ZagreustheLiar

This is exactly why Fallout 3 sucked. Because scrubs (Todd 'Ler' Howard) want to rehash iconic villains over and over again because they have a cool aesthetic.

The humour in Skyrim is really awful, just like the rest of the writing. Bethesda needs some new blood, stat.

They're nearly all retirees and out of touch. Who gives a damn?

Nothing in the game suggests he usurped Dengier's throne, except Dengier himself, who shows very clear signs of advanced paranoia. He was mysteriously removed from office seemingly out of nowhere, as we have not heard any complaints about his rule other than his advanced age. And why would they want to replace with Siddgeir of all people? She only asks you to look into it because the wolves are howling at her doorstep. The issue with Falion is not obviously not the only problem, her attitude as a whole to the people she rules is aloof and superior, she is obviously more interested in the vagaries of magic than ruling. You're wrong in every single way. The wife of Thonar Silver-Blood, Betrid as well as the man himself fully and freely admit that Thonar handles nearly all the managerial work and is the sole leash holder for Madanach. "I hear from my brother you have done our family a service." is extremely vague, and sounds exactly like what you would tell a brother who is uninvolved in the "family business" and is in no way a serious indication that Thongvor is privy to all the details. So, I suppose we should ban South Park, the Opie & Anthony Show and place gag orders on every 9/11 truther because their writing is in bad taste and might offend people?

Did you know that Bethesda were also in charge of the Quality Assurance (testing etc) for New Vegas?

Did you know that Bethesda were also in charge of the Quality Assurance (testing etc) for New Vegas?

Do you really want me to start on Siddgeir, the drunken incompetent who insinuates that the Nords should ally with the Thalmor against the Empire. He is replaced by Dengeir, who's throne he usurped unlawfully in collusion with the Imperials in the first place. How about Jarl Idgrod, who ignores the day-to-day concerns of governance in favor of arcane dabbling and has nothing but contempt for the concerns of her people, who is replaced by Sorli the Builder (quite an auspicious name), the only Jarl who actually spends significant time outside her longhouse, getting to know her people and their concerns. Jarl Igmund is much like Laila, an unoffensive but a wholly incapable politician who acts as an unwitting figure head for the Silver-Bloods, he is replaced by Thongvor Silver-Blood, a man of stalwart political and ecclesiastical integrity who despite his name, is uninvolved in the corruption and crimes that his younger brother wreaks on the hold. And why not Jarl Elisif herself, a pampered brat who knows even less of ruling than Laila and Igmund and is a willing puppet for her foreign Imperial masters, her only real act of governance being the banning of a harmless play.

Why would you shut down the Securitron army? They're the only guarantor of peace and security from both the NCR and the Legion.

I would disagree with that, guerrilla warfare and sabotage are legitimate tactics when one side has to fight against a superior force, which is certainly the situation the Forsworn are in, but that's where the similarities end. The Forsworn aren't accidentally causing collateral civilian deaths in the course of targeting militarily or politically significant targets, they're just targeting anyone who doesn't wear furs and feathers: miners, farmers, wandering merchants, skinny dippers, and non-Forsworn Reachmen to name some examples we get to stumble across. Their strategy isn't to chip away at the enemy forces until they win, it's simply to strike terror into everyone in the region until they a) flee or b) die in the impending genocide campaign. That goes way past guerrilla warfare and goes neck-deep into the realm of terrorism. Agreed, the Forsworn have taken a legitimate tactic too far, I understand that civilian casaulties are often unavoidable in war, but this isn't accidental. If the Forsworn see a group of farmers walking on the road, do they let them be? They're not a threat, they could leave them be if they wanted to. But they don't want to, they attack these people and if their victims are lucky they are killed quickly. Forsworn victims are rarely that lucky. There is a silver lining though, as bad as the Forsworn are my Dovahkiin is a hell of a lot worse when you piss him off, and the Forsworn have done exactly that. "We hope that you, instead of thinking to influence us by saying that you did not join the Lacedaemonians, although their colonists, or that you have done us no wrong, will aim at what is feasible, holding in view the real sentiments of us both; since you know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must."

A principled psychopath is an invention of Hollywood. Maybe your character checks some points on the ASPD checklist, but she is not a psychopath, who are by definition unable to actually care about any kind of moral code outside of some obfuscating display of humanity.

Yeah, but that's just a vicious ruthless and bigoted killer for hire. A psycho is either referring to a psychotic or psychopath for hire. Like Anton Chigurgh.

Just like how the Soviets went back to Afghanistan, right? Just like how the Empire went back to Hammerfell? I can tell you didn't get your college credits in international relations. Oh you. Heres some of mine, with a more relevant timeline 1. Just like England allowed Scotland to remain as a free country after Wallace drove them out? Scotland was hardly hospitable. 2. Just like Frederick Barbarossa allowed Italy to remain independent from the Holy Roman Empire after they rebelled three times? He did on the Fifth obviously due to the incredible wealth coming into the cities of the Lombard League. Skyrim has no such trade network. They are totally isolated and dependant on the East Empire Company for commerce. 3. The crusades. I know it was a holy war but they didn't stop trying. Thats all I can conjure from my memory right now but I'll be sure to get googling later :happy: All of your examples are dildos. Feudal states are organized in a completely different manner, one that is almost wholly specialized in providing men and materiel for armed forces. Feudal states are much better at withstanding prolonged war as opposed to more or less centralized states like the Empire who employ professional standing armies and a large bureaucracy. After their humiliating defeat to the Aldmeri Dominion, being shamed by the successful resistance of the Redguards and a successful rebellion in Skyrim I doubt they'll have much more appetite for war.

Very well formulated post, but there is one fatal flaw in it. You say that the NCR has no systemic flaw, but due to the nature of it's government and as repeatedly stated by a plethora of in game characters - the New California Republic is not a true democracy. It is wholly beholden to special interest groups such as the merchant companies and the cattle barons, hence why it overextends to acquire new markets and territory for the aforementioned powers. This over extension of course leads to it's inability to properly defend against more mobile forces moving in irregular formation, like the Legion. Just look at real life California, with the PRC-style evictions of residents in Antelope Valley if you want more examples of how tragically flawed our government and society is. Moreover, there is no truly feudal force in New Vegas. Both House and Caesar are the sole potentates of their respective factions, to whom every other member is pledged (which is why I always go Independent)

Just like how the Soviets went back to Afghanistan, right? Just like how the Empire went back to Hammerfell? I can tell you didn't get your college credits in international relations.

There is no evidence of a mass slaughter. Certainly there where killings, but the fact that there are numerous Forsworn Agents that survived the attack indicates that a number of Reachmen where spared, and that the Author of the book was exaggerating. Of course there where stories such as Braig's. But what are we to expect from such an act of war? Furthermore, Galmar refutes these Imperial claims. And the Empire didn't seem to care about these murders until now, when they can use it as propaganda against Ulfric. Igmund doesn't say anything about them, and if the Empire truly cared, they'd surrender the Reach to the Reachmen. An imperial saying one thing happened, a stormcloak saying it didn't happen. Both cancel each other out. I guess its down to personal interpretation of fairly limited info. I didn't say the empire cared. I'm not totally pro empire, not as it is right now. If Ulfric was removed from the equation I'd probably side with the rebellion. Really, and why is that? Considering the enormous hardships and obstacles he has faced down he's a competent and charismatic leader by all accounts who in the face of torture and horrible death will not rescind his beliefs or compromise his integrity. (Although you're a punk if your headcanon does not involve supplanting or surpassing him, the Dovahkin are born to rule).