Dawnguard's actual problem is that it doesn't trust you to pick a side

[ScrollsOfTamriel]

So I've been thinking about this while replaying Bloodline for the third time, and I think the real issue with Dawnguard isn't pacing or story or even Harkon being a cardboard villain. It's that the questline is terrified of letting you actually commit to the vampire side without immediately walking it back.

Like, if you join Harkon, you get sent to kill Isran. Fine. But the game treats this like a temporary mission state. You can still do Dawnguard quests after. You're never locked out. You can cure Serana against her will and she'll still follow you. You can get Auriel's Bow and use it on vampires even though it's narratively supposed to be your bloodline's ancient weapon. The questline keeps one hand on the wheel no matter which direction you turn.

Compare that to Dark Brotherhood or Thieves Guild where choosing a path actually means something. When you side with Astrid or Mercer, you're locked in. Dawnguard never does that. It's like the devs were worried players would feel trapped so they made sure both sides lead to the exact same endgame content.

What would actually make Dawnguard hit different is if Vampire Lord and Dawnguard were genuinely separate playthroughs with different final quests, different rewards, different bases that actually make sense for each faction. Instead we get this half-measure where you're always kind of both.

Anyone else feel like this is why the choice never lands emotionally?

 

[DragonbornVet]

Yeah, you're hitting on something real here. The lack of hard commitment is definitely a design choice, and it does undercut the weight of picking a side. Dark Brotherhood locks you in - you betray Astrid or you don't, and that shapes your whole endgame. Thieves Guild too, with the Mercer situation. Dawnguard just... doesn't care.

The Auriel's Bow thing especially bugs me because narratively it should feel wrong if you're a vampire using it, but mechanically there's zero friction. You can literally be Harkon's right hand and still grab the ancient vampire-slaying relic without consequence. Same with Serana - she'll follow you even if you're actively working against her bloodline. It's like the game is hedging every bet.

That said, I think the reason it's built this way is less "devs were scared of commitment" and more "Dawnguard was designed as optional DLC and they didn't want to gate players out of content." The base game doesn't force you into factions the same way. But you're right that it makes the choice feel hollow. A real vampire playthrough would need its own separate quest chain with different objectives, different allies, maybe a different final boss entirely. Instead you get the same content either way, which is lazy design honestly.

Would've been way cooler if siding with Harkon locked you out of the Dawnguard base and forced you to rebuild from Castle Volkihar, gave you different gear, different quests. Make it actually feel different instead of just swapping a dialogue flag.