Skyrim: Stormcloak or Empire?

[Outcast107]

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For them to take it over they will need a large force, like I said. Which I highly doubt they will risk of doing it. Also how can the Empire hold off the Thalmor by itself? It only has three provinces itself. It has half (or even more) of it original strength gone due to the treaty is slim. Plus if war happens again, then the Thalmor already have a foot hold in Empire, I don't doubt they have forts within the Empire since they have it in Skyrim already.

Plus at least within Skyrim it will be harsh. Due to the weather, dragons, and very far from thalmor homelands. It will take a lot of supplies to reach back and forth between thalmor homeland to Skyrim.

Which leaves a few options of them entering. Through the boarder between Empire and Skyrim which can easily protected since Skyrim is heavily mountainous place. The other is by boat so that could lead to some problems for both sides. If the Nords can put enough defense along the coastline (Which it seem that even by boat might be a problem since we seen a ton of boats shipwreck) they can hold them off.

To the point of the Empire helping the Thalmor I suggest you look at the Grey-manes' son. Who was mysteriously taken away. When you learn more about it, you learn the Thalmor taken him. How did they do this? Also why? It doesn't seem like the Thalmor were anywhere near Whiterun. So someone must have kidnap and handed him over.

On the last two points, if you are fine with civlains who get kidnap from their homes and torture and killed for just being declare "Talos worshipers" just remember, the Thalmor can do this to ANYONE. Even if they were not part of it. How would you feel if someone close to you got taken away in the middle of the night. Would you be piss off and try to stop them? or just say "Well its for the good of the Empire carry on."

The last thing, the stormcloaks are not all racist or nationalist. They are very very xenophobic and magicphobic. Within good reason but it still doesn't excuse their behavior. With the whole Xenophobic just take a look at all the other racist have cause. High Elves, the great war, Dark elves use to kidnap Argoians as slaves and etc, and now Black Marsh has invaded Morrowind and doing the same thing now to the Dark elves. The whole world is going to hell pretty much. Neighbors are getting drag out of their houses by the Thalmor.

Wouldn't that put a huge trust issue you see from the other racist? Sure they are a very proud race of warriors. Though you also have to see, Skyrim is their home and is mostly populated by Nords. Does it make it right? No, but they feel like they are the only ones who give a damn about their own country.

It still doesn't excuse their behavior but that's my intake on why they are acting like this. Also at least they don't do public execution and drop their allies when they are losing a fight. If the Empire would stay in fighting the Thalmor in the first war, they could have won. They will still have their major provinces behind their backs to win the war.

All they have now is just Skyrim, High Rock, and Cyrodiil. Not looking to great on the Empire end. One more thing, look at a map of Elder Scrolls. The Thalmor are right behind the Empire and have easy access to attacks. While in Skyrim they have to travel quite a bit to even reach it.

 

[Doc Gnosis]

On the last two points, if you are fine with civlains who get kidnap from their homes and torture and killed for just being declare "Talos worshipers" just remember, the Thalmor can do this to ANYONE. Even if they were not part of it. How would you feel if someone close to you got taken away in the middle of the night. Would you be piss off and try to stop them? or just say "Well its for the good of the Empire carry on."

The trouble I have with that statement is that despite the Thalmor being capable to truly terrible things, they don't strike me being that kind of moustache-twirling villian. They're more spoiled brats than anything else; they'll kill you if you look at them funny, but most of their ranks are just tin soldiers for the higher-ups to wind up and let loose. They didn't get their foothold in Skyrim by being rash and impulsive.

 

[DutchAssassin8]

I chose Stormcloaks since I was sympathetic to the plight of an occupied people. However, after playing in that world for some time, I really regret that decision. It seems like the Stormcloaks are like the 4th Reich or something. It's weird having the very people I'm supposed to have saved turn around and be racist towards me.

 

[Nomanslander]

Empire. Not a hard choice really seeing as Ulfric is a racist, power hungry bastard who moonlights as a Thalmor minion.

Ulfric Stormcloak is working for the Thalmor. He gains control of Skyrim and the empire is weakened making it easier for the thalmor to capture. You should realize that when you help the stormcloaks you serve the thalmor who seek the destruction of all life on nirn. My source is the Thalmor dossier on Ulfric Stormcloak. You should find it.

The Dossier says he's a uncooperative assets. Another words he isn't working for them directly, but indirectly he might become a benefit if the civil war weakens the Empire more than it has.

But honest, I don't see how the Empire could be more weakened than it already has been?. If you've done any Dark Brotherhoods quests you'd know the imperial court is full of two faced politically hungry half wits all willing to kill each other off just for the 15 mins of fame of being Emperor until they're knocked off by the next willing party, and honestly, I rather have a warmongering racist prick in charge than that.

So the Empire is already headless and unfit for war. Skryim on the other hand could become a bigger problem for the Thalmor than they realize because in times like these, those willing to continue on warring tend to make all the difference.

The Empire is afraid to go through another war and their leadership is in shambles, The Stormcloaks on the other hand are hard-headed and hungering for another one, and Ulfric might end up becoming as much of an asset to the Thalmor as Saddam Hassan was for the US after the 80s, and unlike the example I just brought up. The Thalmor aren't being held back from just rushing in and annihilation their enemies because of politics. They can't, they don't have the power and resources to do so.

 

[Broady Brio]

Empire. I read the dossier. Also I just don't like Ulfric's face.

 

[lRookiel]

Me thinks Ill join the empire on my current character, just because Ulfric is a twat and on my first character I did the stormcloak campaign already.

 

[Xaositect]

Did the stormcloaks first, then on a different save have just started the empire.

Hate both equally really. The stormcloaks are whiny hypocrites who deserve to be crushed and forced to remain under imperial rule (a rule they helped start and one of their countryman began rule over).

The Empire are a bunch of greedy hypocrites who should be killed off already.

Funnily neither of them are portrayed as inherently evil, unlike the Thalmor (who I also hate - but thats their only purpose).

Hopefully, first Bethesda will learn how to write lengthy main quests and guilds (because, like oblivion, in skyrim they REALLY suck - but only for an hour or two until theyre finished). Second, I hope they learn to drop the bias towards the roman and norse humans and either stop villifying elves as much or start villifying humans more. The human empire, which has been robbing from provinces and ditching them when its convenient (Morrowind) gets protrayed as "not the bad guys, but perhaps at worst not the good guys". Same for the hyprocritical and whiny Stormcloaks. They are both shades of grey.

The Thalmor are a bunch war mongering, racist elven supremacist demon worshippers and any elves who arent bad tend to flee to the other nice human provinces and suffer only mild, semi-racism very, VERY rarely.

Hopefully when theyve quite finished shitting on Morrowind and the Dark Elves theyll repopulate and rebuild it and it will become a halfway decent (not xenophobic and slaving) example of elven culture in the elder scrolls lore. Because quite honestly, Im getting sick of the bias towards their roman and norse ripoffs and how they wont get taken down a notch.

 

[Dguz19]

The Empire lets the Thalmor do whatever they damn well please! The Stormcloaks maybe racist, but they're seeking to get rid of the bigger problem and that would be the Thalmor. The Stormcloacks are the good guys here. The only bad side about the Stormcloaks is that the jarl of whiterun is no longer in charge.

 

[Dguz19]

I chose Stormcloaks since I was sympathetic to the plight of an occupied people. However, after playing in that world for some time, I really regret that decision. It seems like the Stormcloaks are like the 4th Reich or something. It's weird having the very people I'm supposed to have saved turn around and be racist towards me.

they're not raist to me and I'm a redguard

 

[EinTheCorgi]

I chose the stormclocks. the whole idea of fighting for ones freedom is something i like and even though they were meh about me joining being a Breton and all but i mean i would be grumpy to if i had to do what some rich old guy who lived in a different country told me who or what i couldnt do would make me a bit grumpy to.

 

[SneeringCanuck]

I chose the stormcloaks arbitrarily, then later I liked what they were fighting for and agreed with them on almost everything.

SKYRIM FOR THE NORDS.

DEATH TO THE MUDRACES.

 

[mackeyh]

OMG the stormcloaks are not racist in anyway talos build the emipre wich later stabbed skyri in the back while sleeping with thalmor and now ulfric wants skyrim back not only to the nords but to all the people of skyrim!!!!! FREEEEEEEDOOOOM

 

[Promethax]

I chose Imperials because my character isn't a Nord.

 

[thelittleman66]

"I fight for the men I've held in my arms, dying on foreign soil! I fight for their wives and children, whose names I heard whispered in their last breath...I fight so that all the fighting I've already done hasn't been for nothing! I fight... because I must."

Yeaaaahhh, Stormcloaks.

 

[Knight Templar]

DEATH TO THE MUDRACES.

You sound more like a Thalmor there than a Stormcloak.

 

[cainx10a]

After 100 hours of gameplay, I have yet to touch any of these storylines. Exploring is so much fun. But my new Nord character will definitely join the stormcloaks, as she does certainly believe that if the worship of Talos can be banned, then the damned Thalmor can literally enslaved her people if they so desire.

 

[Voulan]

I ended up choosing the Imperials. Weakening the Empire, the only real hope of driving out the Thalmor from Tamriel, is a really bad idea - and as mentioned in those dossiers, an Imperial victory in Skyrim would weaken their hold there.

Most of Skyrim were with the Imperials anyway. Their numbers are effectively strengthened by a victory. All that gets down to is a greater chance of defeating the Aldmeri Dominion.

 

[immortalfrieza]

Oh, how I wish there was more neutral options to deal with the Civil War than the game presents you. For instance, maybe the player could act as a intermediary and broker a compromise between Skyrim and the Stormcloaks. i.e. Such as Ulfric being allowed to be High King, but forced to ban public (emphasis on this point) Talos worship, private worship would still be allowed, or maybe an agreement that would allow Skyrim to be made independent of the Empire (thus avoiding the religious issue) but ultimately remain allies of the Empire. I'd the player to have 2 options in completing this route, either diplomatically for the more socially inclined players, or just kick both sides a**es left and right until them come crawling to you to accept the compromise terms for the more combat inclined players (and it would make the player feel like a true badass to be able to pull that off too).

So far, I've stayed out of one side or the other, but purely for tactical reasons once I finally choose a side I'll go Imperial, because both Skyrim and the Empire itself is a LOT more likely to survive or even win a war with the Thalmor if the two sides are united.

I must say that otherwise than the tactical decisions regarding the Civil War, I am very impressed with Bethesda's ability to make this Civil War much more of a grey problem and a challenging decison to make than joining opposing factions in their previous games. In fact, I don't think I've ever come across a dilemma in any video game that's been anywhere near as difficult for me to make as this Civil War.

Except the Thalmor, I kill all Thalmor I meet out on the roads without a second thought. Even if they gave you the option to join them I wouldn't take it in ANY playthrough.

Seriously, F**k those guys.