Stormcloaks vs Imperial Legion [Spoilers]

Genshi on 5/12/2011 at 16:50

This is already one of the most discussed topics arround the internet, and now it is here:

What is the better faction to join? Stormcloaks or Imperial Legion? And what consequences may come from your choice?

I for one chose the Stormcloaks... Their cause seemed the best...And the Empire did try to kill me without a fair trial... Oh, you are not on the list! Well, sucks to be you.... And the Stormcloaks were sick of being ruled by a dying empire...But with the empire driven away from Skyrim, the Aldmeri Dominion gets the upper hand on the conflicts.....

But if I choose the empire to hold the Aldmeri Dominion, Talos worship will be banned permanently...And I red somewhere that without Talos, the Thalmor will be able to purge Humankind from Mundus PERMANENTLY!!!Breton, Imperial, Nord and Redguard alike!

This is the Dominion's plan:

1) Remove Talos and Talos worship.
2) Remove Man not just from the world, but from the Pattern of Possibility, so that the very idea of them can be forgotten and thereby never again repeated.
3) Unbind reality and become divine spirits again, destroying all time and freeing the Dragon (Akatosh/Alduin/Auri-El/Anui-El, Anu's soul) to continue onward forever.

They're already most of the way towards completing the first step. Siding with the Stormcloaks will help do their job for them regarding the second step, because they remove the biggest obstacle in their way. And if they reach the third step, then it's bye-bye to Mundus entirely.

Which side would you choose? And why?

Renault on 5/12/2011 at 21:25

Considering it's an Elder Scrolls game, you can probably just join both.

Phatose on 5/12/2011 at 23:06

Actually, you can't. It's the one place in Skyrim where you need to actually make a choice.

I choose Imperials. Mostly cause Ulfric Stormcloak is a douche. The White-Gold concordat banned Talos worship, but the empire was largely indifferent about actual worship if you weren't doing it when there were Thalmor guests around. At least, they were until Ulfric decided to make a political play for his own personal glory and thus invited the Thalmor to pay attention to the amount of Talos worship going on.

So, pretty much sign up with the Imperials. Then pay a visit to the Thalmor embassy and their little fortresses and leave nothing left alive.

I'm really hoping there's an add-on to visit the somerset isles and kill those bastards.

Dia on 6/12/2011 at 01:48

I haven't joined either faction yet, only because they're both douchebag factions imo. On one hand you've got the Imperials who've already tried to serve my head to me on a silver platter, have outlawed the worship of Talos, and who've welcomed the Thalmor with open arms (now there's a group I love to hate) who, btw, will cheerfully carry out the death sentence for those caught worshipping Talos.

On the other you've got the Stormcloaks led by the great Ulfric himself who comes across as an overly egotistical zealot and who openly practices racism against the elves and anyone not a Nord (i.e: the Gray Quarter in Windhelm), and who's pretty much giving Nords a bad name in most of the other parts of the world.

I decided to play the character of a Nord at the beginning, thinking it was a pretty safe bet (even though I knew next to no details about plots and storylines), but after living in Markarth for awhile and doing a few quests there, I've discovered that the Nords aren't the noble race they seem, having ousted the original inhabitants (well - after the Dwemer, that is) of Markarth and have more or less waged war on that race/faction. And that's only because the faction that was there first openly objected to the Nords pushing them out of their homes.

So right now I'm really undecided and in truth quite tempted to join neither faction, at least unless I absolutely have to.

Afterall, I am the Dovahkiin.

:p

Painman on 6/12/2011 at 04:20

Ulfric *is* a douche, and more or less, a useful idiot.

I side with the Legion. The Empire has no love for the Aldmeri Dominion, and retaining what cohesion is left seems to be the best hope for the long term, while conceding Talos worship in the short term.

If Skyrim went to the Stormcloaks, Ulfric might get in a purge or 2 before the Aldmeri Dominion steamrolled the province. and they would.

I think the Thalmor have more to do with the fulfillment of prophecy and the return of Alduin than the game has let on so far. Maybe an expansion will... expand upon this.

scottyd on 8/12/2011 at 01:13

Quote Posted by Dia

Good points, I like the Stormcloaks,. because it resembles the USA, where foreigners (I will not say name) are pouring in from the south only for money, but they hate our us and our land, and want to change things to make it easy for them. And are also called racist for not wanting our land raped.
Everyone smacked a racist sticker one someone they don't like. who are patriotic and want to defend their lands.

At the same time Olfric is kind of a traitor. and the imperials have many nords. But it is not about race, it is about defending your land from foreign change. So Stormcloks get my vote.

Bho on 14/12/2011 at 06:12

So do you make your immigrants live in ghettos too?

Dia on 14/12/2011 at 12:55

Quote Posted by scottyd

... And are also called racist for not wanting our land raped.
Everyone smacked a racist sticker one someone they don't like. who are patriotic and want to defend their lands.

Okay, I'm a little confused regarding your definition of 'racist'.

Racism: the doctrine that a certain human race is superior to any or all others. adjective

Unless you mean racism in the context that Ulfric had a grudge against the Thalmor (elves) whose control in the Empire he saw as a threat to the freedom of his people. Otherwise, I don't believe racism has anything to do with having one's land raped.

I never could get Ulfric's character to discuss the ghetto in Windhelm, btw. I was unable to determine whether it was indeed Ulfric or rather his underlings who'd consigned the elf population to being forced to live in the Gray Quarter.

I did end up joining the Stormcloaks, but was rather disappointed that there were so few members who participated in the ensuing battles. Oblivion's main quest had a lot more soldiers participating in the final gate battle. Ulfric's tiny rag-tag army was almost pathetic.

And they only won because my horse and I are superior warriors.

:p ;)

Genshi on 14/12/2011 at 14:53

Quote Posted by Dia

Actually, with a little interrogation tecniques you can find out that Ulfric does not allow Argonians Inside the city....I bet he does the same to Khajiit, since I never saw one nearby....After playing 2 times both sides, I thing that the Imperial Legion side is the best one, I mean, solves more problems than it creates....And I am betting that if an expansion comes out, it will feature the final battle against the Thalmor.... Both sides seem to think so after the final battle...

Bho on 14/12/2011 at 22:27

I agree regarding the Legion being a better choice. In fact, if you dig deeper you'll find that the Jarls of Solitude and Whiterun, for example, privately worship talos. The Legion doesn't seem to be too concerned with eradicating talos worship, unless it is out in the open (like what Ulfric foolishly tried to do in Markarth).