Stormcloaks are too mainstream.

[Spinhorse]

I was going to side with the Imperials but when I saw the [minor spoiler] (unjust?) execution in Solitude I thought otherwise... I also like it in Windhelm for some reason, the house you can buy there is nice and I like the climate. Then again, from following the Stormcloak line ive come to semi-regret my choice...

 

[brainslurper]

I was totally going to join the storm cloaks, but when I met ulfric asshat, I immediately tried to murder him. Not only is he racist, but he is just generally an asshole, who has no regard for his own citizens. Unfortunately, he was a bit immortal, so I murdered everyone in his piece of shit city and then went and joined the imperials. I now have his clothes sitting on a mannequin in my house. With a bunch of arrows in it's head.

 

[brainslurper]

I was going to side with the Imperials but when I saw the [minor spoiler] (unjust?) execution in Solitude I thought otherwise... I also like it in Windhelm for some reason, the house you can buy there is nice and I like the climate. Then again, from following the Stormcloak line ive come to semi-regret my choice...

It's kind of moral grey area about whether it was murder. Ulfric decided that it was okay to challenge the king because it is a nordic tradition, even though solitude's government was imperial, and therefor nordic traditions didn't really apply. But the king accepted, meaning that he still followed the nordic traditions, and ulfric killed him. The thing is, even if it was just for Ulfric to kill the king, the dude still opened the gate when the guards didn't want him to, violating the law of the city.

 

[Akytalusia]

i haven't sided with either of them. the stormcloaks are too racist, and the imperials are too unethical. i don't like either of them. i really want to side with the dragons, but from the looks of it, that's not an option. so i'll probably just fix this little dragon problem and leave the politics to fate.

 

[Spinhorse]

Any moral considerations aside, I fell bad for the poor chap. Maybe I identified with him because I was once too about to get my head chopped off.

For me in the end it just boiled down to "fuck the Aldmeri", but yes, Ulfric is an idiot, I thought he looked cool in the begining with his mouth shut, but once you meet him im person...

 

[JoesshittyOs]

so,

Spoiler

i actually freed the forsworn king from that mine on my lizard paladin.. i'm not quite sure what repercussions that will have yet!
( they already took one city ) it's going to cause big aaa problems isn't it..

yah, my whole post is a spoiler! lol

Oh. I killed that guy without even talking to him.

Spoiler: A Question about that

Are the Forsworn a joinable faction?

 

[blackdwarf]

stormcloaks: racists

imperials: assholes

i chose to join the stormcloaks, because the imperial did try to remove my head from my body... the assholes.

 

[JoesshittyOs]

Wow...

Reading all these posts makes me appreciate how much depth is in this game.

 

[Laser Priest]

Yeah, I started out thinking they might be the better faction, but they only have one good goal amongst many awful goals. Plus, I'm an Argonian, so already, Ulfric's home dislikes me.

 

[Nikolaz72]

I'm not very far through the storyline, so I don't have all the facts.

To your part 1. how do you know the concordat will be broken. So far I've only seen proof of the empire completely bowing to all Thalmar demands allowing them to run around like gestapo arresting/disappearing/executing any people who speak out against them or continue to practice their religion.

Part 2. You're right the Stormcloak areas are a bit shitty but don't forget that Ulfric is fighting a guerilla war against a vastly more powerful foe, he needs every man and all his attention on the fight or he doesn' stand a chance. Taking men away from the war effort to hunt bandits and thieves would be suicide.

Part 4. Yes they are racist but at least they just ignore other races or treat them with disgust, at least they're not going out of their way to murder them, unlike the Empire who will kill you if you worship your God.

Also, they didn't try to cut my head off for no damn reason, fuck the Empire, seriously.

When you win the last victory against the stormcloaks and choose to execute Ulfric with the Generals sword. He heavily hints at a comming war with the elves. He also states that while not knowing much about the Nords, he would assign someone to foregin-relations duty who did. And he also states that he totally respects the guys. Even if he doesnt quite understand their traditions. This is the main bad guy if you are Stormcloak, Ulfric will ofcourse try to tell you all the shit he can about the general, but the general to me seems like he has to the best interrest of everyone at heart, and doesnt hate the nords. But in fact, hates the elves.

If you side with the Stormcloaks, well. . . The Imperials themself are the enemy. Not just the Imperials in Skryim, but 'all' imperials. When infact it is generally the Thalmor they have something against. The Empire is all that stands inbetween. The Empire was pretty cool about the Nords having their culture and worshipping their gods. Heck, they allowed a large shrine and a temple in each city and some in each house to a heathen god. And didnt tell the Thalmor. But when Ulfric started acting like a spoiled brat he pretty much just spat in the Thalmors face who then forced the Empire to either act, or face war. The Empire doesnt neccesarily care about what the Thalmor says, but Ulfric 'killing' the emperor forces their hand. They are there to protect the nords. A man who creates a rebellion and murders (Face it, it was murder. The king stood no chance in combat) the High King.



And the Empire+Unified Skyrim VS Thalmor. Seems a lot more likely to win than Divided Skyrim taped together by an unsteady military force of thugs and nationalists. Against the Thalmor.

 

[pffh]

But if Skyrim gains independance, they can't stand alone against the might of the Altmeri Dominion.

Why not? Hammerfell stands alone and they survive. You think the Thalmor can afford to fight the triple nations of Hammerfell, Skyrim, and the Imperial remnant all at once? Skyrim is a harsh land with a harsh entryway (that's no easy coast to invade), and even if the Dominion does get an army in, they're in store for the same guerrilla tactics that doomed many British offences against Wales and Scotland. You're fighting a proud warrior race on their own mountainous turf? It's a suicide run, it's what it is.

So no. Skyrim does NOT need the Empire. The Empire needs IT, but not the other way around.

Again Hammerfell managed to stand alone because the Redguards are the best soldiers in the world and they are equipped by the Orcs the best smiths in the world. The Nord may be proud warrior people but in organized combat they are nothing compared to the Redguard.

 

[gideonkain]

I haven't sided with either - one of the characters made a good point in that the Imperials are just honoring a pact that was made between all people of Tamriel many thousands of years ago and the Stormcloaks are only worried about the right to do as they please in their own country.

From what I gather the Aldmeri Dominion is bad, bad news - it would be like if the US invaded Isreal and then said no one there can be Muslim.

If they don't stop fighting each other and focus on their common enemy neither is going to survive.

Let's hope we get to kick some Dominion butt in the DLCs.

 

[lapan]

I have a related question: If i let the Stormcloaks attack Whiterun, does this have any consequences for me? i'm the leader of the Companions by now, so i wouldnt want any of them to die or turn hostile...

 

[Liquid Ocelot]

I went with the Stormcloaks, because, one, Jarl Ulfric is a total badass. Two, the Legion tried to decapitate me. Three, I am a Nord, and fuck the Imperial Legion, Skyrim is the land of the Nords, and four, The Legion are a bunch of pricks that:

Spoiler: Dark Brotherhood Spoilers

Destroyed the Dark Brotherhood home, killed most of my brethren, and tried to kill me.

Bus the Imperial Legion.

 

[sumanoskae]

I haven't joined either one yet, they both seem like dicks.

The Stormcloaks are racist, shortsighted thugs with a superiority complex and all the organization of a frat house.

The Empire are spineless, unscrupulous, bureaucratic puppets, whose response to every problem is to disenfranchise their citizens and suck up. They're willing to bend knee to Nazis to avoid having to stand up for themselves.

Quite frankly, the Dark Brotherhood probably do more good then either of these organizations, at least they act reasonably faced with conflict. That, and assassinating you know who could end up doing more good then any amount of civil war.

A nation and king I could get behind?, The Forsworn. It'd make an awesome quest, too. Who doesn't want to roleplay Braveheart?.

 

[Sagacious Zhu]

Question: How many people would join the Stormcloaks if Jarl Ulfric wasn't in charge?

I would happily join the Stormcloaks if Jarl Balgruf ran them out of Whiterun. I have absolutely no faith in Ulfric as a leader (given the dilapidated shithole cities he controls, I doubt Ulfric's Skyrim would fare much better) and our first introduction to him as a military leader involves him walking right into an Imperial ambush.

 

[Zeema]

well Ulfric to Arrow to Face like a champ. but i didn't want to help either faction

but i wanted to piss the Nords off

 

[Genibus]

But if Skyrim gains independance, they can't stand alone against the might of the Altmeri Dominion.

Why not? Hammerfell stands alone and they survive. You think the Thalmor can afford to fight the triple nations of Hammerfell, Skyrim, and the Imperial remnant all at once? Skyrim is a harsh land with a harsh entryway (that's no easy coast to invade), and even if the Dominion does get an army in, they're in store for the same guerrilla tactics that doomed many British offences against Wales and Scotland. You're fighting a proud warrior race on their own mountainous turf? It's a suicide run, it's what it is.

So no. Skyrim does NOT need the Empire. The Empire needs IT, but not the other way around.

Again Hammerfell managed to stand alone because the Redguards are the best soldiers in the world and they are equipped by the Orcs the best smiths in the world. The Nord may be proud warrior people but in organized combat they are nothing compared to the Redguard.

Case in point; Gaiden Shinji.