wasnt the raidiant ai system supposed to replace important npc's/merchants if they died?

Yeah that'd be fine really, hopefully there'd be back up blacksmiths though lol.

But uh, when I said change in frequency it was to make it more moderate. As some get far too many and some get far too few. So it was just to even it out a little bit so the ones with too few get some more, and the ones with too many get a bit less to make it less overwhelming.

The feature should stay in although I don't understand how it's relevant to the story. It's just a fun idea to me. But it can cause its fair share of issues.

I guess you werent fast enough to save the people. Grief and shock does that to you. Just remember, next time you have to be aware and protect all the citizens of Skyrim. The Dovahkiin is always aware.

So when I exit dragonsreach and the attack occurs at the main gate, during daylight.....I'm supposed to do what?? Reload??? GREAT design decision there.....

Knowing there could have been an attack, going to Dragonsreach in the first place was a risk. You could have left a follower near the gate, ensured your NPC's had health potions and decent weapons to give them a chance at surviving. Even still you should be able to sprint from Dragonsreach to the gate and still do some good, they spawn as you come out the Dragonsreach door. But your smith would be dead if you had done nothing to improve her chances.

It is better maybe to go in and out a few doors closer to the gate to see what appears. Although for one of mine the most popular attack was coming out of Hjerim they would spawn near the gate and at the back of Candlehearth Hall. It made no difference what she did before going home, that was the most popular trigger.

Uh huh....GREAT design decision....the point isn't whether I could save my npc's (I usually do) but the fact that I have to go to such great lengths to do so....with no way to avoid the attacks from starting, or get them to stop...and no, finishing the DG main quest doesn't always stop them

The effort some of you go to just to defend the poor design of the feature is baffling, if not just plain idiotic. I'd be quite content if people were saying they liked the attacks for this reason or another, but to advocate that other players should stop playing in both a normal and natural manner is ridiculous.

"Oh, just avoid cities and towns until the DLC is completed."
"Oh, just don't visit any of the merchants."
"Oh, just stand around at the gate with no clear in-game reason on the meta-premise that an attack may be forthcoming."
"Oh, just be omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent, then no one dies."
"Oh, just Bethesda is the bestest game designer evers, if you think your game does not function flawlessly as I believe mine does then you're an incompentent amateur who doesn't grasp the divine nature of Zenimax's subsidiary!"

Please, people, give it a rest. These attacks don't have a legitimate in-game reason for occuring, they are not entirely predictable, and are certainly not consistent enough within each save, let alone each player's game, to always be prepared to combat effectively. Numerous people have reported the same bugs, multiple bugs at that. As small of a percentage as are complaining about it here, it's worth noting that only a tiny percentage of players even visit here. Furthermore, even fewer of those who visit the forums actually own the DLC, and fewer than that will actually register, login, and post their satisfaction/displeasure with the feature.

Like it if you are so inclined, but don't be so immature as to make such innane suggestions as to recommend people play the game in a thoroughly unimmersive fashion.

They make the main game easy enough for anyone to play, there is no reason for them to make the DLC that easy, this one was more for the experienced players. Yes you want to save your NPC's you have to put a lot of work into it, there is nothing wrong with that. Between my two characters who played it there were a lot of things I never tried, neither of mine were mages, so never tried any of the spells that could have been used. If you did not want to save NPC's you could just ignore the attacks and watch them die, or if you wanted to avoid the hassle you could avoid the towns and go do the Dawnguard questline.

I preferred continuing on as normal doing other quests and just killing the vampires that attacked, neither of mine were in that much of a hurry to to go off adventuring with Serana, although the first character quickly decided to join the vampires after getting so many attacks as soon as the DLC was started. The character with the most attacks could have avoided half of them by just dumping her stuff at another house, I preferred using Hjerim so went to all the trouble of rushing around just to save some NPC's. She lost one guard to vampire attacks, the first character lost a few NPC's due to an error of judgement, they stayed dead, I was not going to reload it just to save 2 NPC's I would not miss, and that character was a bit heartless anyway. Obviously I enjoyed the challenge, those that do not it is up to them how they play it, but no point blaming the developer if the game is just too hard for you to save NPC's. Either change how you play, or yes reload a save game and try again, if a few NPC's are that important to you.

This is insane, I keep getting mail from the courier telling me all my friends are dying, how the heck can I save them if these attacks are happening on the other side of the map from me, its unfair that NPC's keep dying in towns that aren't even in range...

You forgot to mention "Oh, it's for experianced players who really know how to play Skyrim." - reaches for chuck bucket.

I think I can help with some of the reasons people defend this "feature", some people like doing tedious annoying things, some people like to take the opportunity to big note themselves, and some people wear rose colored glasses when it comes to Skyrim.

What "challenge" does having townsfolk in your game get one hit killed by raiders add?

Killing the vampire raiders at any stage isn't difficult or challenging in the slightest. Killing them before they wipe out a town isn't challenging either.. it's luck of the draw on who the vampires choose to focus on.

Then again I recall you claiming 50 health NPCs were beating 1000 health raiders so I don't really put much credibility into anything you post.

I honestly dont see the problem some of you are describing. I have ran into vampire attacks in towns, but it only happens when you are there, never without you present. The only time ive had a problem killing them is when im low level, in which case i either rely more on the guards (they are actually pretty tough), or i simply wait to visit said city until daytime, when they never attack. When im higher level, its really not much of a problem to put down the vamps, the master vampire is usually the toughest, the other 2 are easy kills. Come on people step it up!

But uh, what about those with daytime attacks in their game? I get attacked at 4pm lol when would I be safe at a low level?

if you man up and go kill harkon, the vampire raids will stop
dawngaurd is not a very long questline at all

Apparently this is only something that can be handled by men.

Then fight it out, milk drinker! Or just avoid the city! Or ya know.. dont implement the DLC until you are higher level. Seriously guys, take some initiative in fixing your problems with the game instead of whining to bethesda, especially when its an easy fix.

So don't fix a bug in the game? That's a ridiculous answer...

I have no problems with the games vampire attacks besides that they didn't stop after the MQ and the fact that I have daytime attacks, but the vampire attacks can be massive or minuscule. With a daytime attack issue then that's just BS.
Imagine how annoying the game would be if I were unlucky enough to have massive vampire attacks like some people. Then I would just uninstall it and that's a waste of 20 bucks which I can't do anything with because it's a digital download, no refunds.

Fix the freaking AI I don't know why so many people either don't want this fix, or why Beth won't do it.

Or why people give the answer that I just got, ignore the bug and work along side it without hope of it ever being fixed.
They set up the freaking bugs, they can fix it. Just like all the bugs of disappearing NPC's and such. Man with the answers for this situation next time someone says a door won't open or an NPC disappeared, ima tell them don't complain to Bethesda but to instead just play through it or play around it. The game can be completed without that NPC, or without opening that door, don't bother.

For the most part I've been passive and just asking for an AI fix for those who have NPC's running around attacking lvl 60 vampires or something ridiculous and getting one shotted, but the answer here to me was just a bit too much for me...

I mention what seems to be a bug and I'm told to uninstall a paid for game and ignore the idea of fixing.

And again I say, bugs where some people kill harkon and the raids don't stop, even when the arrow is not in use, and inside of towns.

Once better armed and stocked with health potions all the NPC's for my two high level characters were pretty capable of surviving Vampire Masters and thralls, often they could kill them if there were enough NPC's and guards. It was just the traveller and whatever he came with that caused problems. I always went for him first before he could summon anything. The NPC's were always fine when I cleaned up the remaining vampires.

The only idiot who attacked with his bare hands was that Torsten Cruel-Sea, the only reason I had not given him anything or checked if he even had a weapon was he was not meant to be where an attack happened. She had enough attacks, he was never there, Aussie gave him a silver greatsword and some health potions after that incident before he got himself killed, but he was never involved in the attacks again.

lol

And if would take a bit more time with your memory, I also said that I was in the middle of the ray helping out most of the time.

But I have seen it where 8 or so NPC's (six of them being guards) were ganging up on a Master Vampire. You're the one who said that 1000 hp enemy B.S. But I did witness the end of a battle, both Thralls were dead, two guards War-Bear in Whiterun had the Vampire backed against the door. War-bear grabbed the Master Vamp by the shoulders and headbutted it into submission.

It was a finishing move, but you want to try to be brilliant and make it seem like I said that War-bear beat him with no more armor than the Naked Courier and an Iron Dagger.

And in all of my wanderings, across multiple characters that have ranged from level 10 (when the attacks start) to level 80, I have never seen any NPC get one-shot by any Vampire attacker or their Thralls.

If you're going to over exaggerate, at least be intelligent about it. So the truth in your posts is very suspect as well, kid.

I believe those who specialise in magic get vampires a bit more suited to their skills and level of expertise, some spells seem to be able to kill instantly. All mine are archers who occasionally use one or two handed weapons, no vampires they went up against could kill with just one hit.

Imagine my surprise when my level 8 character left the inn and saw by the blacksmiths at whiterun a huge fight going down, vampires attacking the guards. I rushed to help and noticed not only belathor but the blacksmith lady lying dead on the ground.... It wouldn't matter so much if merchants had unlimited money, but it is already a pain in the backside off loading loot. I have no idea why the developers, either made these merchants unkillable, made some kind of alteration so they run away and don't attack a vampire with a piece of cutlery ,gave each merchant unlimited funds, or didn't allow these raids to happen until you start the dawnguard quests.

I think the best option would be to give the merchants some fear mechanic , as to be honest if you are into roleplay ,like realistic worlds merchants ordinary civvies wouldn't attack vampires but would more than likely run away if caught out on the street and even shut themselves in at night.I don't want to start being dragon born or a vampire hunter until I have built up a seriously powerful character with a fearsome reputation , a hero who jarls and kings call on to fight evildoers. I don't want to piddle around doing an expansion first, saving all the time or strategically thinking when it is okay to fast travel or where .

To me this was poorly thought out by developers and the fact they haven't addressed this,speaks volumes. I have since got a mod that supposedly corrects this if an amulet is worn, (doesn't take up a slot) ,but again shouldn't have to rely on a mod to correct something that would have presented itself during play testing ,when I paid money .