Who do you side with and why?

[Haddock]

Personally I side with The Imperial Legion not because I agree with them or dislike Ulfric. I side with them so I can defend Whiterun.

From the first time I played the game that has always been my Home city (That and Riverwood) and I always feel like a bastard when I attack it during the Stormcloak storyline.

Like those are the people I spent so much time helping. I'm their thane, I helped the guards with vampire attacks and dragons and then one day I show up leading an attack against my own city while cutting down the guards that trusted me to defend Whiterun.

[Carl!!!!]

Depends on current playthrough, or which house I'm using. I mostly use mod houses nowadays, and some of them, imperials or stormcloaks pass through my yard, so I side with whoever didn't trespass first.

No matter which side though, Thalmor die on sight. XD

[The Holy Chicken Overlord]

I side with the Empire aswell, for a multitude of reasons: 1. Stormcloaks are racist 2. They are hypocritical. They claim that they want independence as they are natives, (which they arent but you cant really give Skyrim to the Falmer or Dwemer) despite this Ulfric himself was the reason that native Reachmen lost control of their native land. 3. If the Stormcloaks win the Empire would be extremely weakened, making next conflict between the Dominion and Empire be much easier for the Dominion. They would not only lose men during the war, but also possible recruitment from Skyrim, avialible resources from Skyrim, but would also most likely cause High Rock to secede, causing the what I just stated to happen to HIgh Rock. This would mean the Empire would be reduced to a single war-torn province, and it's military would be in a major lack of heavy troops and battlemages. This would obviously cause the Empire to quickly fall, and the rest of Tamriel with it.

[Haddock]

Originally posted by Dresden69:

No matter which side though, Thalmor die on sight. XD

Fair enough

[Silamon]

Originally posted by (=SKG=) Tictactoe360:

Personally I side with The Imperial Legion not because I agree with them or dislike Ulfric. I side with them so I can defend Whiterun.

From the first time I played the game that has always been my Home city (That and Riverwood) and I always feel like a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ when I attack it during the Stormcloak storyline.

Like those are the people I spent so much time helping. I'm their thane, I helped the guards with vampire attacks and dragons and then one day I show up leading an attack against my own city while cutting down the guards that trusted me to defend Whiterun.

I always side with the stormcloaks because I hate the Imperial dogs.

Free Skyrim is the only Skyrim for me!

As for attacking Whiterun, think of it as saving them from the empire, the civilians stay safe in their homes, and the Whiterun guards picked the wrong side... no true Nord would join the Imperials!
I mean people cant even worship Talos properly under Imperial rule (except for Heimskr... how he isnt dead after the first day I have no idea....)

[Silamon]

Originally posted by Hero of Kvatch:

I side with the Empire aswell, for a multitude of reasons: 1. Stormcloaks are racist 2. They are hypocritical. They claim that they want independence as they are natives, (which they arent but you cant really give Skyrim to the Falmer or Dwemer) despite this Ulfric himself was the reason that native Reachmen lost control of their native land. 3. If the Stormcloaks win the Empire would be extremely weakened, making next conflict between the Dominion and Empire be much easier for the Dominion. They would not only lose men during the war, but also possible recruitment from Skyrim, avialible resources from Skyrim, but would also most likely cause High Rock to secede, causing the what I just stated to happen to HIgh Rock. This would mean the Empire would be reduced to a single war-torn province, and it's military would be in a major lack of heavy troops and battlemages. This would obviously cause the Empire to quickly fall, and the rest of Tamriel with it.

Tbh that would happen even if the Empire won, the entire civil war was provoked by the Thalmor with the intention of weakening both Skyrim AND the Empire, no matter who wins the civil war, they both lose the events coming after.

[The Holy Chicken Overlord]

Originally posted by Silamon:

I always side with the stormcloaks because I hate the Imperial dogs.

Free Skyrim is the only Skyrim for me!

As for attacking Whiterun, think of it as saving them from the empire, the civilians stay safe in their homes, and the Whiterun guards picked the wrong side... no true Nord would join the Imperials!
I mean people cant even worship Talos properly under Imperial rule (except for Heimskr... how he isnt dead after the first day I have no idea....)

Saving them from the Empire that they want to be apart of? And the civilians wouldnt stay safe in their homes, hundreds of innocents would be brutally killed during the siege. I guess true Nords didnt exist until Ulfric then, seeing as not only was Tiber Septim and many other Emperors Nords, (well Tiber Septim couldve been Breton, but no one really believes the Articuian Heresy) but Skyrim willingly joined the Empire during the Tiber Wars, and was content with its rule for an entire Era and then some. And Heimskr can not just publicly worship Talos, but preach aswell, because the Empire doesnt enforce the ban. Thats why the Thalmor have Justiciar squads in Skyrim.

Originally posted by Silamon:

Tbh that would happen even if the Empire won, the entire civil war was provoked by the Thalmor with the intention of weakening both Skyrim AND the Empire, no matter who wins the civil war, they both lose the events coming after.

I doubt the Thalmor could win the upcoming war if the Empire won the Nordic Civil War. They would have much larger forces than the Dominion since 3/4 of races of the Empire are Men, while 2/3 of the races of the Dominion are Mer.

[Malaficus Shaikan]

As i keep saying:
The empire is the lesser of the two evil's.
Sure there corrupt.
But atleast there equily corrupt.
The empire has been fair to all races since its conception.
The stormcloak hate anything that isnt the nordic way of life(see: hooligans)
A common misconception is that the stormcloak are rasict.
They arent.
There xenophobic.
In there mind anything that isnt nordic way of life is wrong.
And from what i can tell: the nordic way of life is endless pointless ego contest.
Even sovengaurd is a bar with people boasting.
Now for an intelectiual like myself.
Having someone like ulfric run the country would be undiserable.
Atleast corruption is a hidden disease.
If you are found corrupt, you will be punished.
Even riften(the most corrupt city in skyrim) maintains the illusion of law.
Where under ulfric reign anyone who doesnt so much as walk nordic will get trown in jail.

That said my current charater is roleplayed as a thalmor agant who will grow in love with skyrim.
I am unsure if(on this charater) i will join the empire(like i useally do) or if i join the stormcloaks(too trow the thalmor out)

I dont like the stormcloaks.
There a bunch of hypocrite:
Free worship of talos!!!(blackmails a talos worshiper)
A dragon is burning down helgen(lets attack the imperial trying to talk to us)
Beside talus is nicer guy then ulfric.
So who will i join?
Unless i find a very good reason to ignore the stormcloaks countless crimes.
The empire.

[Haddock]

I would like to say that even though I side with the Stormcloaks I don't think they're as racist as everyone paints them.

An Argonian shows up asking to join and they ask why do you want to fight for the Stormcloaks.

You can call him out and saying "So only Nords can join?"

and he'll seem suprised and say you misunderstand him.
When you claim Skyrim is home to more than just Nords he says fair enough

They send you on a mission to kill 1 Ice Wraith to prove you can fight.

Where the Imperial Legion sends you alone to kill an entire camp of Bandits hiding inside a heavily defended fort.

----

They seem to dislike ANYONE that's not on their side as they appear to feel like they're the only ones trying to stop the Thalmor. They let an Argonian join no problem all I had to say was Skyrim was my home too.

It seems that all the other races just seem to try and stay out of it and it probably seems like they've all given up from the Stormcloak point of view.

[Mo0on]

"Skyrim deserves to be free." - Ralof of Riverwood.

[Silamon]

Originally posted by Hero of Kvatch:

Originally posted by Silamon:

Tbh that would happen even if the Empire won, the entire civil war was provoked by the Thalmor with the intention of weakening both Skyrim AND the Empire, no matter who wins the civil war, they both lose the events coming after.

I doubt the Thalmor could win the upcoming war if the Empire won the Nordic Civil War. They would have much larger forces than the Dominion since 3/4 of races of the Empire are Men, while 2/3 of the races of the Dominion are Mer.

Didnt the aldmeri Dominion damn near defeat the empire even with Skyrim helping them though....
Hence the whole White Gold Concordat thing?

With Skyrim ravaged by war and the Empire's army severely reduced by the very same war, they would be in an even worse position to fight Dominion.

I would agree with Ulfric though, the Empire already caved in to the Dominion once, they have already proven they are incapable of defending skyrim without accepting very, very punishing terms of surrender.

[Haddock]

Originally posted by Silamon:

Originally posted by Hero of Kvatch:

I doubt the Thalmor could win the upcoming war if the Empire won the Nordic Civil War. They would have much larger forces than the Dominion since 3/4 of races of the Empire are Men, while 2/3 of the races of the Dominion are Mer.

Didnt the aldmeri Dominion damn near defeat the empire even with Skyrim helping them though....
Hence the whole White Gold Concordat thing?

With Skyrim ravaged by war and the Empire's army severely reduced by the very same war, they would be in an even worse position to fight Dominion.

I would agree with Ulfric though, the Empire already caved in to the Dominion once, they have already proven they are incapable of defending skyrim without accepting very, very punishing terms of surrender.

In theory too if the Dragonborn sided with the Stormcloaks after defeating Alduin he could command a small army of Dragons that would easily help them in the fight against the Thalmor

[The Holy Chicken Overlord]

Originally posted by (=SKG=) Tictactoe360:

They seem to dislike ANYONE that's not on their side as they appear to feel like they're the only ones trying to stop the Thalmor. They let an Argonian join no problem all I had to say was Skyrim was my home too.

Yeah, and Skyrim is also the home of the Argonians forced outside the city walls and the Dunmer forced into the slums that are constanty harrased. Im sure the Stormcloaks could go with as many grunts they could get, but if theyre not serving the army, then they are obviously Imperial spies, and deserve to be treated as second class citizens.

Originally posted by Silamon:

Didnt the aldmeri Dominion damn near defeat the empire even with Skyrim helping them though....
Hence the whole White Gold Concordat thing?

With Skyrim ravaged by war and the Empire's army severely reduced by the very same war, they would be in an even worse position to fight Dominion.

I would agree with Ulfric though, the Empire already caved in to the Dominion once, they have already proven they are incapable of defending skyrim without accepting very, very punishing terms of surrender.

They were pushed out of Cyrodiil completely, and the entire army there destroyed. Since Elves, Altmer in particular which make up the majority of their armed forces, cant reproduce nearly as quickly as the races of men, the Empire has been able to build up their army much faster than the Dominion. On top of this the Dominion commits purges in Vallenwood, further decreasing the amount of possible recruits. Skyrim may be ravaged by war but nearly all of the Legion there is made of recruits from the locals of Skyrim. It isnt nearly as damaging as one would think. It may be a bloody war, but its one the Empire should be able to win.

Originally posted by (=SKG=) Tictactoe360:

In theory too if the Dragonborn sided with the Stormcloaks after defeating Alduin he could command a small army of Dragons.

In theory, depending on what your character belives House Redoran could gain a small army of dragons. And we both know this will never, the only tiime theyve had a PC apear in a later game is with the Hero of Kvatch and they had to do that because everyone loves Sheogorath. I men with Morrowind they went so far to have the Nerevarine go to a different continent entirely to not have him appear in Oblivion.

Originally posted by Drohas:

"Skyrim deserves to be free." - Ralof of Riverwood.

"We need the Empire as much as it needs us. We Nords are the Empire! Our blood built it. Our blood sustains it!" -Jarl Balgruuf of Whiterun

[big_zam1189]

I don't care about the Stormcloaks or the Imperials. The Altmer should just roll in and kill them all.

[Silamon]

Originally posted by Buuboo:

I don't care about the Stormcloaks or the Imperials. The Altmer should just roll in and kill them all.

Thalmor Agent dedicated.

[Archgaull]

I aways go Imperial. When the game first came out I did two playthroughs, one Imperial and one Stormcloak. I just prefer Imperials, I don't like how racist the Stormcloaks are, also the Imperial gear is better looking IMO.