I only ever did the Thieves Guild questline once because I wanted to know the storyline. It did not impress me enough to repeat.
The moment I became disgusted with the Thieves Guild was when you are railroaded into selling your soul to Nocturnal. It was disappointing for a game which prides itself on player choice and roleplaying freedom.
I got even more annoyed when killing Mercer took about three underwhelming minutes. "Seriously? THIS was the foe who was going to be so hard my only chance was to promise to spend my afterlife guarding a temple then becoming part of a mystical thief helping force? I've fought harder bears!" There is someone on this forum who is convinced Karliah tricked the PC and Brynjolf into becoming Nightingales for the sole reason of getting back into Nocturnal's good books.
The stuff about Karliah's cunning plan of doing very little that took her twenty five years and Mercer somehow managing to smuggle seven treasure chests of loot out of the vault via the only door into the common room without anyone noticing had me laughing out loud. Thank you, OP.
I had my fingers crossed the whole time when being sworn into that cult (or does it not count?).
But I agree, Is it really true to the part of Rp Freedom like what the other TES games have been.
If there was a choice to helping Mercer, The only one who seems to be a thief, I would.
Also where are the strict laws from Oblivion and paying blood tax or whatever it was for "killing" on the job.
Something you can get away from in Skyrim.
Plus I kept the skeleton key (The only worthwhile thing from the thieves guild). Not like Nocturnal is using it (She was also quite arrogant when I did return it, them being higher up Deadric princes and all... Compared to us puny Mundas Mortals.).
The article, well I read it the following New years after Skyrim came out.
I was glad to see I wasn't the only person who had a problem with the Thieves Guild.