From what I remembered, pre-dawnguard, I never had these issues before. This is my first time playing the game with a spouse, since I figured all the other citizens were on a normal time frame, so would my spouse. I did have a lapse of a few months before playing again with dawnguard but those things never seemed to have bothered me before. It is possible that I've never paid as much attention since all the vampire attacks but I have to say I thought the streets would be empty at night, guards aside. I play on the xbox.

I play the xbox360, so no help from mods. Thanks for the idea though. I was walking toward the city gates and passed a guard and he told me about vampires getting out of control. I thought this was strange because I wasn't level 10, and at that moment that stupid vampire appeared and attacked the guards. Could that guard have initiated this? It would be impossible to avoid guards. What level are you? Yeah you can start it before level 10 by going to the dawnguard fort.

I used an earlier save from when I was level 8 to go to that fort with the intention to complete that main quest, but it's quite a challenge on that level. I don't know what to do as apparently npc still get attacked after you have finished the main quest... Also you can't avoid all npc from getting killed as some attacks happen at a different part of town from where you are, sometimes you arrive too late and sometimes you don't find out there was an attack until you find a body or notice a merchant never opens his shop again. I just don't want to start a new character only to visit ghost towns when I'm level 50 or so. What to do, what to do... Did you take some precautions Aussie500? You do not always get the recruiter, sometimes guards tell you about vampires and sometimes you get a vampire attack to start dawnguard.

Ok so I finished dawnguard yesterday with my new character. I really enjoyed the dlc, it had some beautiful areas and a nice armor set. Today I've been doing some quests in riften with the intention to buy a house there, and so far so good. I did not have a vampire attack in a city. I did have some vampire scouts and assassins attack me, but that was outside the cities. Does this happen to everyone who's finished that main quest of dawnguard? I wanted to do the side quests of the dlc after the main one, but I'm afraid it might trigger those vampire attacks in the cities. Experience anyone?

All in all, I like Dawnguard with the exception of those vampire attacks in cities. Bethesda, it would be wonderful if you could do something about those vampires killing npc in cities. The rest of the game is absolutely wonderful. Thanks!

Question: Do vampire attacks occur if you become one? Our is it just the Dawnguard that hunt you (b/c I'm guessing they won't kill citizens).

Your character will usually get less attacks if they join the vampires, but the vampires are attacking the towns, not you, so yes you still get attacks. While the Dawnguard might not intentionally go for NPC's if they are helping you against an attack they can still get killed. It is pretty easy to kill the Dawnguard groups before any NPC's can get hurt though.

I really don't think the devs thought that aspect of DG through enough. In addition to what you said about vamp spawns killing NPCs, there was something really stupid that happened to me recently. I entered Dawnstar at night (I'd started DG with a new character so I hadn't completed Dawnstar yet) and some vamps spawned right outside the jarl's hall. The jarl and the two legonaries were standing outside waiting for me to approach so they could do their little scene. The vamps spawned right next to them, so we all kill the vamps then they do their scene which was really jarring and immersion-breaking considering what had just happened. No "Oh wow, vampires!" They just went right into "You don't have to worry about us Skald, we're loyal to Dawnstar."

And if that wasn't bad enough, when I walked along the beach to the Mythic Dawn museum there was a vampire traveller who attacked me. So there I am fighting him and a gargoyle and the guy who runs the museum (who was standing outside because I hadn't talked to him yet) starts a dialog about the museum with me, right in the middle of the battle!

Did it not cross anyone's mind when they were placing the spawn points how it might conflict with those two scenes?

I'm really enjoying Dawnguard but like you I hate that aspect of it.

I truly hope that Bethesda reads all this and that they are able and willing to do something about those attacks.

Amren and Belethor are both dead. I'm not too bothered with Amren, but Belethor was alright, also had decent stuff in his shop.

Others have replied but I will note that I have had Vamp attacks in the wilds after the DG MQ is over. I have not had any more attacks, or mysterious strangers, in the cities.

Same here outside the city I experienced some attacks, but so far no attacks in the city after I finished DG.

The only merchant you need anyway is Lucan Valerius.

Hopefully none of the non-replaceable merchants won't be required for acquiring deeds and things like that for Hearthfire. That would really screw people over. I get the impression that it won't be the case, though.

I too am losing merchant and quest npc's to vamp attacks. And I worry someone quest critical is going to wind up dead before i get or complete the quest their associated with. Maybe a patch that makes them essential as long as their flagged as quest npcs, and maybe alot more health and AR for the merchants, or even paid body guards for them. just thoughts. Needs looking into though. I like the real sense of urgency the attacks create RP wise. Gives you a reason to get involved. But if you dont rush to finish DG and stop the attacks you are going to end up with a LOT of ghost towns. And I hate rushing lol

Wow, I had no idea this was a problem (tried not to read many of the Dawnguard threads). Maybe I'll just do the Dawnguard DLC with a newish character that I don't have so much invested in.