Skyrim - Dawnguard Previews @ GameInformer, Eurogamer

Dhruin

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GameInformer has previewed Dawnguard from E3, based on some actual play time on a console. The DLC is apparently around 15 hours long and will launch on X360 in only a couple of weeks - June 26th (PC and PS3 are expected around a month later)
Skipping the side quests for the sake of time, I put on the blinders and march steadily toward the suspected location of Serana's mother. Along the way, the occasion skeleton pops out of the ground. Dispatching these minor hindrances doesn't take more than a few shots of the crossbow (which has 31 damage), and the new Dawnguard armor provides plenty of protection. After shattering a few skeletons with the crossbow I decide to test out the vampiric abilities.
Like being a werewolf in the Companion quests, you transform into the Nosferatu-like vampire lord by pressing the right bumper. Once you take this dastardly form, you can make devastating melee attacks or cast spells from afar. The vampires are given a few unique powers as well. Vampire Servant allows you to reanimate a low-level corpse to aid in your battle for 60 seconds, and Vampire Sight grants you night vision for 60 seconds. You can also use vampires tiny bony wings to fly for a short period of time by hitting the left bumper.
Also at GameInformer is a look at the Vampire Perk tree after the previewer paused the game and took a screenshot and some notes.
Heading over to Eurogamer, we find a preview based on the same demo:
If you choose to join the Dawnguard faction and hunt the vampires, you'll gain access to the new crossbow weapon, which has a perk tree all of its own - but we didn't see this at E3. The Dawnguard are "kick-ass armoured hunters", we're told. They forge crossbows, so your new weapon can be upgraded and become powerful. Dawnguard can also have armoured trolls fight for them, plus there's a "whole new base you call your own".
The main quest of the Dawnguard expansion lasts around 10 to 20 hours, depending on if you rush or savour. Enticingly, you'll be able to use your Vampire Lord or Dawnguard characters in the wider, original Skyrim world. But once you've made your faction choice, you won't be able to go back, unless you load an earlier save.
More information.
 
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Seems a bit unfair that only vampires and werewolves get new perks? What if you plan to play as Dawnguard member? The DLC is called 'Dawnguard' after all - are they just going to be regular peons?

Edit: oh wow, you get a 'crossbow' perk tree. I don't use bows/crossbows.
 
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I'm pretty sure Todd said that the crossbow was using the already existing Archery tree…
 
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Again with the XBOX exclusivity for a month, huh? Well, at least we can hope Bethesda improves it for PC in that time... naaah.
 
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Okay Skyrim is $60/300 hours, so I guess Dawnguard will be $4/20 hours? Probably not. Since I'm not a fan of playing vampires, this DLC doesn't really do much for me. If it's $9.99 or less I'll buy at release, otherwise it can wait for a bundled edition that should have several DLC's in it.

1600 Microsoft points is about $20, right? That's quite high for a short DLC...
 
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Is the new content incorporated into the existing landmass of Skyrim or does the content take place on a new landmass?
 
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Is the new content incorporated into the existing landmass of Skyrim or does the content take place on a new landmass?

Both, sort of.

The "real world" stuff happen in Skyrim. They might be adding something bits somewhere for it, but it will still be part of Skyrim. There is also a "barber" that will be added in Riften.

The Soul Cairn is an Oblivion realm, but we don't have information about how much of it we will see.

It need to fit in 2GB (xbox DLC limitation).
 
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unlike the 2 fallout games of recent years which i bought the dlc when released, or shortly thereafter, i won't be for skyrim. altough its my favourite game of there's and had a grand time with the 300 hours or so with 1 character its been six months now, even longer when it will be released and $20 is way to high even it it does add a huge amount of content. its more the princlple of $20 and $20 and $20, etc which is too high in my view for continual dlc/addon/expansion especially when you have no idea of what the future holds after that. last thing i want to do is pick up skyrim again, a huge investment of time only to put it on the shelf and repeat the cycle.

plenty of other games this year that i guess i'll wait for the game of year(s) to fork over roughly the same amount…

for me the timing/schedule is really more important than the dollar amount.
 
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Considering that most DLC these days is $10 and usually only offers 2-3 hours of content, I think $20 sounds fair for Dawnguard assuming the 15 hour length is accurate.
 
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I'm hoping for a good patch with this DLC since all Bethesda games become abandonware too soon. A 64bit Skyrim would be very welcome but I better stop fantasizing.
 
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Seems a bit unfair that only vampires and werewolves get new perks? What if you plan to play as Dawnguard member? The DLC is called 'Dawnguard' after all - are they just going to be regular peons?

Edit: oh wow, you get a 'crossbow' perk tree. I don't use bows/crossbows.

I have a sneaking suspicion the Dawnguard might be werewolves.

As for a "crossbow perk tree," in a couple of previous interviews it was stated that crossbows will use the Archery perk tree, so this is the first I've heard of this.
 
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Considering that most DLC these days is $10 and usually only offers 2-3 hours of content, I think $20 sounds fair for Dawnguard assuming the 15 hour length is accurate.

From what we know so far I think $20 sounds more than fair. A main story with 15-20 hours of extra content, side quests that adds another 15 or so hours, as well as more content for the game as a whole. Compare that to DLC for Dragon Age, Risen 2, Mass Effect etc...

I think Skyrim has the potential of becoming my favourite game of all time (given three or four DLCs similar to Shivering Isles, Bloodmoon, Point Lookout).

I consider Skyrim to be cheap, considering all the hours of enjoyment it has given me, and I'll gladly pay a bit more per hour.
 
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Well, I agree that Skyrim turned out to be extremely cheap, but that doesn't make me want to pay through the nose for Dawnguard. However, if the DLC was something that I really cared about, the willingness would change. I'm just not into the whole "Twilight" movement. I don't need more vampires and/or werewolves. If this was an expansion that greatly increased the amount of spells and mage-based quests, I'd probably be much more willing to fork over my money. I will get Dawnguard eventually, just as I ended up getting bloodmoon and tribunal when they dropped down to almost nothing in price.
 
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I'm hoping for a good patch with this DLC since all Bethesda games become abandonware too soon. A 64bit Skyrim would be very welcome but I better stop fantasizing.

At first I was going to ridicule this statement, till I realized where you're coming from, Daroou: TES games are still not abandoned all these years after their release, but of course all the work is done for free by the mod community.

It is very true that as soon as a game stops generating massive amounts of revenue, Bethesda stops patching; instead turning to money-making DLC. They fully expect the modding community to patch their f**kups. It's the price we consumers pay for their games. I'm not going to stop buying Bethesda games because they can only get 85% of each game bug free. Behtesda's 85% is more fun than any other game's 100%, at least for me.
 
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I wonder if any of the new characters will be named Bella or Lucas or Cedric Diggory. :) I was hoping for Hermione, darn!
 
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