First Batch of Skyrim DLC to Hit Xbox This Summer

[Mike Kayatta]

First Batch of Skyrim DLC to Hit Xbox This Summer

Skyrim's Dawnguard content will begin as a 360 exclusive.

Bethesda has posted a teaser image (and not much else) for Dawnguard, the first round of extra content for Skyrim. We don't know much about the DLC at this point, other than the fact that Dovahkiin still has yet to find a razor capable of trimming his epic man-stubble, and that only Xbox 360 users will have access for the first thirty days. More details, Bethesda assures, will be released at E3 in June.

Though there's nothing more official to be said about the announcement, there are still a few things we may be able to glean with the facts at hand. Last week, a Bethesda forum-user dug through the latest game patch (1.5.26) and discovered some interesting additional baggage alongside the bug fixes. Numerous files buried in the code reference a character referred to only as "Snow Elf Prince," alongside a list of animation files for crossbows. As you likely already know if you've played through the RPG, neither snow elves nor crossbows have yet to make an appearance in Tamriel.

Travelling deeper into the speculation hole, one may also consider a final point: vampires. The files uncovered in the latest patch also allude to new vampire animations, which may or may not hold any special significance considering the group's existing inclusion within the game. However, I'd like to also point out that the name Dawnguard could be referencing the creatures' nocturnal tomfoolery alongside the citizens determined to quell them. Then, there's also whatever is going on with Dovahkiin's eyes in the teaser image. That's not necessarily the sign of a nasty case of Sanguinare Vampiris but, well, there's something unnatural going on there.

Source: BethBlog [http://www.bethblog.com/2012/05/01/dawnguard/]

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[tmande2nd]

For new DLC!

For having to wait another month and dodge spoilers!

 

[thereverend7]

Oh good.

I don't need to show up to work for the next 3 months, anyway.

 

[TIMESWORDSMAN]

Damn, this going to make it much harder to claim PC Skyrim superiority.

 

[Spectrum_Prez]

Wait, aren't the Falmer the snow elves? Or am I getting stuff mixed up again?

Also, out of all the features in Morrowind that they cut in Oblivion and Skyrim, crossbows would be pretty low on my list of things to bring back.

 

[6SteW6]

Damn, I've barely toouched the main story in Skyrim. I swear I develop ADD when playing Skyrim, It's like:

'Ok, let's go see what those guys on the mountaintop want' *Walk, Walk* 'ohh a cave, ohh a butterfly, hey I need one of these to make that potion, ohh a shiny sword. That reminds me I need a whole new set of armour, well if I am crafting armour might aswell enchant it! Hey cool another sidequests to go with my thirty uncompleted ones! I better go home and rearrange all my containers. Oh I haven't read the wolf queen series yet. Wait, what's that weird unnatural light filtering through my window...oh it's morning '

 

[Doom972]

Damn, this going to make it much harder to claim PC Skyrim superiority.

Barely. We still have user-made mods and a new system to get them with (Steam workshop). I don't mind them getting a month ahead. That's what they pay those X-box Live subscription fees for.

 

[Saviordd1]

Wait, aren't the Falmer the snow elves? Or am I getting stuff mixed up again?

They're a degeneration of the snow elves.


OT: I'm pretty sure this DLC deals with the return of the snow elves, as I also found this on the wiki.

"There is speculation that the Snow Elf will eventually become a surface-dwelling race once again as there have been reports of more and more organized surface raids of Falmer attacking cattle and crops for food. Ursa Uthrax (the author The Falmer: A Study) writes, "I fear a horror neither man nor gods could possibly stand against.""

 

[That One Six]

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Bloodmoon:Fall_of_the_Snow_Prince

If this dude comes back and leads the Falmer, we are all fucked. Except for the children. As my friend is screaming at me, there's a reason for the little kids. They will save us all!

 

[Hat Man]

What's even the bloody point to releasing DLC for the xbox a month earlier then the other platforms?

 

[Khravv]

Lets see...
Snow elves? Snow Elves = the Falmer. Snow elves exist in the game as is, albiet in a LOTR-ish Orc state, but they're there, blind and incredibly ugly. So the question I'm wondering is are we going to be just facing more Falmer, or are we going to see some... un-mutated more normal looking ones?
As much as I'd like the second option, to see them come in as an intelligent and more normal race akin to how they were back when they waged their bloody war with the Nords, I doubt it'll be like that. Although that'd still be cool.
My guess, being as the game has a lot of references to the Falmer's hate of the overworld, and their desire/plan to invade it someday, my guess is that the DLC has to do with the planned Falmer invasion of the overworld. Which is cool, I always found the Falmer fascinating. They scared the crap out of me when I first found them... but I first found them with my sneaky assassin-type character, so they were relatively easy to kill once I discovered they were blind. Now their insect buddies... I hated those.
But yeah, as much as I'd love to see the Snow Elves be as they originally were, my guess is that we'll see this DLC is about them invading the surface.
That being said... I will still cling to the tiny glimmer of hope that we'll see regular Snow Elves.

Spoiler

The Snow Elf Prince would be a reference to the war between the Nords and the Snow Elves. The Nords slew the last of the Snow Elves, including their prince, at the end of the war. They were believed to all be dead, but a few Snow Elves survived and sought shelter with their cousins, the Dwemer. The Dwemer betrayed them, feeding them poisonous fungi that robbed them of their sight and a good chunk of their intelligence. The Dwemer used them as slaves up until their sudden disappearance. Now the Snow Elves, the Falmer, lurk deep underground plotting their revenge upon the surface. Seems ripe for a DLC plot to me.

As for the crossbow animations? awesome. I freakin' love crossbows. Though I'm kind of wondering what ways they'll differ from bows. Something more major, like the difference between two hand and one hand weapons? (on that note, it'd be awesome if they were one handed, and could be used with a sword or with a shield) or will it be more like the minor stat differences between maces and swords? Either way, I'll be pretty happy with it.
I imagine the vampire files are either just a side thing, since I can't really grasp how it'd tie into the Snow Elves. That is, unless the DLC adds a few side quests.
Those animations could be for a different DLC pack in the future, perhaps either a small pack that doesn't really deserve a big announcement, or one that will be coming out later on, like in the winter.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

Hopefully Skyrim will go on sale once this gets released on Steam, again, hopefully.

 

[Khravv]

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Bloodmoon:Fall_of_the_Snow_Prince

If this dude comes back and leads the Falmer, we are all fucked. Except for the children. As my friend is screaming at me, there's a reason for the little kids. They will save us all!

I'm hoping it is something more like that, instead of just a falmer surface invasion, however I fear it probably won't be. I'm going to hope anyways. Because I would find a fight against a returned snow prince a lot cooler than just killing more Falmer... because my character in Skyrim has already killed hundreds of them. Like seriously, hundreds.

 

[rickthetrick]

Two words. Vampiric Falmer.

Da Horror. Da horror.

 

[TheRocketeer]

Oh God, please please please let the snow elves return. I hated so much that they became what they did; if the lore is accurate, they were both totally badass, and totally screwed over by the ever-more unlikable Dwemer. I also hated that the Falmer as they are now are so boring.

The Snow Prince himself was one of the most awesome and terrible warriors in history; the Nords, who hated the snow elves' very guts, recount his history with reverence and buried him as a hero.

Actually, it seems like making the snow elves live up to their old reputation would be the hardest part about reintroducing them into Tamriel, as terribly unlikely as that is.

Edit: Hoping against hope here, but... If, IF, the snow elves were to return to Tamriel, why shouldn't they be a playable race?

 

[Sniper Team 4]

So, us PS3 players will still be getting it, right? Right? I can stand to wait now that I know when it's coming. Very excited about this.

 

[The Lugz]

Damn, I've barely toouched the main story in Skyrim. I swear I develop ADD when playing Skyrim, It's like:

'Ok, let's go see what those guys on the mountaintop want' *Walk, Walk* 'ohh a cave, ohh a butterfly, hey I need one of these to make that potion, ohh a shiny sword. That reminds me I need a whole new set of armour, well if I am crafting armour might aswell enchant it! Hey cool another sidequests to go with my thirty uncompleted ones! I better go home and rearrange all my containers. Oh I haven't read the wolf queen series yet. Wait, what's that weird unnatural light filtering through my window...oh it's morning '

^ this.

so, so many candys what do !?!?!?

seriously there needs to be a 'story mode' for Bethesda games you can switch on so your forced to complete the main story and the game lets you do everything you like after so people like us don't get distracted for 6 years

 

[MattTHM]

The sooner they release DLC, the sooner they release the GOTY edition, and I can finally play the damned game!

Yeah, so I was burned buying all the DLC for New Vegas a week before it was released as a bundle....

 

[Khravv]

Damn, I've barely toouched the main story in Skyrim. I swear I develop ADD when playing Skyrim, It's like:

'Ok, let's go see what those guys on the mountaintop want' *Walk, Walk* 'ohh a cave, ohh a butterfly, hey I need one of these to make that potion, ohh a shiny sword. That reminds me I need a whole new set of armour, well if I am crafting armour might aswell enchant it! Hey cool another sidequests to go with my thirty uncompleted ones! I better go home and rearrange all my containers. Oh I haven't read the wolf queen series yet. Wait, what's that weird unnatural light filtering through my window...oh it's morning '

^ this.

so, so many candys what do !?!?!?

seriously there needs to be a 'story mode' for Bethesda games you can switch on so your forced to complete the main story and the game lets you do everything you like after so people like us don't get distracted for 6 years

Perhaps, though being as you can track questlines you could, y'know, just follow the main questline first on your own. The main quest does a pretty good job of keeping you going on it.
That being said, I personally like doing the main quest after I did one guild questline. I enjoyed the story missions a lot better having a character that was more fully developed.

Back on topic: A possibility I hadn't thought of at first is that this could be a landmass DLC. It could take you to Solsthiem with a quest regarding the Snow Prince's tomb. Wouldn't be as cool as a Falmer surface invasion, a return of the Snow Prince, or both. But if you could get his armor and spear, that'd be pretty rad. Especially because, y'know, then we'd have a spear