Can dRAGONS spawn Inside a City with Walls? : V

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:22 pm

I don't mean us LEADING a Dragon into Town by zoning in Main Gate, but actually coming out of NPC/our House and like "Whoa! There's a Dragon INSIDE the City!" Can this happen?
Can fighting a Dragon OUTSIDE a City's Wall (Stables/Farms) causes NPCs INSIDE the city to die? (I did once see Dragon breathing fire inside of Windhelm's Wall eventhough I was all the way at Hlaalu Farm waiting for him to land AT the Farm and not in Windhelm, once that Dragon approached Windhelm Docks and breathed more fire I reloaded..)
Do dead bodies in City disappear? (I killed Nazeem in the middle of Whiterun Market Stand for 0 Crime after conveniently drinking Aela's blood at 08:00, I only saw his body for a day and now it disappeared. I'd really like his dead corpse to be there in the market as an example for other citizens about trash talking, etc.)

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 12:16 pm

1: Yes, they can
2: No
3: Yes

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:47 pm

Dragons tend to spawn when you fast travel, if you fast travel into town a lot the will attack you there.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 12:27 pm

1.)So if I always Fast Travel to City Stables and fight Dragons outside the Wall, there will be 0 chance that any Merchants inside City Wall will die, right?

2.)What about when a Dragon spawns inside City Wall and I quickly zone out through Main Gate before anyone dies. Will they die after I zone out?

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:25 pm

Don't know, I always just fight them where ever they show up

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:51 pm

1.)So if I always Fast Travel to City Stables and fight Dragons outside the Wall, there will be 0 chance that any Merchants inside City Wall will die, right?

2.)What about when a Dragon spawns inside City Wall and I quickly zone out through Main Gate before anyone dies. Will they die after I zone out?

I'd reall appreciate it if someone could answer these. I cannot afford to have Merchants in Town dying, who am I going to sell items to? I don't do TG & DBHood stuff.

» Sun Jun 03, 2012 12:23 am

1.)So if I always Fast Travel to City Stables and fight Dragons outside the Wall, there will be 0 chance that any Merchants inside City Wall will die, right?

Wrong. My very first visit to Windhelm a dragon decided to sack it. It was dealt with in short order but it was suprising to say the least.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 11:40 pm

Dragons tend to spawn when you fast travel, if you fast travel into town a lot the will attack you there.

They'll attack inside towns even without fast-travel - as I just recently learned. I encountered a dragon flying around outside Riften who didn't attack, so I entered the town, and as soon as I entered, I was duking it out with an ancient dragon. It's made me wonder about those other times when I had a dragon refusing to fight outside townwalls.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 5:35 pm

1.)So if I always Fast Travel to City Stables and fight Dragons outside the Wall, there will be 0 chance that any Merchants inside City Wall will die, right?

2.)What about when a Dragon spawns inside City Wall and I quickly zone out through Main Gate before anyone dies. Will they die after I zone out?

1) NPC's can only die of attacks within their own game-cell. Since the dragon is not inside the city-cell, it can not kill merchants inside the city.
2) I'm not sure, but I think they will die. Very likely the game will process the dragon fight for you. So when you return, people might be dead.
I did have a guard turn up dead once, without seeing or hearing any fight. I assume it is done while I was out of the cell.

EDIT:

Wrong. My very first visit to Windhelm a dragon decided to sack it. It was dealt with in short order but it was suprising to say the least

That would mean a dragon attack is done as multiple cells at once? Or am I completely mistaken by the game mechanics behind cells?

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:18 pm

1) NPC's can only die of attacks within their own game-cell. Since the dragon is not inside the city-cell, it can not kill merchants inside the city.
2) I'm not sure, but I think they will die. Very likely the game will process the dragon fight for you. So when you return, people might be dead.
I did have a guard turn up dead once, without seeing or hearing any fight. I assume it is done while I was out of the cell.

That would explain why I've seen random NPC's turn up dead in towns.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:25 pm

That would mean a dragon attack is done as multiple cells at once? Or am I completely mistaken by the game mechanics behind cells?

I dunno all I know is I took the Carriage to Windhelm, and there was no dragon, and then I went into the city and suddenly BAM Dragon Attack! Rolff Racist-Fist didn't even have time to finish harassing the poor Dark Elf woman.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:58 pm

That's a different thing then, since it spawned inside the city. If it spawns outside (for example on the docks or by the stables), then the NPCs inside the walls are safe.

Fast travel is no protection or guarantee. Dragons can pop up at any time and any place.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 6:58 pm

Despite killing oh some fifty dragons I have yet to have one land inside a city wall. I have fought them in cities but it was either outside or the city lacked a wall. Its good to know they could land inside any of them.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:25 pm

Despite killing oh some fifty dragons I have yet to have one land inside a city wall. I have fought them in cities but it was either outside or the city lacked a wall. Its good to know they could land inside any of them.

I had several characters who never encountered dragons inside city walls - so encountering my first one inside Riften was quite the surprise.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 11:08 pm

I had several characters who never encountered dragons inside city walls - so encountering my first one inside Riften was quite the surprise.

I only had it happen once.
The rest of the dragons spawn either at a random remote location, word-wall or the College.
Dragons love the College.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:51 am

I don't mean us LEADING a Dragon into Town by zoning in Main Gate, but actually coming out of NPC/our House and like "Whoa! There's a Dragon INSIDE the City!" Can this happen?
Can fighting a Dragon OUTSIDE a City's Wall (Stables/Farms) causes NPCs INSIDE the city to die? (I did once see Dragon breathing fire inside of Windhelm's Wall eventhough I was all the way at Hlaalu Farm waiting for him to land AT the Farm and not in Windhelm, once that Dragon approached Windhelm Docks and breathed more fire I reloaded..)
Do dead bodies in City disappear? (I killed Nazeem in the middle of Whiterun Market Stand for 0 Crime after conveniently drinking Aela's blood at 08:00, I only saw his body for a day and now it disappeared. I'd really like his dead corpse to be there in the market as an example for other citizens about trash talking, etc.)

Yes they can. Also, it may be prudent to pray that none of your favorite vendors are wandering around outside when said Dragons do spawn inside the walled cities... just saying.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:05 pm

I've only had 4 appearances by dragons in walled cities. Twice in Solitude (Ancient Dragons), once in Whiterun (Elder Dragon, but it got distracted and left), and once in Windhelm (flew over once, then left - never really attacked).

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:46 pm

I havent had one attack inside a walled city since patch 1.3 prior to that I had 4 or 5 walled city attacks which I found pretty anoying as I liked to be able to get up and walk away from the game with out having to pause when inside the city.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 12:39 pm

1.)So if I always Fast Travel to City Stables and fight Dragons outside the Wall, there will be 0 chance that any Merchants inside City Wall will die, right?

2.)What about when a Dragon spawns inside City Wall and I quickly zone out through Main Gate before anyone dies. Will they die after I zone out?

Last one is interesting, I had to leave Lydia sometimes and she kills the enemy, most noticeable, we entered an fort and was attacked by two mages, she goes down after two seconds and I lost health fast so I turned around and exited the load door, outside I was healing up while expecting the enemy to follow but Lydia comes out and the two mages who had no problem taking her out was dead.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:10 pm

Despite killing oh some fifty dragons I have yet to have one land inside a city wall. I have fought them in cities but it was either outside or the city lacked a wall. Its good to know they could land inside any of them.

I played nearly 500 hours of Skyrim , and only yesterday , i had to fight a Dragon in the middle of Solitude town , just next to the general goods store and the bridge , i was truly shocked as i thought it could never happen inside a major city like Solitude .
It was not a dragon that i lured by entering the city after being chased by one , it just appeared after a fast travel , i don't remember well , but it's likely it did happen because i used fast travel to Solitude as soon as i got out of a store (i think i was in Morthal ) , so perhaps it is a bug (because i know that dragons appear often in small "cities" like Morthal , Falkreath or Dawnstar )

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 11:28 am

I only had it happen once.
The rest of the dragons spawn either at a random remote location, word-wall or the College.
Dragons love the College.

On my first play-through, they did, but now they avoid it like the plague.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 7:56 pm

Okay, thank you everyone.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 11:17 am

a dragon attacked in markarth once. i was not expecting that

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 10:48 am

@johnnycaps: It's not a bug. They're supposed to do that.

I've been attacked three times in Windhelm and twice in Riften. Also three times at Falkreath and about two dozen times at the College, but those don't have walls so they don't count.

Oddly enough, I haven't been attacked in one of the walled imperial cities yet. Just coincidence though.

» Sat Jun 02, 2012 4:58 pm

I haven't been attacked by dragons inside of a walled town yet (PC, 1.3 patch).

Dragons love Morthal in my case. Almost every time I'm arriving there (or even every time I leave the tavern of that town), there's a dragon. Worst about that is that they tend to fly off once down to 10% health, because there's no place to land on the floor in the town.

Never had one in the college.