I am aware of the NPC re-spawn issue where if you clear an area and then return with in two days you interrupt the re-spawn clock, and I'm also aware of the stacking glow for the nirnroot and the fact that the nirnroot doesn't re-spawn when picked.So my question is........

1. If I clear an area of bandits and then proceed to the nearest enclosed area(like a house or walled city) and wait 4 day's(in game) will I then be in the clear of interrupting the re-spawn clock?Or should I wait the full 10days(or the full 30)?

2. If I can pull it off and pick all 161 nirnroot in one trip around the full map will I in-turn eliminate the nirnroot where it doesn't re-spawn? I know this seems impossible but I'm gonna try my best to pick any and all of what is with in eye/ear shot not necessarily all of them, so I'm wondering if they will re-spawn and I will have to repeat the process or will they remain gone?

I have just started a new toon and was wondering if I adopt these janitorial duties just like cleaning up weapons and shields dropped by NPC will it help in a way or am I just wasting my time and should just play the game and run the risk of save file bloat? I know I shouldn't have to do it but I'm willing to do it along the way as I'm questing.

Thanks for any input
Carrots

O.k got my answer for nirnroots over in gen. discussion. But I still need to know about the bandits and stuff. If I can make it to a diff. cell (enclosed area like a house) can I wait the 4 days or what ever it is for the re-spawn clock am I safe to assume that said bandits or what ever will re-spawn as they normally should.

Just bumping my post trying to get n answer

I believe there are two respawn times in this game; 10 days and 30 days. Most exterior locations seem to be on the 10 day cycle, while the interior locations take 30 days (there are probably exceptions to this, but the 10 and 30 day times are accurate).

If you return to an area and see no corpses, you hit the window that seemingly breaks the spawning system (the time between body cleanup and respawn). So save your game before any backtracking just to be safe.

Thank you so as long as I can get to a place to wait 10 days(or even fast travel to town for that matter) I should be in the clear got ya!!

Areas that get marked "cleared" on your map respawn after 30 days (if you don't "reset" the clock before the 30 days). Almost all outdoor areas (including the exterior of "cleared" areas if you didn't venture into the interior -- I think) respawn after 10 days. The problem seems to be if you enter the cell between corpse cleanup (usually after two days) and full reset, the reset clock gets nixed.

So you don't necessarily have to wait indoors after every venture, you just need to avoid re-entering the same cells frequently. Usually those who don't fast travel, e.g., don't notice this problem as much. If you do some adventuring around Riften, e.g., and then move on to Whiterun for a bit, then up to Solitude, etc., you'll generally avoid the problem.

The other thing you can do until this problem gets fixed: don't clear "clearable" places (the interiors, at least) until you're given a quest involving that area. Sometimes, a Radiant AI quest will lead you to an area that's also hard-coded for another quest, so if you encounter what appears to be a unique item (not involving the current quest) in a chest or on an NPC, the safe thing to do is to leave it there.

And for many people (if you didn't already find out), nirnroots *will* respawn so the glowstacking will be a persistant issue, not one you can eliminate upfront.

Thanks for the input man, I do tend to walk the map an awful lot so I should be fine as long as I don't camp out in the same spot for to long. The nirnroot thing I was hoping would be affected by the respawn issue and would be able to do as much damage as possible by picking and interrupting the clock so as they wouldn't respawn. But they still respawn so that idea is down the crapper.