I just finished playing through the main quests of the Dawnguard DLC and I sided with the vampires. Besides the random encounters and attacks during the missions I really didn't see the Dawnguard as playing much of a role in the story line. In fact I don't remember having any vampire mention them. DId I miss something or are they only really involved if you side with them over the vampires?

I kind of noticed this.

They were sometimes mentioned, but I don't think the Vampires cared too much about them or saw them as a threat. When I play as the Dawnguard, I think there'll be a lot more involvement with both.

Thanks Anthony. I was afraid I missed something. It seems like a waste to form this faction and a huge castle to never visit it in a mission.

I have not finished the vampire side yet, still early on in the main quest. But did you do all the side quests where the vampires in the castle need help doing this or that. So far a few of them have been dawnguard related, but if thats all the dawnguard story line on vamp side.....thats kind of bad.

Well after the MQ they had me go kill a few dawnguard spys in certain holds, then i end up having to go to the dawnguard castle and kill everybody in it, was pretty cool doing it in VL form

Edit:

Yeah they are a lot more heavily involved in the side missions (mini spoiler) with missions including killing dawnguard spies, killing the dawnguard leaders and then even framing the dawnguard for murders. Even after you kill the leaders there will be side quests to kill dawnguard because even after the leaders are dead the dawnguard are kept going.

The vampires only really pay attention to the dawnguard through radiant quests, reason I think that the vampires don't care is because Harkon is too busy trying to fulfill the prophecy

The Dawnguard are nothing to Harkon. They're just flies to be swatted out of his way. Prey, mere mortals. He feels they're nothing to even be bothered with. Doesn't take the threat seriously.

This is really disappointing, this pretty much proves that the Vampire side svcks.

I'm really glad they didn't just make the DLC a faction war. One side has a goal. The other is trying to stop them. Unless you do the side quests, you won't run into many. And it makes sense. Lord Harkon's goal is to block out the sun, not eradicate the dawnguard. Personally, I liked this aspect of the DLC.

Thanks everyone. Glad they have a lot more involvement in the side quests.

In the sidequests you only kill dawnguard spys that have no dawnguard armor or weapon. Just cloths and a normal weapon. So your not really fighting a dawnguard since a dawnguard is = a human with special anti undead armor/weapons. May as well be killing bandits.

Seems like 75% of the time I leave the Castle Volkihar there are some Dawnguard Scouts outside ready to ambush. Haven't seen them on the roads yet.