Spoiler Your Views on Skyrim's Political Climate

[Khazrihl]

(I tagged with spoilers because we have no idea what we might say in this thread. So, POTENTIAL SPOILERS.)

I tried to see if a thread was already here, but didn't find anything.

This faction war feels different from faction wars in other video games, doesn't it? When I first saw this, I was thinking "Oh man, Bethesda is throwing in THAT element of fantasy/war gaming." But I believe they pulled it off quite well. I definitely didn't see this war coming, then again... we missed two hundred years of history within Tamriel since Martin made his sacrifice...

But I digress, how does the Forum feel about The War in Skyrim?

Do you side with The Stormcloaks? Fed up with Imperial passiveness since The Great War? Not to fond of the Thalmor? Do you feel like Skyrim is losing what makes itself Skyrim? Obviously many are upset about the ban of Talos worship. Do you see it as Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak of Windhelm, a revolutionary who was simply following the natural laws that Skyrim was founded on? When he bested High King Torryg in a FORMAL duel for the right to rule?

Or do you feel with The Empire, only wishing peace once more, and to maintain it with The High Elves? That Ulfric Stormcloak is a traitor to both Skyrim and the Empire by murdering The High King through way of the voice, nearly shouting him to bits? Or do you simply feel that Tiber Septim, The baddest Nord in history, Talos himself, would forsake his Godhood among the mortal worship so that the Empire could remain?

I know this is all a bit much to swallow, so feel free to pick a single topic about ANYTHING in the political climate, and discuss, try to keep it clean (and by clean I mean organized)

 

[I_I_Z_I_I]

*Spills cola all over the floor* Damn I couldn't keep it clean.

- OT:
I side with ... *drum solo* The imperials simply because Ulfric is a Fag.

 

[brandon]

i sided with the imperials but i still try to free any prisoners that i find being taken away by the justicars. i like the idea of being an imperial rebel. screw the high elves talos is a god.

 

[kichigai_m]

I tried to understand Ulfric's reason for a free Skyrim... but after running a few quests and taking over Whiterun does it show how much of a slimy bastard him and his companions really are. It's true that he really is using his people for political power.

So I started from an early save and switched sides. I don't regret doing so... the nords may be pissy about their lost but at least the elves and argonians now have a shot of fair living. The Thalmors though... I will always ambush them on the roads.

 

[Wanderer]

I have been lurking around here since I bought the game. First off thanks for all the post, I have learn a lot.

Had to weigh in on this topic for it has been troubling me.

At first I was "Empire tried to take my head and they have turned their backs to god. All who turn their back to Talos are doomed to be consumed by his wrath. Screw the Elves and the horses they rode in on!". However the Nords are racist bastards. I cannot in good conscience support a regime built on fascism. I too am considering starting over, I have no good earlier save.

On a side note: What an awesome game that you feel motivated by what is going on in the story to ponder what is best for your pretend world. Well done Bethesda! Now just do the same thing with the next fallout and I may never go to work again.

 

[Flamingtaco]

Well actually not long before I killed him to end the war, Ulfric told me he just knocked the King back with the voice and killed him with his sword. So he didn't shout him to pieces as everyone else claims. The point of the voice was to make people feel in awe of him. I think both sides have good and bad points. The imperials themselves are not terrible, and even if you dislike them, they actually show emotions. For instance in Solitude a man is executed unjustly in my opinion. When I talked o the captain who did it he actually seemed to show remorse but said it needed to be done. I think Bethesda did that really well.

 

[Jersey Dagmar]

I can understand the views of both sides, so simply by using the powers of two different characters I will experience both sides of the war.

I loathe the Thalmors. Nothing is more satisfying then sniping their asses from a hiding spot with my trusty bow as they scurry around in confusion.

 

[Swordsmansmith]

I HATE the thalmors!!! Not sure which side to follow though. I do know the thalmor will learn to fear the name Grox! Orcish warrior and wielder of Wuuthrad bane of elves! I will join whichever side permits the spilling of thalmor blood. If only the empire had the balls to stand tall against them!

 

[Khazrihl]

Great posts everyone! I'ma throw in some inspiration, if anyone is wondering "WTF is the White-Gold Concordat everyone is talking about?" Here you go. Basically The Great War was Tamriel's 'WWII' The Aldmeri Dominion decides to show their balls and try to take Hammerfell from The Empire (But later decided to take on the WHOLE empire). But I digress, more can be read from the link above.

I think that after Skyrim and before the next game. There will be another war where Skyrim reunites with the Empire, and a True Nord will once again take the throne of Emperor and drive the Aldmeri Dominion from Tamriel.

 

[Rayven]

I have a personal philosophical problem with "master race" issues as well as "worship this or I kill you" issues so I can't bring myself to ally with the Imperials without feeling nauseated. Gossip says that the Stormcloak guy is a jerk. So for now, I've kept away from both factions, aside from the liberating of prisoners as I see them.

 

[King Randor]

Racism can't be tolerated. I just watced a terrible video on youtube

 

[Ebony Knight]

For a long time I was sitting on the fence with this one as the entire war is very gray with neither side truly being the clearly apparent "good guys", and honestly it is not a black and white war by any means. It wasn't until I found out a good deal of information about the 200 years between the Oblivion crisis and Alduin's return that I really started picking a side for me as a whole. I have a couple of characters that have sided with the Empire simply for the continuity of my role playing elements, BUT I am very much a Stormcloak at heart. The Empire has folded under the oppressive thumb of the Aldmeri Dominion, spearheaded first and foremost by the Thalmor (a bigger bunch of phallic shaped yellow bellies I've never seen). They are oppressing the worship of Talos, indisputably one of the most influential men in the history of Tamriel, and forcing their view of racial superiority upon all others. To top that off the Empire (which in it's ideal state i fully support) has crumbled to a shadow of it's former glory. I'm all for stability within the land of Tamriel, but so long as the Thalmor have the Emperors ear, hands, and puppet strings....I'm all for Ulfric. He has every right to want Skyrim's individuality.

 

[Swordsmansmith]

Yes but ulfric wants to ethnicly cleanse Skyrim of all but nords

 

[Ebony Knight]

Yes but ulfric wants to ethnicly cleanse Skyrim of all but nords

Not entirely true, he want's to cleans Skyrim's POLITICS of all but Nords. As always I'm willing to accept that I'm wrong but I feel fairly comfortable in stating that he only wishes independence for Skyrim and the right to govern themselves as they see fit, rather than through the oppression of the Empire being tooled by the Aldmeri. Again, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[3v3r]

I'm with the empire on this one. The thalmor forced the king into signing anything they wanted the king had no choice. He did it to stop needless bloodshed. The nords don't understand that he was thinking of the whole empire not just his honor. The thalmor are arrogant douches and I kill them when I can in the wild.

 

[Ebony Knight]

I'm with the empire on this one. The thalmor forced the king into signing anything they wanted the king had no choice. He did it to stop needless bloodshed. The nords don't understand that he was thinking of the whole empire not just his honor. The thalmor are arrogant douches and I kill them when I can in the wild.

This is a large part of why this is such an evenly sided war. I cannot entirely disapprove of the Emperor's decision with the white-gold concord because of all the lives that it theoretically saved. Had TES V take place at this point in time and we had a hero to support the Empire, my tune would be different; but as is many people would have needlessly died had the war continued.

 

[Deadhand]

I was actually really upset I didn't join the Stormcloaks on my first playthrough. I am an Imperial, but solely for the money. Then as the game went on, I realized what racist pricks the SC's are. I really can't stand that and honestly am glad I'm not a Stormcloak. I do plan on playing through again as a Stormcloak, but I think on my first character it's the character I most self-identify, so it felt like -me-, not just some character. While I disliked the Imperials for other reasons (the Concordat that they signed with the Aldmeri Legion... total BS. By the NINES, praise Talos, and fight for it til every last one of us is dead!) but that being said, yes, like it was stated above they were sort of backed in to it. So as an Imperial, I kill ever Stormcloak hold out, and slaughter and maim every Aldmeri POS I see. Next character; hmm. Probably an Orc dual-wielder, siding with the SC's. I'll show them that not only Nord blood deserves to live in the beautiful lands of Skyrim.

 

[Brother]

I sided with the Stormcloaks. I'm actually loyal to the Empire, but they just don't have the guts to stand up to the damn elves. Ulfric is just a power-hungry warmonger, yes, but I did what I had to to ensure Skyrim's freedom.

 

[Khazrihl]

I think it's high time for another Nordic Emporer. Someone who will lead us to CONQUER ALLLL OF NIRN!

 

[Jaeger]

I was actually really upset I didn't join the Stormcloaks on my first playthrough. I am an Imperial, but solely for the money. Then as the game went on, I realized what racist pricks the SC's are. I really can't stand that and honestly am glad I'm not a Stormcloak. I do plan on playing through again as a Stormcloak, but I think on my first character it's the character I most self-identify, so it felt like -me-, not just some character. While I disliked the Imperials for other reasons (the Concordat that they signed with the Aldmeri Legion... total BS. By the NINES, praise Talos, and fight for it til every last one of us is dead!) but that being said, yes, like it was stated above they were sort of backed in to it. So as an Imperial, I kill ever Stormcloak hold out, and slaughter and maim every Aldmeri POS I see. Next character; hmm. Probably an Orc dual-wielder, siding with the SC's. I'll show them that not only Nord blood deserves to live in the beautiful lands of Skyrim.

And the Altmer are racists too. You meet some in Malkerth where the Altmerian wizard says we will show you humans our superiority. The imperials are pink panties wearing boot lickers.

And far as Nord dislike of elves. All the wars were started by elves. The Bosmer are cannibals (who doesn't discriminate against cannibals? Would you have gone over to Jeffrey Dalmers apartment for dinner?) Do we really need to talk about the Dark elves? The high elves are pretentious pricks.