Some say it's because they're lying and trying to trick you, but somehow I doubt that after I killed twenty bandits, the last one would think he could outsmart me. Why do enemies never really yield? They say they yield and then ALWAYS get back up and attack. Every now and then I could understand, but everytime? Where's the sense in that? Is it just bugged? Why was this feature implemented if it doesn't work?

They yield fine, assuming you ALSO put your weapons away. They aren't just gonna take your word for it.

I think what happens is that an enemy yields when they reach a certain amount of HP and because we heal over time they end up getting enough HP to fight again. This is just a guess though.

From what I know every enemies is have morality in skyrim. There are some enemies who will yield when fighting start and runaway, and there are some who will fight until dead, and there are some who will yield in the near end of the fight then start attacking you again. There is nothing you can't do about it. And cannot give mercy for npcs that have this morality.

that's a good question...

Am I the only one who puts his weapons away when they yield? It works for bandits, and I'm pretty certain their morality is as low as it gets, unless this is some sort of individual thing I don't know about?

Incidentally, yielding always works for me against the 'thieves' that try to mug you on the road. Sometimes they accept before even landing an attack... then they turn their back as they walk away.

Actually, some NPC's genuinely run away and hide, and only ever attack you again in panic if you get close to them. But this happens too rarely IMO.

Yes it does, you only need to draw your weapon and put it away, and they stop fighting Well they are thieves, unlike the rabid barbarians the game calls "bandits"

Whoa, is this the truth?
I've always wanted to let them go with certain characters I have.

I thought they dont really yield either until the other day i had a funny encounter with a group of bandits. I was playing my badass barbarian when bandits foolishly attacked me...i slaughtered everyone with my battle axe and the last bandit ran away screaming "i yield!", i gave chase not trusting him to actually yield and he kept running away screaming "im sorry it wont happen again!" then when i got close to him he crouched in a fetal position, trembling and apologizing so i took pity on him and sheathed my axe...he said thank you and ran away.

Dont trust people to yield but i guess if you're badass enough and standing over them with a battleaxe, they will actually yield to your awesomeness

+1

Huh. Well, I figured, since they're thieves and bandits and all, you can't just take their word for it. So I always kept my swords out.

Time to try out the sheathing trick then.

sounds too good to be true, like those stories you'd hear from previews/first looks on the internet that never actually happen (to be in the game)...

ha i agree but im no writer and unfortunately dont play pc so i cant post a vid...i thought the same as you, that it was an unbelievably awesome experience because i've never had someone actually yield before. I've had several other "unbelieveable" experiences that i've enjoyed but didnt share here..

This, plus I've hit them hard enough/caused enough damage in one hit, that they've tried to run away before.

They tried to run...

They never get far.

I actually had someone yield the other night. I was attacked by some random bandits walking down the road. One ran away when his health was low. After the others were dispatched, I saw him cowering in the bushes. I went over to deliver the coup de grace and he screamed "Leave me alone I yield!!" and ran away. I fully expected him to come back, but he kept running.

The game still showed him on my HUD for a few minutes, but the guy never bothered me again.

If four bandits attack, and the first one goes to a knee and cries for mercy, and you sheath your weapon, and he really has yielded (yelt?), what about his buddies? They will continue the attack, and then wouldn't the first guy get back into the fight? Or does he just stand there and watch while you destroy his friends? Or does it only work on the last bandit? ....Or what?

Food for thought and experimentation, I'll try it and see how it goes.

They will continue to attack, and since your sword is out to fight them, the first guy may go back into combat mode. We may only be able to get the last guy or two standing to yield.

A TRUE NORD NEVER BACKS DOWN.

They just take a knee and then run begging for their lives whilst hiding behind the nearest tree, rock, low wall, etc. that they can find. And when you find them, there's even more begging and running.

Everyone in Skyrim has the courage of a Lion.

I think you want to say "morale," not "morality." "Morality" refers to the ethics of good and bad. "Morale" refers to a person's willingness to fight.

Problem is that if you are fighting 3 of them you can't very well put your weapon away if the first one yields. That first one will crawl away, regen health and then rejoin the fight. Might work well enough on the last one. I have never seen an NPC completely break and run like they did in Oblivion. That would be nice.

I always figured it's just because they don't know you're the hero, so the chance are still good in their mind. I didn't know about this yielding bandit stuff, I always murdered them all, even if they surrendered because I didn't think it was legitimate. Huh.

All above posters who are confused about NPC's running away obviously don't pay attention or don't fight in a variety of ways or something, because I have people yield to me and run away all the time....

I certainly do have the ones who get injured and then return to fight mode if I don't Mortal Kombat them in time, but there's also plenty who freak out and run away and hide. However, I never put my weapons/spells/bow away until nothing is left living within my HUD range, so I don't let anyone live to tell the tale.