. How can that be so hard?!? Seriously, being able to lock stuff would be SO NICE.

(Of course, NPCs should be able to use their mechanics skill to try to PICK said locks, but that should be fairly rare…)

[X-PLODE]

Veterans used to construct crates with lids and pry them open when they needed something and close em when they left.

It’s funner to just build 3 rows of deep pits with spikes and random traps, you get free meat that way too.

[Eric]

You could always just shoot them