I've come across dozens of NPCs that when almost dead they say something like "no more! I give up!" Then they kneel for a moment, then get back up and charge at me again. Do some NPCs actually give up? Or is that just flavor text to outsmart dumb players like me into letting them get back up and kill me?

Nope.

They will just wait untill their HP gets up past a certain point then attack you again.

Btw had you done a quick search there's already a few post on this subject.

What I like to do is get my bow up draw an arrow

and when they almost get up....BANG that will teach you to outsmart me

I've had 1 or 2 who ran away or yielded but most get back up again.

I was disappointed that they didn't actually yield. My honorable character would have let them go. But no, they got back up and hit me again...and down they went.

Try pressing "R" to disengage combat and see if that has any effect ( I hope that you don't think, that I think, that you think, that I think, that you think, that I think you're dumb )

I was also a bit disappointed that they didn't yield. Waste of line.

edit:


Hah, ok. It wouldn't make sense but I guess its how it works. Thanks, will try it out.

I've had a couple that ran away from me. But I usually end up killing them before I even have time to react to the fact that they're crouched down and not attacking.