Alright, I will consult Dictionary.com then.

The phrase snake oil is as a derogatory term used to describe quackery, the promotion of fraudulent or unprovenmedical practices. The expression is also applied metaphorically to any product with questionable and/or unverifiable quality or benefit. By extension, the term "snake oil salesman" may be applied to someone who sells fraudulent goods, or who is a fraud himself.

found it.

Yep! That would be it! It was a familiar dodge for people who were basically cheap thieves in the old west of the US (early to mid 1800s mostly).

Still relatively common until the early 20th century, but not sold by itinerant peddlers quite so often by the time telegraphs and telephones became more common. Communication is a beautiful thing.

Yeah, the Thieves Guild can become a Skyrim-spanning mafia where everyone is feared and so on but that's pretty much entirely the doing of the Dragonborn.

Ditto wiping out the Dark Brotherhood felt kind of "meh" since there were like 5 guys left in the organization.

I started the TG just to have fences to sell my stolen goods to. However, Enthir in the College of Winterhold becomes a fence at a certain point in the quest line.

I don't steal anything so I don't have that issue.

The guild in Skyrim makes me laugh.

"We don't want you killing anyone, that's bad for business but if they don't cooperate, kill them."

Skyrim thieves guild is under the influence of Maven Black Briar who, behind a facade of respectability, is a crime lord. I enjoyed the quest line but I didn't bother to do the influence quests for two reasons:

-20 boring Radiant quests to do: they're even worse and shorter than the DB or Companion radiant quests
-I don't want to become guild master and still a lapdog of Maven

How I wish it could be possible to liberate the thieves guild (and Skyrim) from her nefarious influence. Her daughter seems to be the only respectable person in the family. Oh, did I mention that she sends the DB after the player in case a certain optional TG quest is resolved in a certain way? I found a contract on a dead assassin with her name on it.

Overlord is different, because the theme of Overlord is "It is good to be evil"

In any case, the Thieves Guild of Skyrim feels more like real thieves.

They're mostly poor, down on their luck, slightly smarter than the average bandit mook sociopaths.

The problem is that even were I a guy who enjoys playing evil, my Dragonborn is closer to Sauron than Fagin. I really don't know why I'd want to operate with these losers.

So, "Robin Hood" stuff actually has a dark side. One of the things that the cancelled "Nottingham" movie would be Robin Hood "gives to the poor" only a percentage and that still guarantees the locals are on his side.

Makes things easier for him.

It's the same way in RL. Some of the biggest charity contributors in South America are drug cartels.

I mean, you say they're not like the mob, but as many commenters said, they're more like the mob than say the Thieves Guild in Oblivion. That much is true. Even if thats like saying "Well, BB guns are more like real guns than Air Soft guns are." Honestly, I laugh at you posters who whine about the Thieves Guild being evil and not liking them because theyre more evil, only because thieving is evil just not in a violent way.

lmfao what

is this a joke post? why are you describing "the mob" like its the illuminati or something?

and skyrim thieves guild very much resembles a mob/gang so i really have no idea what youre rambling about. the entire questline is about gaining respect and influence and crap like that

Yeah, he's describing the Syndicate as if it was every mob in the world.

But I actually agree with him that the Thieves Guild in Skyrim is a group you have to 'fix' to be awesome. It's kind of annoying because the way everyone in Riften describes the Thieves Guild, it's this omnipresent evil.

When it's more like 6 guys who live in the sewers [censored] about things.

Your objectives were: "crack a safe" and "get infomation" if you turn it into a bloodbath the only evil thing they do is tolerating you.

The only real "kill em all" job is getting rid of the the Windhelm rival guild, and even then you could just kill their boss if you are a wimpy pacifist. In total I've killed 8 members of a rival guild, a blasphemous traitor, two or three Falmer and about 6 Skeever in the whole Thieves Guild questline. Compared to that "crime syndicate", every Jarl is a homicidial maniac.

True. Not to mention that the Sumerset shadows thieves are hostile to begin with, so it's self defense. I like their boss armor. The nightingale armor endend up in a barrel soon after I got it because it looks so absurd and I was looking for a unique replacement.

I actually prefer this version of the Thieves Guild rather than what we had in Morrowind and Oblivion. It's much more like it was back in Daggerfall where they were more thuggish and run like the mob sort of is.

First off, there is no true "mafia". It's a general term to describe crime syndicates that are controlled by Italian families who all vie for control of businesses and regions. Some (maybe all) can trace their heritage back to the original La Cosa Nostra, but there is no one organized Mafia who all report back to the Pope. ...and say what you want, but the Thieve's Guild in Skyrim is a RICO syndicate.

Secondly, can the members of the Thieve's Guild be killed or are they 'hero' class? Can you even get into The Ragged Flagon without stealing/attempting to steal the ring?

LOL I keep seeing people say what a sweetheart Ingunn is. You obviously never asked her about why she likes alchemy, or listened in on the old couple's conversations about her. My assassin is creeped out by her.

I've asked her and it's both hilarious and disturbing. XD I have not heard the old couple (her parents?) talk about her...I'll have to check that out.

Just business, not necessarily evil.

Woops, I guess my first toon is insane then... because she's the LIstener, the Arch Mage, the Head of the Thieves Guild, the Harbinger uhm well yea and the Dragonborn Savior!

She's not a Blade though... there are some things I won't do!

I just collect quests and want to SEE and DO it ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

Now the strong arming of the Thieves Guild at the beginning is a bit rough. I wish there was an option to help Riften back on its feet (like get rid of corruption, work together with Mjoll to get rid of the Guild, something, just a few more choices would be nice).