I went to Riverwood as I got there it came under attack by a dragon Alvor and Sigrid both got killed by it. I then went to Whiterun only to find it under attack by vampires Belethor got killed by one of them. I'm fine with NPC's getting killed but why don't they get replaced by someone new ?. Belethors shop is now permanently closed and Alvors blacksmith shop is empty. I like the random attacks I like NPC's getting killed in them but the Skyrim my character lives in is fast becoming empty.

Having other NPCs filling newly vacant niches like blacksmithing sounds complicated. It sounds like a very good idea. It would add to the immersion factor of the game. Right now, I dont know if they could do it. Great idea though.

I think that they should have a random character generator to help with the population. As it is you are only given a set amount. once they are all dead.. well.. theres noone. Or they should make shop keepers immortal like they do children. Although I dont really like anything in the game being immortal. I mean. When I want to kill everything in a village.. I want to kill everything in that village. I dont want some of them just to be knocked down. It messes with the game. I miss Morrowind.

Think it is actually possible, but only occurs in some areas. The trader in riverwood was one of them, his sister takes his place. Not 100 percent sure but I think she did.

It's actually not complicated at all. Just make random npcs with basic a randomized schedule and the same job as the last npc. This should have been done, and would have been smart.

Simple, have everyone essential, but a special kind of essential that they can only be killed by you.

Having to redo all the voice work for a new shop keeper would be a lot of work and money and not to mention makeing them take over quest the last shop keeper would of given out.

I don't like it. Where do they come from? Conveniently rode in from out of town? It cheapens the consequences of your actions and gives no real reason to protect the townspeople.

Making things easier might allow for less stress, but can also be less fun IMO.

@mmunroe20
I agree, there are way too many essentials in Skyrim. So what if someone is tied to a quest? Unless it's the mq or a guild line, let me do what I want to do. I tried executing Maven's son in the night, but instead he just fell out of bed, keeled over, and called out for the guards. Lame, I say!

Just give them the generic dialogue? And it's unrealistic that no one ever replaces anyone. You dont just run out of people for eternity. It's insane.

Some people will take over shops when possible. But having random npcs popping up from nowhere is just silly.

It's not silly. It makes no sense that no one ever moves into old houses for eternity and that towns end up being populated with nothing but guards. New people come into town. Not immediately. Make us wait a month or something. It jus breaks the immersion when someone dies knowing that no one new in the entire universe is ever going to appear.

I think it makes sense story wise but from a technical and money standpoint it dosen't. They should just make it so NPCs can't be killed by other NPCs unless it's quest related.

This woulden't be so hard to make do a mod request!

Important npcs yes, but generic ones should just be replaced with other generic ones. Better than nothing. It's very simple to just program it so after a month or two a new generic npc shows up in town with a basic schedule and dialogue and takes over the last person's job.

I can kill an entire city's garrison, come back at a later date and they have all been replaced with another bunch of generic guards, with the same voices. It's not as if every unique npc has a unique voice actor assigned to them. Just give the new npc the same voice as the one that died or that of another npc vendor. Like i said, they already do it, so it's nothing new.

Bandits get replaced so where do they come from then ? it would make sense that after maybe a month someone would move into town and take up a vacant position. How would it cheapen your actions when it has little to do with your actions in the first place ?. I received a letter of inheritance and some gold I didnt recognise the name so I looked it up it turns out he was the owner of kolskeggr mine. I had cleared out the mine of foresworn but after I had gone they came back and killed him. How could I have stopped that and how would generating a new mine owner cheapen my actions ?. In my present game shores stone is something of a ghost town all the random attacks have left it with only guards Darkwater crossing is the same. Alvor and Sigrid are dead and the shop empty Adrianne the smith at warmaidens is dead Belethor is dead and his shop closed. No one moves in to take up the vacant position but bandits always get replaced with new bandits.

Yes to the last two posts. I agree.

THIS.

but i think many on here prefer playing in a lifeless barren world only populated by guards.

my current games populace is also starting to decline due to dragon and vampire attacks *sigh*

Bad luck on getting both Alvor and Sigrid killed. I went back to Riverwood and found Alvor had been killed. Bummer, he was useful, annoying. One way around it is to do a reload, that solves it. I don't know how long ago my Alvor got killed, it must have been some way back, and I didn't feel like re-doing all that I had done since then, I'll just have to live with it.

Reload if it happens is the answer.

NPCs do repopulate places that you have cleared though, not as many, but some.

Isn't that the whole point of the towns having Guards? They are supposed to protect the towns and their people not the Dovahkiin.

The guards should be fighting not towns people. The skirt should have towns folk running into there houses for safety not fighting off the dragon. And random events that kill useful NPCs should only happen when you are in the area.
I have only had this issue in towns that don't have walls, none in the main keeps have died yet.

You, Dragonborn and or Dawnguard have failed to live up to your title. Protect the people.

Think of it as a feature to enjoy.