User blog comment:JAlbor/Dishonored Interview Opportunity/@comment-5561865-20120929053625/@comment-5561656-20121004014344

I think I can answer one of those great questions.

They felt it was very important to have more guards return in an organic fashion. So if you manage to knock everyone out, I don't think they generate replacements except if maybe the dart/knockout wears off over time. If an alarm is set off, you're not going to see a sudden influx of enemies, but rather it'll depend on positioning, i.e. Corvo doesn't manage to stop one guard on the second floor from alerting other guards. The second floor patrol will be on higher alert because of being notified. The first floor will slowly get the news to indicate the alarm going through the grapevine. That's as best as I know.