Bethesda said they fixed this issue, but I've seen it happen at least 3 or more times so far. Yes, my game is version 1.3. The dragon will just circle around above everyone and not even attempt to do anything at all. The only way I've found to get it to attack was by quicksaving right there while it was flying above and then quickload. However, after quickloading, the dragon still won't attack for at least a minute then it'll finally start doing things. This is pretty annoying to have to go through every time it happens.

*FACEDESK*

Not another one of these...

See my sig? the big red letters?

here I'll do it for you even

http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

Read my reply in all of those.

the reason quicksaving and quick loading affects it is the dragon is assigned a random state each time, sometimes hostile sometimes not. ITS NOT A BUG the bug they fixed was one where dragons would land and not attack.

This may be by design. There are random dragon encounters that result in the dragon just circling overhead and then flying off. This particular encounter is listed in the Prima guide and is mentioned in the behind the scenes DVD that shipped with the Collector's Edition of the game which cited that dragons were meant to be portrayed as more thoughtful, diverse creatures and not just another hostile animal. The frequency of this "dragon flyover" encounter does seem to be more common with 1.3, but it may also be tied to your level. In my current game with a character started after 1.3.7.0 was applied, I have had three or so of these dragon flyovers and in only one instance was I able to provoke the dragon into combat. It usually happens after an area transition or fast travel after a set period of time. If you load an autosave and repeat your travel path, you can most likely reproduce the appearance of the dragon. It will not always be the same type of dragon and it may not always be passive.

In the most recent instance of this type of encounter I had the battle music come on for less than 10 seconds then shift back to exploration music. This happened twice and then the dragon flew off. I thought this was strange. That being said, I have had at least 2 or 3 instances of a dragon appearing and attacking anything and everything in the vicinity right away. This encounter started with the dragon flying much lower than the "dragon flyover." The "dragon flyover" encounter typically starts with the dragon being heard, then seen flying over the mountains at a great altitude. What usually follows is the dragon roaring and circling high overhead, then flying off. This differs quite a bit from the dragons that announce their presence by swooping low and attacking.

Is this your experience?

Xenophobe, there is no rule saying I have to search first before posting. Bethesda only suggests doing it before posting. I just didn't feel like searching at the time.

Kastagir, the dragons appear as red dots on my compass so if they're not attacking then why are they enemies? That's why I found this to be strange. It makes it annoying when I want to fast travel to somewhere, but I gotta run away from the area first. Also, my follower will stay behind trying to attack the dragon which is another annoying thing because what if I need his/her help?

Ransu, there have been a ton of these topics since the 1.3 patch notes were released. some of us get tired of seeing the same damn thread push far more important issues (like the sound bug i'm trying to help people fix) off the first page. Creating a new thread to say the same thing as fifty other people is pointless. it takes less time to type "Dragons not attacking" in the search bar than it does to make a new topic about it. Yes, even the passive state dragons will have the red indicator if they are low enough. If this bothers you enough you should progess in your story to get a certain shout that will force dragons into combat. the companions will stop trying to combat the dragon once it flies higher or further away.

I've not seen a dragon low enough to show as a red indicator on my compass and not have the dragon attack something. Since just last night I experienced a dragon flying above me and the battle music started and stopped twice before the dragon flew off, I would consider this to be unintended behavior, but I wouldn't bet on it being specifically due to any of the updates. There was a specific problem with dragons landing and then not attacking (just tracking you with their heads) before the 1.3 update and that was a much more serious issue. Don't worry, I'm sure dragons will get lots of attention in most of the updates. Even with this issue I've seen plenty of dragons attack normally, so I would suggest just playing the game and not worrying about fighting every random dragon.