After "Restoring the Hollow City", can you still increase the city's population?

Holycannoli · December 2015

I still find random prisoners etc. in the wild but I don't know if helping them increases the city's population. The city's already restored (but the Army Of Meridia quest isn't turned in yet) and I swear the city's population is growing as I rescue those random prisoners but that might be my imagination at work.

Is there actually any benefit to helping those random prisoners after the city is restored? I want to know if I should bother exploring every nook and cranny of Coldharbour before turning in the quest.

All the side/optional quests I believe are complete.

OmniDevil · December 2015

As you complete all of the main story line in Coldharbour, the citys population will grow (not like booming, but significant) and some houses (depending on your quest dialogue choices) will open up and some of those NPCs will reside in them.

I hope that helps!

Holycannoli · December 2015

Oh I know that, I'm just wondering if I should hold off on turning in this quest and continue to look for prisoners harassed by dremora.

OmniDevil · December 2015

Holycannoli wrote: »

Oh I know that, I'm just wondering if I should hold off on turning in this quest and continue to look for prisoners harassed by dremora.

IIRC, those "prisoners" don't actually increase the population, but rather, completing the storyline in Coldharbour and the further you progress through it, is what does that.

Holycannoli · December 2015

Oh so they aren't responsible for me seeing a lot of generic Coldharbour Survivors and other named NPCs now.

OmniDevil · December 2015

Holycannoli wrote: »

Oh so they aren't responsible for me seeing a lot of generic Coldharbour Survivors and other named NPCs now.

afaik, no. The questlines, such as the one where you have to win a dremora's contest and you have to choose this necromancer guy, mages guild people, etc. As you complete those quests, things start opening up along with additional npcs start appearing as well. I personally only ever did full zone clears on two characters using the same method and each time the end result was the same.