Clearing a location will naturally leave it empty of all enemies, so is it better to leave it alone in case there is a quest that sends the player to a certain location? IE. a player discovers Darkshade cave and clears it, and later on there's an NPC that gives a quest for Darkshade but since it's cleared... you get the idea. So, is it 'safe' to just clear anything we come across or leave locations for quests we might get later on?

/bump

Yeah I know I posted only a few hours ago, but within a minute or two after I posted the topic it was on the end of Page 2 of the General Forum

The quest will then take place elsewhere ie it picks a dungeon on the fly to keep things fresh

Dungeons do repopulate, they just take more than three days. I've visited one dungeon twice for two different quests and it was full both times. And another bandit hideout I pass frequently gets new members every now and again.

^ This.

Also I have gone back to a dungeon and I found it re-populated with bandits. So maybe after a certain amount of time they add enemies again?

I cleared an early dungeon and wound up picking up an item inside it that was required for another quest that I hadn't even gotten form a NPC yet - so it instantly-completed right after accepting the quest.

I didn't even have to go back in to get it. I thought it was just some junk to sell and BAM - turned out to be a quest item.

Many thanks, I went along and cleared a few dungeons anyway, hoping I won't 'screw' anything up quest-wise so this is all pleasant news

I cleared out Fort Greymore to use as a squatters home. Took me a while to do, but it was all mine. My own blacksmith, kitchen, and maid! I stashed some loot around and then went out for a side quest. When I came back the next day, it was full of imperial soldiers and they had stolen my chest and told me to get lost!

Squatting svcks, I guess I gotta buy a house.

On topic: I read somewhere (prima giude?) that even if the map says "cleared", it may repopulate within a month's time and the map will still say cleared.