» Tue Nov 20, 2012 7:29 pm
Level 27 now with a new character. I have never been to Fort Dawnguard or approached by Durak the recruiter. I have the quest because all the stupid guards won't shut up about it.
First attack occurred in Whiterun just as I hit level 10. I didn't even know it happened at the time because it spawned near the main gate when I came out of Dragon's Reach after getting the Bleak Fall Barrow quest. Only reason I knew it happened is because of an ash pile (vampire thrall) and dead master vampire at the front gate.
Second attack happened in Riften. Again, I didn't know about it until I saw a corpse laying by the front gate. Turned out to be a master vampire. Must have spawned when I came into the city through the docks after getting the Avanchenzel quest.
Third attack happened in Whiterun. One master vampire and two thralls. Fortunately, no casualties. I believe this one spawned when I came out of the Bannered Mare, or maybe Jorvaskr, can't remember. Not Breezehome since I don't own that yet.
Fourth attack just occurred in Windhelm. This time it was two master vampires and two thralls. (Why not just have a vampire army invade and be done with it?) This one spawned by the front gate when I fast traveled to Palace of the Kings. Two casualties: Thjorborn Shatter-Sheild and Jora. I had already done Thjorbjorn's mini-quest, so I got the amulet of Arkay back, plus the money I gave him for a round of training.
Observations:
When I come into the front gate a Windhelm, the vampires spawn behind the Candlehearth Hall, not at the gate. When I come in at Palace of the Kings they spawn at the front gate. Same in Riften. When I come in by the main gate, they spawn at the market. When I come in near the market, they spawn by the gate. When I come out of a building on the other side of the city, I may have no idea that a vampire attack has spawned somewhere in the city. Bethesda wants to make sure that you are unable to intervene before NPCs are dead.
Vampires level with the player while NPCs do not. The higher the level you go, the more deadly the vampires will be to NPCs. Adrianne, for instance, has just 95 health and no armor. A vampire nightstalker, by contrast (level 28 and up), has 413 health and vampire armor.
These attacks are occurring even though I have had nothing to do with the Dawnguard. Unlike with the MQ where you make a conscious decision on whether to allow dragon attacks to start or not by deciding to do the Dragon Rising quest, you have no choice about whether vampire attacks will start. With DG installed, it is all vampires all the time until you finish the DG quest. The rest of Skyrim just needs to take a hike. Or you can simply not install DG until you have played Skyrim. Either way, these are two separate games and the DLC should not be sold as an add-on since it is clearly a take-away.