Ok, so I have just solved the problem, but if someone can tell me why this was a problem it would really help me to better understand whats going.

I had 3 groupings of shrubs, grass,rocks etc. in a triangular area approximately 2000 quants from eachother. Over each grouping were several 32bit alpha masked sprites acting as sun rays. Each group was a duplicate of the next and positioned the same way, and here is their code:
Code:
action light_rays()
{
	set (my, TRANSLUCENT | BRIGHT);
	my.alpha = 100;
}


approximately 800 quants directly above each grouping is a spotlight:

Code:
action spotlight()
{
	set (my, INVISIBLE | PASSABLE);
	my.tilt = -90;
	my.lightrange = 1000;
	my.red = 60;	
	my.green = 60;	
	my.blue = 60;	
	my.flags2 |= SPOTLIGHT;
}


As I said before, only 1 worked properly at a time, the other two flickered, and it didn't matter which one I activated frst, they functioned the same.

The solution came from me deleting all of the alpha masked sprites. Now they all work. I have no clue why this happened.

you can find me with my face in the keyboard, unshaven, listening to some nameless techno tragedy, and hashing through code over a cold cup a stale joe. __________________________________ yours truly