I was up by Roriksteak a few minutes ago and I saw a dragon flying around in the sky. I figured it would come to attack, bu instead it flew away. I'm just wondering can dragons go and attack cities, towns, camps, settelments, etc. while you are away? Or will they only attack areas where you are?

Since the game engine only has things going on in your current cell, probably not.

That and people would be pretty pissed to come back and find that an entire town had been destroyed and they couldn't do anything to stop it or know where to reload to.

lol, deja vu http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1342438-do-dragons-stay-in-the-area-and-kill-stuff/

Alright thanks, just making sure.

Well I don't know how large a cell is, but I saw a dragon attacking a city/village (can't remember the location) way off in the distance and it killed several guards.

This also happened while I was in Riften and a dragon attacked, and flew to the little island with the bee hives (drawing a blank on the names sorry) and attack those people instead. Now that was no where near as far as the first part.

I was standing still to check my stats and just happen to notice something moving in the sky and as I watched I knew it was a dragon after I saw fire comming out of it's mouth.

but like I said I don't know how big a cell is

I've fast-traveled to different places, like the DB sanctuary, where I could see a dragon way off to the north, in the vicinity of a named grove there. I went into the DB cell, came out later and the dragon was still out there, frying spriggons and deer. I suspect, but do not know, that the engine puts the dragon on hold if you aren't there to deal with it. I've seen others flying around a mountain top, but it was just too far out of my way to deal with. A day later I came back that way, and it was still there.

Bethesda have put the remnants of some dragon attacks in at least one location in Skyrim. There is a note there which updates your map with the location of the dragon and a word wall.

BTW, did those fallen trees make a noise when they fell?

I had a wierd behavior on a dragon. I had a radiant quest to kill one, and saw him circling over his lair. Only trick is I was in the other side of a "pass" with two entrances and was way on the other side of some steep mountains

Well, i used Throw Voice to call him over and quick saved as he was near. Be kept flying away after I hurt him some! After 9 or 10 reloads and definitely arrowing him to 0 health i realized he wasnt going to die so i forgotna about it

On the other side of pass he attacked and i could kill him there

One time I saw a dragon attacking the outside of Solitude while I was at the docks below. By the time I had made my way up the hill to check it out all I found was the dragon dead on the ground and a single guard walking around.

+1 free dragon soul for me