[Shiarra Curtis]

That's good, although I have to ask if they fixed the abysmal AI for the vanilla content? And are followers the only ones who got an education, or are the bad guys smarter now too?

Dancing trolls sounds amusing, and I'm glad the dogs are worth using. I just wish we could designate attacks for them, have them heel and not attack until I start attacking, or best of all, take them hunting and have them track prey.

I find the AI connected to the DLC to be a little better ( smarter ) but I really haven't done much in the vanilla game since I got Dawnguard besides go hunting as a werewolf, and I was too busy drooling over the EPICNESS that is the new werewolf perk tree

[dean Cutler]

Can the dogs die? I only use trolls because they are not named. And can you have a dog and troll out at the same time?

someone said the dogs dont respawn, so i assume that means they can die, and the trolls, dogs, and aela count as pets

[Bird]

Can the dogs die? I only use trolls because they are not named. And can you have a dog and troll out at the same time?

Yeah they can die, I squashed Bran by mistake while being attacked by the fangers. But a quick reload fixed that, I haven't tried having a troll and a dog at the same time, I just assumed that the troll counted as a dog preventing you from having both at the same time.

[Kieren Thomson]

I find the AI connected to the DLC to be a little better ( smarter ) but I really haven't done much in the vanilla game since I got Dawnguard besides go hunting as a werewolf, and I was too busy drooling over the EPICNESS that is the new werewolf perk tree

Ha, I'm hoping if we do get a "hardcoe mode" we see an increased emphasis on hunting, and can have our dogs track and help us hunt animals.

The only problem with a hardcoe mode would be vampires, because we still (for whatever backwards lack of reason) are encouraged not to feed, as it makes vampires more powerful, which kind of conflicts with the whole needing to sleep, eat, and drink thing.

[sw1ss]

Ha, I'm hoping if we do get a "hardcoe mode" we see an increased emphasis on hunting, and can have our dogs track and help us hunt animals.

The only problem with a hardcoe mode would be vampires, because we still (for whatever backwards lack of reason) are encouraged not to feed, as it makes vampires more powerful, which kind of conflicts with the whole needing to sleep, eat, and drink thing.

hardcoe mode wouldnt work like that for vamps i imagine. I really doubt hardcoe mode is coming, it seems like a lot of rewriting for a small request (i do want it) But using the dogs as hunting buddies would be slick, i want to change their armor

[FoReVeR_Me_N]

Yeah they can die, I squashed Bran by mistake while being attacked by the fangers. But a quick reload fixed that, I haven't tried having a troll and a dog at the same time, I just assumed that the troll counted as a dog preventing you from having both at the same time.

But do dogs go down like companions and then do enemys ignore them? Or is it like tha trolls

[Flutterby]

Ha, I'm hoping if we do get a "hardcoe mode" we see an increased emphasis on hunting, and can have our dogs track and help us hunt animals.

The only problem with a hardcoe mode would be vampires, because we still (for whatever backwards lack of reason) are encouraged not to feed, as it makes vampires more powerful, which kind of conflicts with the whole needing to sleep, eat, and drink thing.

You still gain stuff as a fanger when you sleep, it's us werewolves that don't get anything for sleeping. As for the eating thing, I thought you had to eat food with the hard core mod ? Does blood count as food?

[Madison Poo]

But do dogs go down like companions and then do enemys ignore them? Or is it like tha trolls

Like companions, when they cower like the original dogs all NPC's turn their attention to you. So either you deal the final blow by mistake or they just so happen to be in the way of " in coming " at the time.

[Theodore Walling]

any pictures of these new dogs???

[TASTY TRACY]

I am gonna try out these dogs in a bit.

[phillip crookes]

You still gain stuff as a fanger when you sleep, it's us werewolves that don't get anything for sleeping. As for the eating thing, I thought you had to eat food with the hard core mod ? Does blood count as food?

I'd think it'd have to, since vampires don't need to eat human food (ask the cook in the Blue Palace about this).

I still haven't decided which way to go yet for Dawnguard (PS3), but I think I'm sticking with werewolves. The whole "Thin-Bloods" thing was a real turn off for me. Rather than add variety, they made a Vanilla Vampire+ and took away penalties for becoming undead.

Neither Werewolves or Vampires should be treated as simple stat boosts. There should be drawbacks for becoming one or the other.

[victoria johnstone]

any pictures of these new dogs???

youtube has a video somewhere, but i dont think anyone in forums has a good screenshot

[kasia]

I'd think it'd have to, since vampires don't need to eat human food (ask the cook in the Blue Palace about this).

I still haven't decided which way to go yet for Dawnguard (PS3), but I think I'm sticking with werewolves. The whole "Thin-Bloods" thing was a real turn off for me. Rather than add variety, they made a Vanilla Vampire+ and took away penalties for becoming undead.

Neither Werewolves or Vampires should be treated as simple stat boosts. There should be drawbacks for becoming one or the other.

agreed, but i dont think vampires should ever need to eat food, but who knows, im not sure what lore has to say on vampires eating. But i get the balance concern, people would role vampires if it meant they didnt have to eat, but i imagine most people playing on hardcoe are roleplayers meaning if they dont want to play vampire they wont, and wont simply choose it for the easy hardcoe mode,

but anyways puppies

[Justin]

I'd think it'd have to, since vampires don't need to eat human food (ask the cook in the Blue Palace about this).

I still haven't decided which way to go yet for Dawnguard (PS3), but I think I'm sticking with werewolves. The whole "Thin-Bloods" thing was a real turn off for me. Rather than add variety, they made a Vanilla Vampire+ and took away penalties for becoming undead.

Neither Werewolves or Vampires should be treated as simple stat boosts. There should be drawbacks for becoming one or the other.

Uh...what about the massive weakness to fire and HUGE stat penalties if you're out in daylight at the higher stages? Along with anything that does bonus stuff to Undead affecting you? Those all sound like pretty real drawbacks to me.

I still don't get why feeding makes you LESS powerful, though. That....seems weird.
And I need to go look for the new dogs, it seems.

[Vahpie]

Uh...what about the massive weakness to fire and HUGE stat penalties if you're out in daylight at the higher stages? Along with anything that does bonus stuff to Undead affecting you? Those all sound like pretty real drawbacks to me.

I still don't get why feeding makes you LESS powerful, though. That....seems weird.
And I need to go look for the new dogs, it seems.

OT again, but feeding makes you weaker is because your "curing, or getting rid of the symptoms with blood" you essentially;y treating yourself to be less diseased, but i see the concern..

so speaking of vamps how do the hell hounds stack up against the huskies?

[Beast Attire]

Uh...what about the massive weakness to fire and HUGE stat penalties if you're out in daylight at the higher stages? Along with anything that does bonus stuff to Undead affecting you? Those all sound like pretty real drawbacks to me.

I still don't get why feeding makes you LESS powerful, though. That....seems weird.
And I need to go look for the new dogs, it seems.

The weakness to fire has been cut in half, and even then it wasn't a big deal (Vampires can become completely immune to any and all magic very easily), and diminished stats is nothing compared to the sun outright destroying you (which would have actually given the vampires reason to seek blotting it out in the first place). And unless silver weapons are going to stagger you constantly or anything like that, if you're at a high level nothing's going to really be able to touch you anyway.

[Dona BlackHeart]

i miss burnig in the sun

[Tracy Byworth]

Do the huskies bark as much as the original dogs do? The first dog I had in skyrim barked almost constantly.

[Bonnie Clyde]

I didn't use them because my armored troll was a failure and thought that huskies probly die in one hit lol. I might use them now though after hearing that they are good. Still dissapointed about the troll though.

[Cheville Thompson]

I've yet to use the Huskies because I'm afraid I'll lose them. I usually work alone anyways, but who knows... if they can take on Dragons they can take on some Vamps.

[Sherry Speakman]

Pics????

[SamanthaLove]

Pics????

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mFxhcZIt4E

[Talitha Kukk]

The weakness to fire has been cut in half, and even then it wasn't a big deal (Vampires can become completely immune to any and all magic very easily), and diminished stats is nothing compared to the sun outright destroying you (which would have actually given the vampires reason to seek blotting it out in the first place). And unless silver weapons are going to stagger you constantly or anything like that, if you're at a high level nothing's going to really be able to touch you anyway.

I think that's kind of the point of being high level? At least against mundane opponents. I, personally, don't find it a lot of fun when about 98% of the NPCs are only much use during the day (shops, blacksmiths etc) when, surprise surprise, being a vampire isn't so good. It's not 'challenging' to have to keep necking health potions in town because you have a ton of stuff you need to sell and you can only do so during the day, that's annoying. Borderline frustrating. Also, there's no incentive to get to higher stages of vampirism if doing so means you turn into something like a barbequed skeever-burger within a few seconds. Again, no challenge, just annoyance. Having to balance the stat penalties and fire weakness during the day is more challenging than unavoidable damage.

Also, 'becoming immune to nearly all magic' is not unique to vampires; my Nord warrior is pretty much immune to all magic because he's wearing half a dead dragon that's been enchanted to Oblivion and back. So is my Breton mage, because she's a Breton, coupled with alteration perks and a few items.

[Kieren Thomson]

I think that's kind of the point of being high level? At least against mundane opponents. I, personally, don't find it a lot of fun when about 98% of the NPCs are only much use during the day (shops, blacksmiths etc) when, surprise surprise, being a vampire isn't so good. It's not 'challenging' to have to keep necking health potions in town because you have a ton of stuff you need to sell and you can only do so during the day, that's annoying. Borderline frustrating. Also, there's no incentive to get to higher stages of vampirism if doing so means you turn into something like a barbequed skeever-burger within a few seconds. Again, no challenge, just annoyance. Having to balance the stat penalties and fire weakness during the day is more challenging than unavoidable damage.

Also, 'becoming immune to nearly all magic' is not unique to vampires; my Nord warrior is pretty much immune to all magic because he's wearing half a dead dragon that's been enchanted to Oblivion and back. So is my Breton mage, because she's a Breton, coupled with alteration perks and a few items.

I was saying there's no need to diminish the weaknesses if you're going to be practically invincible at high levels anyway, not that you shouldn't be strong at high levels. You should. But if your so strong at high levels (and considering very few characters use fire magic OR silver weapons), diminishing these weaknesses is kind of pointless since they really aren't going to be having that big of an impact on you in the first place.

Also, if you didn't like being attacked at Stage 4, you should feed regularly. I know that makes you weaker, which is in and of itself, a whole other stupid decision, but them's the breaks.

As for being immune to magic, while it's true that all people can become nearly immune to all magic, vampires can become COMPLETELY, as in 100% guaranteed magic absorption, which makes that weakness totally moot. That IS a unique feature to vampires. With the right perks and stone in place, you won't ever have to worry about ever getting hit with a spell. Necromage + Atronach Perk + Atronach Stone = Total Magic Absorption.

As for having to sell things during the day, I agree. There should be some shops only open at night. Gives the cities more life to them, which is always a good thing.

[Kayla Keizer]

The huskies are worth the price of admission alone IMHO. Vanilla was conspiciously missing huskies and I was pretty sure they would be DLC' d in at some point.