I just had my suspension of disbelief blown away. In the Soul Cairn, Valerica relates that she and Serana come from a family of Molag Bal worshippers who sacrificially dispatch their daughters to Coldharbour to become playthings for Molag Bal, an ordeal which few survive. A couple of lines of dialogue later Serana is whining about just wanting the family back together.

What the hell? Where do these family values come from? Valerica had to have given birth to Serana before being sent to Coldharbour, meaning she either gave her daughter up willingly, knowing she was likely about to die, or was forced by their family.

I was going along with Serana's oddly (for a vampire, hell, for a Skyrim character really) kind, trusting etc. demeanour for the sake of enjoying Dawnguard, but this utter disconnect between her supposed history and present nature had me thinking "this is junk..."

Any thoughts?

I belivie it was Harkon that gave himself including his family to Molag Bal.

Yeah, it's junk. Only a juvenile would blow this off or set it to the side. Then again, maybe that's demographic Beth was shooting for.

Writing is not Bugesda's strong point. Making "open-world" sandbox games with no-personality NPC's and loads of bugs and glitches they don't fix is.

Suspension of higher brain functions is required while playing Bugesda games. Should be on the box, if you ask me.

Well maybe I misunderstood Valerica's dialogue...I took it that the family had followed Molag Bal for generations, routinely sacrificing women. My character is part of the Dawnguard so I know little about Harkon's story.

lol.. I had the same thought earlier. It's true. I'm only tapping into my lizard brain/ancestral functions.

I get some satisfaction talking lore on these forums though.

I think my main problem is that you get thrown into this vampire family BS as a member of the Dawnguard and there's no justification for it. If logic prevailed you would have just filled Serana full of bolts when she pops out of the rock and taken the elder scroll from her, you wouldn't walk her home across half of Skyrim. If logic prevailed, Harkon would try and svck you dry the minute he meets you (isn't he meant to be ever so slightly evil?). If logic prevailed, wouldn't the Dawnguard, now knowing the exact location of the vampire lair, be preparing for an all-out assault rather than doing the vampire's job for them, gathering the scrolls blah blah blah?

To be honest, I don't think its bad writing half as much as it is a desire not to have to fully write two seperate main quest lines.

Laziness, in other words.

I can't figure it out either. Maybe that's it. Laziness. Or maybe it's lack of logic. Maybe it's that they betted on everyone swooning and being sympathetic to her instantly? Judging from the forums, a lot of people like her. So maybe Beth bet right. I hated the character. I signed up to be Vampire Hunter D and then I get some lame Twilight stuff.

I liked the Falmer stuff though. I'm not all hate.

The only good thing about that DLC was the Snow Elf part, IMO. That was pure awesomeness!

Yes, the crossbows were cool, but that's a tool, not the story. I couldn't wait to dump Serena, she's as annoying as a five-year-old screaming brat in a store.

Haven't got to the Falmer yet, so it's uphill from here I suppose. Although...In order to find the Dragon scroll, I was forced to join the College, I then read Musings on the Elder Scrolls (or something like that) in the Arcaneum, and I now have the quest to find Septimus Signus to get the elder scroll for Paarthurnaax, even though I haven't met him yet...please tell me it works out in the end?

It'll work out. Some of those quests were designed with the main game (alone) in mind, but it still works.

Yes, it does work out in the end. You'll see. *grin*

I had that impression too. Like a society of people who worshipped the demon, like a small village or kingdown or town or something that participated in this worship and action.

It boils down to Molag Bal and his "tributes/rites", I'm sure that as a Daedra Prince that has no set gender would get funky with the whole family, but when it was Harkon's turn he said: - Umm... And wouldn't you like, I don't know, let's say, 1 or 2 thousands of innocent souls?.

If he couldn't have made the alternative deal he'd be a Son of Coldharbor.

BTW I think that the Dragonborn gets the powers very easily.

Yes it would be so much easier to follow boring over-used tropes.

And the idea that a Molag Bal worshipper (who went willingly to his embrace) sitting in a tomb for hundreds (thousands?) of years might possibly re-evaluate how vampirism (and Bal) has altered her family...well, that's just LAME. I mean, we can't have people changing their minds about things and maybe wishing that things could be better. Especially not vampires, cuz they all have to be evil and stuff.

/sarcasm

This. If every vampire attacked you there, I would expect Serana to attack you would have hacked at her at the moment I saw her eyes If I was in the game physically with the abilities of my character.

I would notice the blood is different and get a sample. The DG would figure out that it s a pure vampire and then trace it to the Vampire castle and prepare an assault.

Or

If you joined the vampires (like me) I would tell Harkon the first thing as a vampire should be to destroy the DG since the are still new and weak.

To be fair to Bethesda, much as i hate to say it, there are time limits, expense limits to dlc and given everyone and his dog on here was clamouring for new dlc, just as they are now!! who can blame Bethesda for not jumping on the bandwagon, people got what they asked for.
If they had say 18 months to develop it perhaps it would have more depth or quality but then again would you have paid more? Trade offs in everything i think for the cost against the time constraints it was pretty good and a whole lot better than most other games can manage in a full game.
Remember if they take any notice of these forums then Bethesda gave you what you asked for.
Old saying, be careful what you wish for.

Be carefull, half of the forum are rabid Serana really devoted fan/fangirls say anything derogatory towards her in anyway, your attracting a lynch mob.

Oh you will be in for one hell of a ride! I REALLY Loved the Falmer area of Dawnguard. And Septimus Signus' quest is one of my all time favorite quests, since it will sent you into one of my favorite areas. Have fun!