It strikes me as being strange that such a diverging storyline was created for the Civil War. Specifically, either Ulfric lives, or is beheaded. But how will that be handled in lore? Will Ulfric die early in battle during an expansion/some battle not in Skyrim? Will the $|^￡ hit the fan during the next game and have a certain amount of history lost?

Will Bethesda troll its fans with a Dragonbreak so that Ulfric becomes Schrodinger's Cat and is both alive and dead? Thoughts?

He'll probably die fighting in a war with the Thalmor.

Well since ulfric or Tullius can die, Well personally I think bethesda will just marginalize the choice and the civil war so picking a side for the civil war won't even matter.

Gotta agree. Sounds like a Civil War DLC could work well. Either Tullius or Ulfric dies from an assassin or during a battle, and somebody else takes over. Or maybe the Empire and Stormcloaks both fall and all the human races become slaves?

Both Tullius and Ulfric will die under circumstances unknown to the general public.

Like Wulfharth and Zurin did.

Dragon breaaak! Woot

Personally thats what I want to happen the thalmor take over and then the game would be set in summerset isles and the main character and a group of npcs will start up a resistance and defeat the dominion from the inside. That would be sweet.

with the Dragonborn DLC showing

And the oversoul of Tulius, Ulfric and Dragonborn is formed.. thus ironically joining the DB with one of the people he rails against on the forums.

It's another Warp in the West moment. Both outcomes happen simultaneously. The only other solution is to never refer to the Civil War again in anything but incredibly vague terms.
Personally, I think it's fitting that Ulfric wins. The alternative doesn't advance the story in any meaningful way. Let Ulfric die a hero's death in a future showdown with the Dominion.

That's a great idea. The present state of affairs in Tamriel is fertile ground for the next game.
Typical gamesas laziness. God only knows what kind of havok they will play with the lore in TESO

Not even the same people.

...Which makes the probability of trashed lore nearly 100%.

i don't think they let ulfric take over skyrim, because this should mean the end to the empire. i don't think they let the empire die... or maybe?

I think Ulfric would die ultimately.. I think in the lore following this game, it will just say that Skyrim was in an on and off civil war crisis.. In which Skyrim will be partly owned by the Imperials and partly owned by a Nord government..

I don't think Bethesda will go into deep detail on the civil war. Meaning that when they talk about it, they won't get into specifics. It'll be vague enough that Ulfric wont have to die, They probably wont even mention who's the high king. One thing I do think will happen no matter what is Skyrim being independent,

You don't really even have to acknowledge it, I know I'm not considering it part of my TES universe.

I think the canon ending will be something of a status quo. Skyrim remains in the Empire but with considerable degrees of autonomy and Ulfric as High King. Stormcloak army is annexed by the Imperial army but people of Skyrim fight in their own units and are commanded by their own officers. So, in a way both sides win.

I will never play it. As long as a bunch of WoW goofiness doesn't bleed over into future TES titles, I could care less.

This can't happen without the Empire refuting the WGC and as a result being in an immediate state of war with the Dominion. The main sticking point between the Stormcloaks and the Empire is the Talos ban, as long as Skyrim remains in the Empire the ban will remain in effect until the Empire refutes the treaty. The Stormcloaks are not going to accept the continued rule of the Empire with any amount of local autonomy if it means they must still honor the WGC, and the Empire cannot continue to rule Skyrim and avoid war with the Dominion unless they keep enforcing the ban. The Empire is not ready and/or willing and/or able to go to war with the Dominion, if they were they would be doing that instead of letting half of Skyrim revolt over their continuing failure to do so.

Technically yes, he is destined to die. Because just about everyone dies sooner or later.

Sorry, couldn't resist.