User blog comment:Zelron/Helgen Hometown (Dragons bring down my property values!)/@comment-4057437-20121129044717/@comment-3492791-20121129045830

Level 10.

When I start a new character I usually go strait for Bleak Falls, then Whiterun, then kill Mirmulnir (I also do The Golden Claw before heading to Whiterun). I'm usually level 7 or 8 at this point with barely starting the game. But the ease of meeting the requirement isn't what's important here.

Level capping is a different way to go about it. Regardless of how you play the game, as long as you are doing something you'll level up. So playing the game any way you feel you want to will get you closer to joining the Dawnguard. Forcing the player to complete a quest, or an entire questline, forces them to do something specific they may not want to do to be able to play the content they want to which they just payed extra to have. Both methods will still waste your time, and level capping content you payed extra for is still not something I agree with, but it is not as bad as the quests requirement that removes freedom of choice, which RPGs are supposed to be all about.