Skyrim: Stormcloak or Empire?

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SextusMaximus

Nightingale Assassin
May 20, 2009
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Current playthrough, Empire. But I'm sort of an lone wolf, happy to kill any imperial soldiers if they get in my way, as I have done multiple times.
 

Shadowsafter

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Jun 7, 2010
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Well, like Yahtzee said, you'd have to be a fucking retard to side with people who were making a really good go at cutting your head off.
But seriously, if you want a quick and easy test of what's a true and terrible tyranny, look for the side with its own fucking secret police! A secret police that you can literally see carting people around the nation in chains. Fuck the Thalmor, long live the Stormcloaks!
 

Shadowsafter

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Jun 7, 2010
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magmayoshi said:
ZedFish said:
DutchAssassin8 said:
In Skyrim you can choose to either join the (I chose Imperial because i thought Ulfric and his band of merry men were a bunch of racist pricks. Besides that i just like the Roman empire and weaponry)
Exactly what I thought. I rocked on up to Windhelm, listened to some Elves complain, talked to Ulfric then went straight to Solitude to join the Empire.
Him and his bloody Galmar Stonefist... grumble. At least the Empire aren't dicks, even if they are selling out to the High Elves.
Correction they are selling out to THE THALMOR (the genocidal high elves) rather than suffering heavy losses or extermination. The Empire hates the Thalmor like everyone else but is mature enough to realize that literal hero worship isn't worth the Thalmor killing everyone.


I hate how polar good vs evil the sides become if you decide to background check the sides a little and the contrast just becomes huge as you delve further. But I love the transition period of how you feel toward the factions details emerge.


Actually according to accounts of the Battle of Red diamond, the Aldmeri armies were utterly destroyed in the Imperial city and the Empire, while seriously hurt, still had the support of the provinces (especially Skyrim and Hammerfell, the regions that produce the toughest fighters) and could've counterattacked. The Emperor signed the White Gold Concordat because he was a coward.
EDIT - Also, I refuse to follow an Emperor what ain't born of the line of Talos. Dovahkiin for the throne!
 

The_Emperor

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Mar 18, 2010
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Stormcloaks are not racist, there are racist nords in windhelm but alot of nords that dont care about race, plus there are lots of altmer and bosmer around that everyone seems to like, they own shops etc, The stormcloaks aren't racist, some nords are. Only the Redneck Nords though. Like the dunmer made Argonians slaves and stuff, so racism is rampant throughout Tamriel. I wouldnt call the Stormcloak faction itself racist though.

plus I mean if you play another race then ulfric sort of accepts your help because you are a good fighter, if he was racist then he would be like "you can't join the storm cloaks."

I joined the Stormcloaks for the freedom of Skyrim, to me they represent a freedom movement, and the Empire are like modern politicians, out of touch.

With my Breton I will play Empire though, cos no point in doing the same faction twice.

Also I've never heard the Storms talking about kicking anybody out but the Thalmor.
 

AM City Watch

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Nov 10, 2010
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Let's see... the rubes who can't even run a proper city, or the empire that, despite its losses, stretches across the continent? Tough choice, that one.
 

magma

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Jul 21, 2010
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Shadowsafter said:
magmayoshi said:
ZedFish said:
DutchAssassin8 said:
In Skyrim you can choose to either join the (I chose Imperial because i thought Ulfric and his band of merry men were a bunch of racist pricks. Besides that i just like the Roman empire and weaponry)
Exactly what I thought. I rocked on up to Windhelm, listened to some Elves complain, talked to Ulfric then went straight to Solitude to join the Empire.
Him and his bloody Galmar Stonefist... grumble. At least the Empire aren't dicks, even if they are selling out to the High Elves.
Correction they are selling out to THE THALMOR (the genocidal high elves) rather than suffering heavy losses or extermination. The Empire hates the Thalmor like everyone else but is mature enough to realize that literal hero worship isn't worth the Thalmor killing everyone.


I hate how polar good vs evil the sides become if you decide to background check the sides a little and the contrast just becomes huge as you delve further. But I love the transition period of how you feel toward the factions details emerge.


Actually according to accounts of the Battle of Red diamond, the Aldmeri armies were utterly destroyed in the Imperial city and the Empire, while seriously hurt, still had the support of the provinces (especially Skyrim and Hammerfell, the regions that produce the toughest fighters) and could've counterattacked. The Emperor signed the White Gold Concordat because he was a coward.
I think you are confusing the War of the Red Diamond when the Imperials kick ass which is decades before with the Battle of the Red Ring which was the last battle in the war where the Imperials kick some more ass but used up their remaining energy (I had to look that up because I knew there a number of similar named events). Hammerfell apparently kept fighting (after the peace treaty provided a short break) well enough to hold back the Thalmor but got pretty much wrecked in the process, which would be the minimum of what would have likely would have happened to all of the Empire since the troops were all tired out and the Thalmor were stronger at the time. The Emperor signed the White Gold Concordat because he wanted to win later (which a lot of warriors and warrior based cultures (like the Nords) misinterpreted as just cowardice).
 

hutchy27

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Jan 7, 2011
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I haven't sided yet. At first I planned imperial but the thalmor were god damn annoying so I decided I'll go stormcloak but after hearing that ulfrcic is working with them put me off that option.
 

Outcast107

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Mar 20, 2009
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hutchy27 said:
I haven't sided yet. At first I planned imperial but the thalmor were god damn annoying so I decided I'll go stormcloak but after hearing that ulfrcic is working with them put me off that option.
He not working with him. A lot of people read things wrong in a certain book. I won't spoil anything but he not working for them.
 

Hop-along Nussbaum

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Mar 18, 2011
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I'm torn. The empire tried to cut off my head. But talking to Ulfric, that jerkoff won't give me the time of day. I say screw them both.
 

The Minstrel Knight

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Dec 2, 2011
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I was going to roll Stormcloak because the Nords say that the Imperials are a bunch of cowards that execute people left and right, not to mention those Thalmor bastards.

But their xenophobia is pretty off putting. If I join the Empire, I'll need to think of how to bring down the Thalmor, cus they seem pretty seedy. All Skyrim needs is a good leader, and somehow, I don't think it should be Ulfric.
 

AMAZED

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Dec 6, 2010
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Well the stormcloaks are a bunch of exnophobic fuckwits so I sided with the empire.
 

DeathChairOfHell

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Dec 31, 2009
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Scorched_Cascade said:
Ladies and Gentlemen: Context.

The empire has relatively recently emerged from a costly war in which they won a Pyrrhic victory. They pushed the Almeri Dominion out of their home territory of Cyrodiil but in the process gave them half of Hammerfall as part of the peace treaty and outlawed the worship of the god of the empire giving Thalmar free access to persecute his followers.

-Talos is the most significant of the nine divines for the Empire because he was a man who became a god, specifically an emperor. The Empire is basically shaming itself by denying their founder's divinity.

-The Empire has also been forced to allow Black Marsh (Argonians) and Elseweyr (Khajit) to secede from it.

-Morrowind was wrecked by an ash volcano eruption and then subsequently invaded by the now free-agent Argonians.

-Hammerfall was expelled from the empire due to their refusal to accept the White-gold peace treaty. The Redguard continued fighting all by themselves and to put it bluntly: kicked elven arse. They single-handedly threw the Thalmer out of the parts of Hammerfall the Empire freely gave over as part of the peace treaty.

-The Empire currently consists of: Skyrim (Nords), Cyrodiil (Imperials) and High Rock (Some Orcs, Bretons) and is not all that great a military force any more (Nords and Redguard used to do the bulk of the fighting till Hammerfall's split and Skyrim's civil war)






-Skyrim is being drained of resources (mainly manpower and metal) to float the other two provinces.

-The Thalmor call themselves the "savior of mer (elven) kind" basically if you're not an elf you're a second class citizen or worse a slave.

Skyrim currently has just finished fighting the Thalmor (elves) and is bordered on one side by Morrowind which has just been invaded by unallied Argonians.... can you see why the Nords might be a little predisposed to not trust those races?

Those of you balking at the capture of that one town need to remember that without decisive movements the civil war just grinds down both sides and causes unnecessary loss of life. That town was given months to decide where their allegiances lay. The Jarl thought that the Empire would win and wanted to be on the winning side so his people were not mistreated by the eventual victor.

The town was captured within a day (presumably) and with fairly minimal loss of life. Had they decided to sack and burn the town you might have cause to call them unjust...but they didn't.

TL;DR:
-The Empire is not the strong, overwhelming force you think it is
-You think the racism unjustified? Look to Europe's past and how those associated with prior aggressors were treated by those they had been fighting against. It's not racism for racism's sake.
-Yes Ulfric is a dick and selfishly motivated but he's a good leader. Have you actually spoken to the Jarl of Solitude? She means well but she doesn't know her ass from her elbow when it comes to military doctrine; at one point she suggests sending an entire legion to clear an insignificant cave complex before her advisors correct her.
-Windhelm is a shithole purely because it's a shithole not because of Ulfric's direct actions (it's highly likely it's a slum to be due to him being rebel and unsupported by the other towns in skyrim with limited trade)
-Solitude (The Empire's skyrim capitol) is surrounded by water. Thalmor elves specialise in naval warfare. Should they siege it, they'll win.

Edit:

Here's a map of Tamriel

Empire= High Rock, Cyrodiil, Skyrim
Argonian forces= Black Marsh, Morrowind
Almeri Dominion (Thalmor)=Summerset Isle, Valenwood
Unaligned= Hammerfell, Elseweyer


Those are the reasons I wanted to express, but simply couldn't. Thank you very much!
 

Call me Baz

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Nov 26, 2011
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Well I picked a Breton and wasn't going to get involved, but then I was like "Oh wait .. If I join one of these groups I'll probably rank up and get a range of gear!" Thinking of perhaps some unique items. So I joined the imperials, on the basis of assuming a massive organised army would have better loot than the Stormcloaks. Turns out it doesn't really matter cause I can loot all corpses and pick any (almost) any lock ... and I'd get away with it if it weren't for those meddling "requires key" doors!
 

Sion_Barzahd

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Jul 2, 2008
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I went with the Storm Cloaks, they have a right to be so skeptical of other races. still they were trusting enough to let a bosmer join their fold once he'd proven his worth.

Plus they were the ones that saved my ass in Helgen and hey the Empire have never been that great a people.
Practically a slave to the Thalmor, forsaking their own deity and punishing those who praise him. They allow the Thalmor to run riot within Skyrim, and the Thalmor are just as hateful towards an elf as they are towards any nord. So screw them and their Empire lapdog.

I stabbed an emperor and now i'll watch Skyrim become free once more.

Also why should i like the empire, they were racially hateful towards the nords before and during the oblivion crisis.
 

Jfswift

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Nov 2, 2009
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Neither. I wanted to join the storm cloaks but they attacked me at the beginning and all I did was take cover in the wrong building. Also they're slowly destabilizing the region and giving the elves exactly what they want. The empire actually makes more sense to me although they treat me like some commoner when I try to join. Never mind that Im dragon born or leader of the companions.
 

flamestream

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Dec 7, 2011
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I started the game as an Imperial, so I reluctantly joined them (even though I went with Ralof in the beginning, which seems logical no matter who you're with). As I tried to power through the quest without being distracted, found books and talked to NPCs, I grew to my decision more and more. Now I'd probably only play Stormcloak when/if I make a Nord, so I can be crazy like the rest of them.

It's weird how the game shoves you towards the Stormcloaks in the beginning when they are rather undesirable in every place but that chopping block.
 

Dagda Mor

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Jun 23, 2011
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The Stormcloaks are exactly like the Thalmor,just campaigning for Man supremacy instead of Mer supremacy,and splitting from the Empire will just make the Thalmor more powerful,who will eventually trample over Skyrim's rights much more than the Empire ever did,and if the Nords defeat the Thalmor,they'll just opress everyone else like the Thalmor did.I'll grant that there needs to be a new Empire,or other form of alliance between provinces,but the Stormcloaks aren't likely to do that,being complete xenophobes.Possibly most damning,the Stormcloaks are the reason you're headed to the chopping block in the first place.So,because I hate the Thalmor,I'm firmly on the side of the Legion.I do have around ten different characters,though,so I can't say that I joined the Legion INSTEAD of the Thalmor Mk. II.