Why when I hit play sometimes after compiling will it behave weird for the first couple times, and then do exactly as I expect it to?

I would really like to know! I have noticed it for some time now to realize its not just a coincidence but more than likely a weird bug with UE4.

If I compile and save and then close the program and come back, the first one or two times I hit play SOMETHING will not behave normally. But then, behold! On the third try and thereafter everything is peachy!!!

Someone aside from me has had to have noticed this…

You’re using UE 4.14? Unreal has gone through many updates since then. It sounds like a bug and they probably fixed it in the next version.