Did I pick the wrong side?

[RitchieTheMerc]

I picked the stormcloaks for a purely selfish reason and trying to put myself in my characters shoes. The empire was going to execute my character for no reason except being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Sounds like an oppressive regime to me.

 

I initially chose the Stormcloaks because I believed they fought for the people of Skyrim.

[Cyrotek]

Unlike New Vegas, the side you pick has very little impact on the main quest (or any other quests, for that matter). Also the two faction's questlines are very similar to each other. This involves;

 

 

 

Joining a faction

Finding the Jagged Crown

Delivering a message to Whiterun

Invade/Protect Whiterun

Liberate/Reunite Skyrim (This involves taking over a couple of forts, forging some documents, rescuing some men and blackmailing a Jarl's assistant)

Battle for Windhelm/Solitude

 

 

 

I think Bethesda kinda went a little half-arsed on the non-main quests. Compare, for example, the Mages Guild quests in Oblivion, vs the quests for the College in Skyrim. Oblivion has you doing all sorts of cute quests all around Cyrodiil to get accepted into the Arcane University, and then working your way up the ranks and defeating a nasty Necromancer King. The College of Winterhold has you look for some books, delve a couple of dungeons and then having a fight around an oversized christmas decoration.. and then, bam! you're Arch-Mage.

 

I personally tought that the College quest is better. Just a bit short but unlike Oblivion you just dont run motivationless from dungeon to dungeon. At least you got some sort of a better overall story ... ok not much better, but better. And its presentation is better. At least a bit (I didnt even cared about that endboss of the mages guild, cant even remember its name).

[dragonalumni]

personal i didn't like the obvlivion mage quests, it was too difficult just to get into the door with a new character you would have to spend hours just so you could learn spells, use a spell maker and enchant.

 

the winterhold quests are a bit weak, but fun i think decent. i got the archmage before i had decent spells, but that robe was useful when for a long time before i mastered enchant. ;)

 

both sides suck. but stormclocks, (ulfric) is racist, so with anything but a nord character your a fool to side with him.

[OneMember]

Picked Stormcloaks as it looked like they where the underdogs.

[LobselVith66]

I want to know if I picked the right side in the civil war by joining stormcloaks. Not based on their beliefs or system of governence but based purely on which side the mod makers picked. The reason for this is that when the creation kit comes out there will be quests based on the civil war and as seen from the faction mods from fallout new vegas it is obvious that the more popular faction gets all the quests made for it (NCR).

 

So this is my question. Did the majority of players pick the stormcloaks?

 

I don't think there is a "right" side. There are flaws with both the Stormcloaks and the Imperial Legion, and both sides see the other very negatively (with accusations of racism being made against both sides). Ulfric and Tullius seem like well-meaning (if flawed) leaders, and I think the narrative really hammers home that, even if you side with one faction and oppose the other, your opponent isn't a villain.

 

I've done both, and I like how the writers handled it. I think it's good because the Stormcloaks and the Legion offer benefits for siding with them in spite of the problems both factions have. Neither side is so perfect that you'll consistently side with them over the other, and there are enough flaws with both factions to invite the player to see both sides. Good and bad Jarls, good and bad people, without either side being as bad as the Legion was (with all the choices you could make in New Vegas). I like that there isn't a "right choice" in Skyrim. I prefer that type of dichotomy, honestly.

[Hungover1]

i chose the empire cause i see no reason to join the stormcloaks... seriously whats wrong with them? the only way i would join them is if i wanted to be a thalmor so i could make the empire weaker ...

[Skrypto]

I joined the Stormcloaks because at first my character's clothing matched theirs lol. I could care less about what they were fighting for, eventually after I completed all the missions I went on a werewolf killing spree and wiped out at least 200 of them XD ( Oh and on a side note, I WAS always disrespected by the imperial guards whenever I walked ear them, some even attacked me for no reason...)

 

I guess I can always join the Imperials on my 2nd playthrough.

 

As for if you picked the wrong side or not, that is completely your decision, and after you try both factions you can choose a favorite.

[terzho]

I want to know if I picked the right side in the civil war by joining stormcloaks. Not based on their beliefs or system of governence but based purely on which side the mod makers picked. The reason for this is that when the creation kit comes out there will be quests based on the civil war and as seen from the faction mods from fallout new vegas it is obvious that the more popular faction gets all the quests made for it (NCR).

 

So this is my question. Did the majority of players pick the stormcloaks?

 

I don't think there is a "right" side. There are flaws with both the Stormcloaks and the Imperial Legion, and both sides see the other very negatively (with accusations of racism being made against both sides). Ulfric and Tullius seem like well-meaning (if flawed) leaders, and I think the narrative really hammers home that, even if you side with one faction and oppose the other, your opponent isn't a villain.

 

I've done both, and I like how the writers handled it. I think it's good because the Stormcloaks and the Legion offer benefits for siding with them in spite of the problems both factions have. Neither side is so perfect that you'll consistently side with them over the other, and there are enough flaws with both factions to invite the player to see both sides. Good and bad Jarls, good and bad people, without either side being as bad as the Legion was (with all the choices you could make in New Vegas). I like that there isn't a "right choice" in Skyrim. I prefer that type of dichotomy, honestly.

 

 

Sorry if I didn't make this clear but by right side I meant which side the mod makers would pick because which ever side they pick is the side that gets the mods.

[Dukkah]

Its like being offered a choice between the Nazis and the Khmer Rouge, neither are very inspiring.

 

^^^This.

 

Honestly, I would have sided with the Thalmor, were it possible.

[StayFrosty05]

I side with the Imperials....it takes my PC a long time before he picks a side though...I run each game off my perspective from the first game...at first he wants nothing to do with the Imperials, they were going to execute him simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time....but after travelling around and speaking with a variety of people, Ulfric isn't exactly a prime candidate for High King and I find him extremely suspicious...Plus, the Imperials don't seem to be exactly supporting the Thalmor, more bidding their time than anything and if there is to be an eventual counter strike against the Thalmor a united kingdom stands a much better chance....that's my take on it anyway.