It's annoying for many players.
The question from a "Hardware and Software Support" perspective is:
"Should shopkeepers be killed - and if so are they being replaced - and if not can the Developers:
- Code the game so named Shopkeepers are not killed.
- Code the game so someone will take their place if they are killed.
Good ideas, Azrael. One possibility of many. I would also suggest adding to the list:
Quest Givers
Quest Reward givers
Quest targets
To the point, an
Add-On should never become a
Take-Away.
I have no problem with the vamp attacks in theory. Nor do I want the game world populated with excessive essential npc's.
But I've found myself having to choose between playing Skyrim -or- Dawnguard. The two simply do not get along. To play Skyrim with Dawnguard installed jeopardizes actual gameplay. The list of broken quests has become out of control for one of my characters.
Example?
Certainly.
Shor's Stone:1. I had never been to the hamlet nor anywhere near its game cell.
2. Walked over to pick up an item for a Riften resident. Simple enough.
3. Upon arrival, remnants of a slaughter that occurred long before I arrived.
4. Slumped dead on their stools by the fire:
- Filnjar (quest now broken)
- Sylgja (possible quest now unavailable, possible marriage now unavailable)
- Grogmar gro-Burzag (ore merchant now unavailable)
- Other bodies were 1 Vampire, 2 Death Hounds and 1 Riften Guard.
- Remaining citizenry are Odfel and a Guard.
This is
just one of many settlement examples in my current Dawnguard game. The dead vamp, hounds and guard would have been sufficient to exemplify the battle presence in the Rift. But if an attack occurs before you even arrive, I can find no reason to limit gameplay by killing npc's essential for questing or bartering. Nor should these questing/bartering npc's be threatened when you are actually present for an attack. I'll fight the vamps. Or side with them as the case may be. That is not the issue. The potential for random deaths is not the issue either. They can target all the non-quest/barter npc's they want. I'll fight the vamps as best I can.
To be clear, I'm enjoying the Dawnguard gameplay. I like the quests and also the new items and areas. I feel I've gotten more than my $20 worth and thank the devs for the storyline and additions. Overall it has been fun, though I won't be purchasing it for my PC version. The additions are nice but these chaotic vamp attacks killing
(what I consider) rather essential npc's have rendered the rest of the province nothing more than a hassle and journal log clutter-fest. Some basic quests cannot be finished or started, quest items are now stuck in one's inventory, and the economy is in shambles. This cannot have been the devs' intent. I'll mark it down as an oversight and await the fix. But as it stands I can play either Skyrim -or- Dawnguard, but not both.
To eliminate the availability of potential quests, break quests in progress, remove merchants from the game...
These should not be the desired effects for an Add-On. These mechanics, by their very nature, make Dawnguard a Skyrim Take-Away.