I just had a random bandit run up to me and give me a helmet..... IN COMBAT against a swarm of high level mages..

I barely survived being welted while the bugger distracted me, then another guy comes running up to me and chats..... getting me a Frost spike in the head from behind


The Heck?

I do think that NPCs should NEVER initiate conversation while you are in combat. Something that needs to be fixed at some point in the future. It's only a minor annoyance and it happens rarely, but still...

Circle circle circle? Esc esc esc? B b b?

I had the same problem a couple times. While fighting a dragon, a hunter came up to me and tried to talk about something. I just completely ignored him and exited convo as quickly as possible to deal with the dragon. Never found out what that hunter wanted...

This happened to me the second time I ever encountered a Dragon. I was killed before I could exit the dialogue, kind of frustrating, but it was so funny at the time that I let it go. It would be nice if they didn't force you into conversation while you are in combat(as previously suggested), but it's been a rare occurrence in my experience.

happens a lot to me, always the stupid bandit that gives me something then the hunter looking for him, it always seems to be when fighting dragons.

I was in riverwood taking down a blood dragon when... I shouted the dragon! A guard stoped attacking the dragon and said me "You must stop this... shoutin **dies**"

And... the dragon looked at me.. it was too late for pressing ESC key. A breath and I died.

Cicero came out from NOWHERE "Cicero has to be the listener! Now you will DIE! No.. I was joking".
But.. meanwhile.. a elder dragon flies over my head.. stops in front of my character... with a trollface and BLAAAAARH!! I'MMA FIRIN' MAH FIREBREATH!

And me and cicero died. The funny thing was: The dragon shouted YOL in the exact moment cicero said "YOU WILL DIE!"

And I tought "Cicero is now summoning dragons?"

It's annoying that NPCs can do this to you, but you can't talk to them while they're combat ready. (Except companions.)

For instance, I had just started a new character last night and wanted to unload some of the food/pelts I had picked up escaping Helgen and ran into a hunter. I chased him for a 5 minutes after he ran after a fox shooting at it with his bow. I couldn't initiate conversation with him until he had sheathed his weapon. (All for a measly 50 gold he had in trade....)

I had a guy run up and gives me a nifty bow saying 'take this and don't say anything else you will regret it'. then goes and hides about 20 foot away by a rock.
Next think another guy runs right up and asks if I have seen a bandit.
'Yep thats hem there' I say and watch him kill the bandit that gave me the bow.
I shake my head and wander off - with the bow...

A courier delivered a message to me in the middle of a dragon attack. Total dedication.

I was fighting a dragon in Riften, and this Argonian chick drags me into a conversation to give me this Dwemer thing I have to return to some ruins. In a way it was kind of randomly nice cause in order to keep fighting the dragon I just accepted the item and quest, even though it seemed a little shady. I was like "Yeah yeah yeah just hand it over and get out of my way! Cant you see were all fighting a huge dragon?"

I've had the "random dude runs up and hands you something" encounter 4 times so far.
I was in combat every time (only once with a dragon).
The trigger has to be bugged.

I had this today while a mudcrab was after me.
I thought I'd have enough time to finish the conversation bud the damn mudcrab killed me! Should have just tabbed out...

Someone ran by and handed me enchanted Dwarven Armor. I was pumped because this was the last piece I needed for the set. I just hauled out of there so I never saw the guards that were looking for him, Still got the armor!

That does NOT fix the problem.
What fixes the problem is that Bethesda does something about it.