Covenant: Stealing Jacobs password turns people hostile need help for solution

[Kaktus Jack]

I have the problem, that when i steal the password for the terminal to progress further into the Human Error quest, all the people turn hostile, even thought nobody saw me. I really wanna have the option to talk to the major, before heading to the compound. Note: I play in survival, so no console commands to help me out.

[The Inept European]

I can steal the password with trash agility and one level in Sneak, consistently, every time without fail. And I suck at this game.

So maybe there's some kind of unpredictable intermittent random bug, maybe, but stealing in Covenant is not a common or consistent problem. It's a small number of people reporting that issue vs a much larger group of people who report the documented issues, mostly around object ownership and faction hostility after obtaining the settlement.

The quests and settlement are bugged but stealing in Covenant is not bugged.

Most likely people are reading VATS hostility incorrectly and making a false correlation to the stealing event.

[The Inept European]

Originally posted by Kaktus Jack:

Originally posted by Tavman (4):

Crouch and make sure the Sneak status says [HIDDEN], then you can steal the password.

I did so and right after when I target someone in VATS they already turn hostile, even thought nobody saw me.

Ok this is the problem here. False correlation.

Folks, the Covenant residents are red in VATS much of the time. It's random, varies from time to time and NPC to NPC without any consistency. Red in VATS does NOT mean they are hostile. But if you are hard wired to shoot when you (literally) see red, well you can guarantee they WILL go hostile once you shoot at them.

Once you understand that red in VATS doesn't always mean hostile, this problem goes away.

If you didn't know that NPCs can show as red in VATS without being actively hostile, then sorry, you don't get a vote on this issue. Another place this same phenomenon happens is Charles Amphitheatre, the cultists. They're often red but will never shoot you unless you shoot first. Just like Covenant people they will happily have a nice conversation with you at the same time as they are showing red in VATS.

[Bored Peon]

Originally posted by The Ex-ept European:

If you didn't know that NPCs can show as red in VATS without being actively hostile, then sorry, you don't get a vote on this issue.

Why cant I vote if I already knew?

[The Inept European]

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

Originally posted by The Ex-ept European:

If you didn't know that NPCs can show as red in VATS without being actively hostile, then sorry, you don't get a vote on this issue.

Why cant I vote if I already knew?

You get a vote. :D

[MrTB]

In my case it is definitely not just characters mistakenly showing up as red. They're also shooting at me.

[Iron Knights]

Settlers show up green. It's your hostility that is the problem. Simmer down now !

[The Inept European]

No, Covenant settlers frequently show up red.

[The Inept European]

Originally posted by MrTB:

In my case it is definitely not just characters mistakenly showing up as red. They're also shooting at me.

And they were definitely shooting at you before you hit them or stole something or trespassed?

This thread though is about getting caught stealing or trespassing in Covenant and attacked.

[wtiger27]

The times I have wanted Covenant for a settlement, I just wipe them out and take it over with overwhelming force.

And of course some companions are going to get pissed if you try to steal the password. If you want a companion with you who does not give a ♥♥♥♥ if you steal, take Mac Gready.

He actually likes it when you steal.

[MrTB]

Originally posted by The Ex-ept European:

Originally posted by MrTB:

In my case it is definitely not just characters mistakenly showing up as red. They're also shooting at me.

And they were definitely shooting at you before you hit them or stole something or trespassed?

This thread though is about getting caught stealing or trespassing in Covenant and attacked.

The point isn't that they turned hostile after I stole the password, it's that they turned hostile regardless of whether or not they reasonably could have known I stole it. It got to the point where I was trying to steal it at night with no companion while crouched, wearing a piece of chameleon gear and using a stealth boy and not getting up immediately after stealing it in addition to having at least Sneak level 2 by that point. I could have stolen Takahashi by doing all that.

[The Inept European]

Stealing it crouched is necessary, without a companion is usually a good idea, at night is pretty much necessary unless you're taking a risk. So the chameleon gear is the only thing out of the ordinary, that shouldn't be (isn't) necessary.

No residents saw you leave the house where Jacob sleeps? (And, how do you know they didn't?)

[MrTB]

I don't remember for certain, but I'd be surprised if there wasn't at least one time when I left the house while remaining hidden. It's not a problem for me anymore because I gave up and went straight to the compound, but I'm convinced that for the small number of people experiencing this issue, it is in fact an issue and not just a misunderstanding.

[The Inept European]

Maybe. It could be that specific location has issues. Like the walls aren't considered opaque or something. Or it could be a general issue with the engine. In Bunker Hill you can be on top of the tower and steal the pack of cigarettes (without first going to Hidden) and the whole town will aggro on you even though there is no possible way they could have seen you or heard you.

[mukunku]

I got it to work by making sure i was crouched and it said [HIDDEN]. Then after stealing the password and making sure nothing happened, I fast traveled somewhere and came back and no one was hostile towards me.

[The Inept European]

You could probably do it the same way you cheeze stealing the mini nuke from KLEO. Hold down grab on the object and don't drop it until you are way out of site.

But as mentioned I never had this issue. I suspect it's people not paying close enough attention to their stealth indicator.