If any party in this mess is racist then it is the Thalmor. They will sooner or later turn against the Empire and yet the Empire sides with them. The Stormcloaks are likely to side with the Legion when the situation with the Thalmor escalates, at least until that war is over. Siding with the Stormcloaks is as good as siding with the Legion, but I rather don't wish to side with a corrupt Empire in decay. It's not a war which when it is over allows all races to shake hands and continue with their lives. Instead the Thalmor are out there to exterminate all, but their own. Skyrim is next on their list as soon as the Legion and the Storcloaks decimated themselves in a civil war.

I cannot warm up to a side whose soldiers say if I know any "true" sons and daughters of Skyrim, to get them to join the Stormcloaks. I got that kind of rhetoric where I grew up so I admit I have a bias.

I didn't support the Empire for the last 10 years just to turn against it.

Mind that in Skyrim we are not dealing with the Septim empire, as in all previous games, but with the Mede one.

I support the Empire simply because I dont like Ulfric.
Also because I think that in the long run a united land is a neccesity to stop the Thalmor and also because I do like Tullius, he comes across as honourable, but mainly because I really do not like Ulfric.

Fair.

Indeed.

I have a real problem with the way Tulius handled his last stand vs Ulfric, if it didn't go down like that...

Well, I'd still be 110% Empire... prophecy aside.

Because there are ni right or wrong answer in the conflict.

I just hate the Stormcloaks, and believe that they don't have a chance without the Empire.

Really?

Man, from the very beginning of Skyrim... right up until the conflict with Tulius...

Just really felt like the Empire didn't give a [censored].

I find it a bit hypocritical to support the Stormcloaks because the Empire mistakenly tried to kill you. Ulfric killed the High King even though anyone with any sense knows that might doesn't make right. Trying to justify it by appealing to ancient and extremely barbaric traditions justs disgusts me, frankly.

Also, there are a hundred ways to run an anti-thalmor movement better than the Stormcloaks. Not trying to cause a huge civil war that would result in massive non-thalmor causalities would be one. Heck, the game even states more than once that the only reason Talos worship is being cracked down on in Skyrim and the only reason Thalmor are in Skyrim is because of the Stormcloaks.
The racism certainly doesn't help. Nice of them to ignore people born and raised in Skyrim if they aren't Nords.

From an RP pov, i always go Stormcloaks. the way i see it is

1) Seconds after having my head on the block, there's simply no way I'd opt to take the imperial route through Helgen. Why would i, for all i know, i'm going to remain a prisoner and still get hoarded up and taken elsewhere to be exacuted at a later date. I have no way of knowing I'm going to be freed from my hand ties. So i'm going to go with my fellow prisner whom i know will free me.

2) I have no way of knowing Ulfric's personality, i've only ever met him from the time I was picked up and put on the same cart as the guy. During which time, Ulfric is bound and gagged.

3) I grew up during the '70's, during which racisim was pretty much still rife, so i'd put my house on it, racisim was pretty much the done thing during Skyrim's era. Hell, it wasn't long ago that we [The British] were still selling slaves to all n sundry without anyone batting an eyelid. So in keeping with the general feeling of the game and the era that best represents that of TES, i have no issues with Ulfric.

If i was playing a character that planned on doing the CW line, there's no way I'm ever going to be an imperial boot licker after what happened at Helgen.

Now, if it was something like Mass Effect it would be an entirely different kettle of fish.

How about you tell a dark elf that, you idiot! Ask a black man or a jew how he feels about that comment... Especially since the Imperials weren't murders. They were upholding justice. While the list said you were innocent, they (and for good reason) saw a man that was in with Ulfric and helping him escape.

The Imperials were executing who legitimately seemed like rebels to protect their nation and Skyrim. You forget that they are trying to maintain peace, while Ulfric simply seeks power and will destroy anything to do it. You act like a nation doesn't have the right to defend itself or it's justice.

The point of the last 4 games was completely and only to save the empire.... HOW COULD YOU BETRAY IT!

Thats like helping Germany win the next Call of Duty game... or helping The Empire (unrelated Empire) win in Star Wars episode VI.

Remember, the Imperials had to do this stuff..... It was WAR! not a nice era of peace they were interrupting. They had lost most of their everything, and if they lost Skyrim, they lost High Rock too. It was a bad situation.

For everyone who felt Skyrim belongs to the Nords, remember... The Empire conquered that area.... It no longer belongs to the Nords, its the Empires. Thats conquest. The Empire has all reason to defend it afterwards. Also, most Nords were happy with the Empire, and the other Nords or weren't clearly didn't like Ulfric either (hint why they were so mad the whole time.)

Ulfric was complete evil. He was a murderer (the High King) and a selfish rebel looking for power (the next big dictator.)

Also. For you hating the Empire for Talos... They HAD to. They risked the Elves destroying them if they didn't. They had to sacrifice Talos to maintain enough order to rebuild and secure themselves. Afterwords, they'd actually be in a position to keep Talos and stop the Elves. When you let them lose Skyrim, you've doomed Talos by putting them in a situation were the Elves will finish them, than Skyrim as well. The Empire didn't want to give up Talos. Talos would have done the same if thats what it took to save his beloved nation... Something you rebels failed to understand. What they did to save the Empire and MANKIND from the elves, you have destroyed them for.

You know...

If this was as true as it seems, only Nords would be able to participate in the Civil War.

The answer is just as complicated as the debate about Stormcloaks v. Empire.

Err.. yeah...

Double post.

Ancient laptop is the reason I play on console.

Post limit.