What are some of the negitives about joining the imperials the point of this is not to discuss why to join i know i will just dont know when ive done 2/3 of compainions 1/3 TG up to elder knowlege in main Q and done with DB

i just want to know the negitives do S/c cities go hostile if so, which?
anything happen to whiterun?

So with as llittle spoilers as you can ( but make sure i still know what happens dont be too careful), tell me as many negitives as you can

There are two (same for the storm cloaks, just in reverse)

The first is, obviously, the storm cloaks will hate you and will tend to attack you. The second is a much bigger spoiler at the end of the quest line


End of the imperial questline

Whiterun


No cities become hostile, you can still enter and leave as you please, but you do get nasty comments sometimes.


Overall the only game changing thing that happens are at the end of the Stormcloak and Legion quest lines, and you'll get plenty of warning before the final quest starts so you can put it off indefinitely if you want.

Really? I always assumed it was potentate, I started a new game for nothing. xD

Yes, that is temporary. The war damage to Whiterun is permanent, though, but i doesn't effect people or services there. Heimskr's house just gets demolished

The guards change to imperials, and some people have new comments, but there are no real consequences for completing the questline. For either side. However it does effect the main questline:

Good post.

The biggest con for me is that after the imperials move into a hold you've just taken, the thalmor death squads move in as well. You are basicly spreading their grip.

So siding with the Imperials is essentially siding with the Thalmor? That's even more reason for me to like the Stormcloaks. Death to the oppressors!

not really, you actually ruin there plans if you join the imperials because they have marked Ulfric as a dormant asset which means him winning the war would be playing into the thalmors hands and indirectly working for them. while the imperials have them following there every location they also are against one another. there are a few texts ingame that prove what i say the most informative being a journal from the quest called Diplomatic immunity.

What death squads? I've completed the imperials side and haven't seen any death squads. Other than justiciars traveling the roads, unless your referring to the ones in Markarth?

Some Jarls in some hold change too.
If you're taken control of Rift, Maven Black-Briar will become new Jarl.
And if you taken control Pale, Brina will become new Jarl.
And if you killed Ulfric, Brunwulf Free-Winter will become Jarl of Windhelm.

I would say it as "The Thalmor wins either way".

Well, a big good point is you get to keep Balgruuf, oh Balgruuf as the Jarl of whiterun. He's much cooler than vignar.

Well, in my game, that's "dead squads"


I'd say the opposite, for Thalmor benefit most from the war continuing.

Yes, the old coot is the kind of man who will gladly throw himself on a blade just to prove a point without thinking of the consequences.

Not in the long run. If the Stormcloaks win it'll be a temporary setback for the Thalmor, but in the long run a weakened Empire only serves to strengthen the Dominion. Without Skyrim and Hammerfell the next time the Dominion attacks Cyrodiil won't stand a chance.

Not if I kill every Thalmor I see. Revenge!!!!

This assumes that Hammerfell and an independent Skyrim would just watch the Dominion attack and possibly defeat Cyrodiil and do nothing. Not saying that they would join forces with the Empire simply to protect Cyrodiil for its own sake, but keeping the Thalmor from taking control of any more of Tamriel than they already have is in the best interests of both nations. I doubt that Skyrim in particular would just sit back and watch it happen, even if they didn't establish some kind of "mutual defense" alliance with the Empire they see the Thalmor as their primary enemy and do not want them controlling Cyrodiil. The Dominion taking Cyrodiil would give them a staging ground for eventual attacks on Skyrim, and IMO preventing that would be a top priority for Skyrim's leaders. Not to mention the fact that a Thalmor attack on Cyrodiil would give Skyrim an excuse to go to war with the Dominion in conjunction with what's left of the Empire instead of fighting them alone.

You get some nice armor.
But it destroys your soul

Pretty much nothing changes apart from Imperial soldiers in some cities and different Jarls.

This is what I think will happen, so I had no problem joining the Stormcloaks!

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The downside for me, like many have already said, is that I feel like I'm aiding the Thalmor....

Every Thalmor condition for peace had been an arrow in the body of the Empire. The cession of land was to alienate Hammerfell, whilst the Talos ban was to alienate Skyrim, and their plans worked perfectly, the Empire was forced to abandon Hammerfell when they refused to give up part of their land to the Thalmor, and Ulfric's opportunists took advantage of the understandable agitation in Skyrim to launch a rebellion in hopes of also removing Skyrim from the Empire. It's a classic case of divide and conquer, to soften the Empire up for the next great war. So by defeating the Stormcloaks you are sticking it to the Thalmor and refusing to be used by them.

Besides.. as a faithful Imperial citizen I slaughter all Thalmor on sight. They can be forced to brand me as a criminal, but i serve the Empire and its people and doing so requires sacrificed.



Quite possibly, even if the revolt in Skyrim is suppressed the Empire would have killed many skilled warriors who had been misled to join Ulfric who in turn killed just as many loyalists. Nothing good is coming out of this, while the Thalmor get nothing but gain. Either Skyrim secedes from the Empire, thus weakening the Empire immeasurably, or the Empire suppresses the rebellion and loses a legion in the process. Even if Imperial loses are low, the physiological divide in Skyrim would prevent a truly unified front against the Thalmor next time.

Fixed.

Silly OP, there's no consequences in Skyrim!