ryguy90
Member
For this thread you must list what you dislike about Skyrim and how you would have change it. It can be about anything, story, missions, game play, or even graphics.
For me the biggest issue I have is Ulfric Stormcloak because I want to feel good about helping him, but he comes across as a racist jerk. See when I first listened to Ulfric talk about why he fights in his throne room, he comes across as a passionate and patriotic man that fights because he feels that Empire has grown weak and betrayed their people when they surrendered to the Thalmor. But then I saw how he treats the Dark Elves and Argonians living in his city, and then I learned of his place in the over throw of the Forsworn during the Markarth incident were killed reach men and nord alike, and I realized he was just a hypocrite, and a racist.
Only nearly no one in the game, even his enemies, point these things out. Instead they just focus on his murder of the high king, making it seem like the writers never really thought about how these things would effect the players view of Ulfric and never intended for him to come across as the villain.
If they really wanted the player to decide if Ulfric was ether a tragic hero who is forced into war or a power hungry warlord, the writers needed to make a few changes. First I would have had Ulfric claim he was tricked in helping the Jarl of Malkarth and the High King into overthrowing the Forsworn. What happen was that to pull the Forsworn army away from the Malkarth, a large Skyrim army, lead by Jarl Igmund, marched onto the Reach forcing the Forsworn army to meet them in the field before the Nords could pillage the country side.
Now with Malkarth nearly undefended, Ulfric and High King Higrif (the High King before Torygg) lead a smaller force on the city. The plan Ulfric was told was that he would break the gates down with the power of the Thu'um, then he and King Higrif would take the city and force Madanach to renegotiate the treaty Talos made with the Forsworn after his war with the Reach Men, he. So thinking he was ending the war before the bloodshed got worse, Ulfric shouted the gigantic gates open. Only instead of ordering their housecarls to peacefully march in and occupy the city, Higrif order them to charge in and kill anyone, Nord and Forsworn alike. For days Ulfric watched his dreams of a peacefully treaty with the Forsworn come undone, as solders he had just days earlier counted among his shield siblings murdered unarmed civilians and pillaged their homes. This was the start of the burning hated he had for the High King, which was only increased when he learned that Higrif had rode back to Solitude so he could try to blame sacking of Markarth on Ulfric and his desire to restore the worship of Talos, and that Jarl Igmund, who abandoned his army to the Forsworn when the battle turned against them, was also being declared a True Son of Skyrim by the same High King.
All Ulfric could do was save his old friend King Madanach from Thonar Silver-Blood's chopping block, and promise to the true King Of The Reach that he would bring justice for the Forsworn before ridding back to Windhelm.
See this story of the events cast Ulfric in a better light, while at the same time it can be argued that King Higrif's story of Ulfric holding Markarth hostage in exchange for free Talos worship since the player never actually sees what happen. It would all come down to do you see Ulfric and Madanach as heroic men who are trying to bring freedom to their people or just a couple of schemers who use their people as pawns in their quest for power.
This would also be the catyolist of events that lead to the civil war. For instance once Ulfric returned to Windhelm, he demanded that the Empire go and do something about the Markarth Incident at once. Only it was placed on the lower end of the Empire's to-do list, forcing Ulfric to sit on his butt as Higrif continued to drag his name threw the mud, and war in the Reach continued to become more violent with each passing day, all the while the Thalmor had begun cracking down on Talos worshiping across Skyrim.
Finally Ulfric had enough and began making ready for war. The first thing he did was make contact with like minded Jarls who were feed up with the corrupted King, the slowly invading Thalmor, and the weak Empire who was letting it happen. Then with those Jarls behind him Ulfric began to look for non-nord allies to help counter the vast number of solders the Empire could call upon. He already had the Forsworn do to his own secret support of their own war, but they would be mostly stuck fighting in the Reach and Ulfric need solders who could help protect the hold's loyal to him. Specifically he looked towards to Skyrim's large Dark Elf and Orc populations for support. To get them on their side Ulfric promised the Dark Elves their own hold to make up for the loss of Morrowind and promised the Orc's he would promote Malacath to one of the divines. This of course brought many Dark Elves and Orcs from all over Skyrim and beyond to fill the ranks of army, giving him access to more warriors and more importantly spell castors to counter the Thalmor.
Now this isn't a perfect back story for Ulfric and I am not saying they had to do it like this, but it does allow more room for debate on the man's character and his beliefs. Because while it can be argued that Ulfric is fighting not only for nords but other races that have been left to writher by the empire, you can also claim that Ulfric is willing to promote a dedric prince to godhood and sell off a pieces of his country to barbarians and provincials in exchange for the throne.
But let me know what you think of this and what you would have done to make Skyrim better.
For me the biggest issue I have is Ulfric Stormcloak because I want to feel good about helping him, but he comes across as a racist jerk. See when I first listened to Ulfric talk about why he fights in his throne room, he comes across as a passionate and patriotic man that fights because he feels that Empire has grown weak and betrayed their people when they surrendered to the Thalmor. But then I saw how he treats the Dark Elves and Argonians living in his city, and then I learned of his place in the over throw of the Forsworn during the Markarth incident were killed reach men and nord alike, and I realized he was just a hypocrite, and a racist.
Only nearly no one in the game, even his enemies, point these things out. Instead they just focus on his murder of the high king, making it seem like the writers never really thought about how these things would effect the players view of Ulfric and never intended for him to come across as the villain.
If they really wanted the player to decide if Ulfric was ether a tragic hero who is forced into war or a power hungry warlord, the writers needed to make a few changes. First I would have had Ulfric claim he was tricked in helping the Jarl of Malkarth and the High King into overthrowing the Forsworn. What happen was that to pull the Forsworn army away from the Malkarth, a large Skyrim army, lead by Jarl Igmund, marched onto the Reach forcing the Forsworn army to meet them in the field before the Nords could pillage the country side.
Now with Malkarth nearly undefended, Ulfric and High King Higrif (the High King before Torygg) lead a smaller force on the city. The plan Ulfric was told was that he would break the gates down with the power of the Thu'um, then he and King Higrif would take the city and force Madanach to renegotiate the treaty Talos made with the Forsworn after his war with the Reach Men, he. So thinking he was ending the war before the bloodshed got worse, Ulfric shouted the gigantic gates open. Only instead of ordering their housecarls to peacefully march in and occupy the city, Higrif order them to charge in and kill anyone, Nord and Forsworn alike. For days Ulfric watched his dreams of a peacefully treaty with the Forsworn come undone, as solders he had just days earlier counted among his shield siblings murdered unarmed civilians and pillaged their homes. This was the start of the burning hated he had for the High King, which was only increased when he learned that Higrif had rode back to Solitude so he could try to blame sacking of Markarth on Ulfric and his desire to restore the worship of Talos, and that Jarl Igmund, who abandoned his army to the Forsworn when the battle turned against them, was also being declared a True Son of Skyrim by the same High King.
All Ulfric could do was save his old friend King Madanach from Thonar Silver-Blood's chopping block, and promise to the true King Of The Reach that he would bring justice for the Forsworn before ridding back to Windhelm.
See this story of the events cast Ulfric in a better light, while at the same time it can be argued that King Higrif's story of Ulfric holding Markarth hostage in exchange for free Talos worship since the player never actually sees what happen. It would all come down to do you see Ulfric and Madanach as heroic men who are trying to bring freedom to their people or just a couple of schemers who use their people as pawns in their quest for power.
This would also be the catyolist of events that lead to the civil war. For instance once Ulfric returned to Windhelm, he demanded that the Empire go and do something about the Markarth Incident at once. Only it was placed on the lower end of the Empire's to-do list, forcing Ulfric to sit on his butt as Higrif continued to drag his name threw the mud, and war in the Reach continued to become more violent with each passing day, all the while the Thalmor had begun cracking down on Talos worshiping across Skyrim.
Finally Ulfric had enough and began making ready for war. The first thing he did was make contact with like minded Jarls who were feed up with the corrupted King, the slowly invading Thalmor, and the weak Empire who was letting it happen. Then with those Jarls behind him Ulfric began to look for non-nord allies to help counter the vast number of solders the Empire could call upon. He already had the Forsworn do to his own secret support of their own war, but they would be mostly stuck fighting in the Reach and Ulfric need solders who could help protect the hold's loyal to him. Specifically he looked towards to Skyrim's large Dark Elf and Orc populations for support. To get them on their side Ulfric promised the Dark Elves their own hold to make up for the loss of Morrowind and promised the Orc's he would promote Malacath to one of the divines. This of course brought many Dark Elves and Orcs from all over Skyrim and beyond to fill the ranks of army, giving him access to more warriors and more importantly spell castors to counter the Thalmor.
Now this isn't a perfect back story for Ulfric and I am not saying they had to do it like this, but it does allow more room for debate on the man's character and his beliefs. Because while it can be argued that Ulfric is fighting not only for nords but other races that have been left to writher by the empire, you can also claim that Ulfric is willing to promote a dedric prince to godhood and sell off a pieces of his country to barbarians and provincials in exchange for the throne.
But let me know what you think of this and what you would have done to make Skyrim better.
) ).
