Category:Detection

Detection is a complicated process involving many variables. The factors break down into three categories: skill, light, sound. These three factors are added together. An initial penalty of -25 is applied. If the result is above zero, the actor is detected.

All three are subject to distance attenuation. The further away, the less effect they have. Indoors, the maximum distance is 1500 units. Outdoors the maximum is 3000 units.

At the moment an actor initiates combat, a one time bonus of +100 is added, making it a virtual certainty that for a moment the actor will detect his assailant. In that moment, the actor can decide to enter combat or not.

Once detected, the actor has to get his detection value below a negative threshold for hostile actors to lose him. By default this is -20. If the actor is in combat with the target, a lower threshold of -50 has to be reached to lose him. Non-hostile actors use fSneakUnseenMin instead.

• Skill: The difference between the actor's sneak skills. It is modified by the distance between actors.
• Light: The amount of light shining on the actor. Invisibility and Chameleon effects change this. It is modified by the distance between the actors
• Sound: The noises the actor is making. Moving makes more noise than standing still. Running makes more noise than walking. Heavier boots make more noise. Fighting makes more noise. It is modified by the distance between the actors.

There is an additional value, which at this point is believed to govern the importance of sounds made during sneaking. See FSneakSoundsMult .