Random Tasks
Version: 1.1
Author: J. Schaffer
[email protected]

Installation:
Copy all the files to the Oblivion\Data directory, keeping paths intact. Fire up the Oblivion launcher, click Data Files, and click the checkbox next to JSRandomTasks.

Updating:
It _should_ update automatically from version 1.0.

Description:
This mod creates a job board in the Imperial City Market District just outside the Black Courier offices. On the board collection jobs are listed, asking for delivery of ingredients, books, or just random items. Every week 4 random jobs appear.

To take a job, take the paper from the job board. When you've got whatever the poster requested, turn it in to "Mudcrab" (the orc next to the job board).

I made this as an RP mod. I just started playing again after several years, and wasn't able to find many non-epic quests that are suitable for new characters. It's designed to give players, especially low level players, something to do that doesn't involve slaughtering hordes of people. The quests involve buying or finding random objects, so it's a good start for those wanting to RP traders or non-heroic folk.

This mod uses thePOSTALdude's blank mp3 and lip files.

Bugs:
I've tested all the jobs (36 in this version) and all work... for me at least. The testing was done with both vanilla and with OBSE and OOO.

*The job scrolls are NOT HAVOKED. This is deliberate. I thought about making them quest items so you couldn't drop them, but that would just be evil. I recommend only putting them into containers and not dropping them.

*The script uses the dreaded disable to get rid of job scrolls. I've been unable to find a way around this in vanilla oblivion (books have a special activate so you can't just throw them in a garbage can). The number of zombie refs will be fairly small unless you play for a long time - a max of 8 are created every 7 game days.

Questions:
Q:Hey, I've waited for a week, and no new jobs appeared!
A:A watched pot never boils. The job board is updated by mysterious elves that only come out when you're not looking. (In other words, you have to be somewhere other than the outside area of ICMarketDistrict for it to update.)

Q:I keep getting the same jobs, week after week!
A:It happens sometimes. That's the nature of randomness.

Q:Why can't I take a certain job? And why does it look different than the others?
A:There are a couple of random flavor scrolls in there.

Q:Mudcrab's gone!
A:He sleeps in the basement of the black courier building at night. He's usually back at the board between 7 and 8:30.

Q:Less than 8 jobs appeared! What gives?
A:This is a failsafe to prevent infinite recursion in the script. The chance of it happening are fairly low, even with the increased number of weekly jobs.

Console Commands:
set JSRandomTasks.bForceUpdate to 1 ; Forces an immediate (well, 10 seconds or whatever you set JSRandomTasks.fQuestDelayTime to) update on jobs, just like 7 days passed.
set JSRandomTasks.iEnsure to xx ; Triggers an immediate update and ensures that job xx will appear. Probably not useful unless you're debugging.

History:
1.1 - 36 jobs
Changes:
*Added 14 new jobs.
*Added more poster positions.
*8 jobs appear per week instead of 4.
*Added blank mp3 and lip files for voices.
*Mudcrab has an AI now so he won't be pushed off into a corner. He also sleeps at night.
Fixes:
*Removed debugging messages. Oops!
*Cleaned slightly (had starred an ICMarketBlock04House01).
*Fixed mesh path for JSJob0025Fake (only noticeable in CS).
*Fixed "Job: Cave Mushrooms" - previously looked for "Job: The Rarest Mushroom" scroll by mistake.
*Will now start immediately if loaded when character was saved in ICMarketDistrict.
1.0 - First version (22 jobs).