Don't kid yourself. Even if Alduin dropped those things, we'd come back here and see threads like "I killed Alduin and all I got was this stupid flaming sword"

Not if your character's name is Krod Mandoon.

Flaming Sword of Fire!

Dragons are supposed to have treasure hoards, and the ones at Word Walls have some stash nearby, so why not Alduin?

It's super easy to get outside the map in Sovengarde, I was running on into nothing for like ten minutes before I got bored. You think they could have built that area a little better so you can't get out of the map at least....

Fixed for you. This is not D&D. The chests near the altars are probably offerings although it's not explained why they're still there after centuries (those in the open).

Besides, Alduin is basically a demigod: an immortal being, with little use for riches and wealth. He only lusts POWER.

Funniest post everyone ignored. Maybe if Skyrim had been released on 12/12/12 and actually been finished it could have prevented the apocalypse!

@Everyone against dragons having loot. Whats the point of any of this of It's not for character advancement? Which includes advancement through skill and equipment! We aren't all hardcoe RP'rs who's reward is the story they tell, most gamers want to get something for their accomplishment.

shouldnt the whole killing the bad guy/saving the world and all that be a reward on its own?

Not on a game that has no fanfare or lends any weight to the achievement and has three hundred more hours of content available after where you could make use of a new trinket

That was totally epic! I defeated the cloud. And having immortal allies was great. I just took a nap in the flowery meadow and watched the rest of the action.

I was waiting for my mighty Armor and Sword of Sovngarde, but it never came. They just said thanks, bye, on your way. Grrr.

... or everyone would die while playing the game. Imagine everyone arriving like that at Heaven's gate:
St-Peter, ruffling through his papers: "Alright, today will be a busy day. We're expecting about 7 billion people here ... Ah! And there are the first ones! Welcome, welcome to Heaven! Can I get your name please?"
Very concentrated Person 1: "Uhh ... just a sec ... I almost defeated this silver hand boss ..."
St-Peter: "What? You actually managed to take your computer with you? First time seeing that happen. Well, fine, I'll just go on to the others, we've got enough clients here. Alright, who's the next one?"
Person 2: "Wait wait wait, I'm almost there! Just a bit more ... a little bit more ... Alduin will be mine any second!"
St-Peter: "What, another one with a computer? Is this a new hype? Who's next anyway?"
Person 3: "Not me. I'm still busy fus-ro-dahing this giant! You should try it guys, it's really funny! Haha, FUS-RO-DAH, again! Fly giant, fly!"
Person 4: "Me neither. Can't you see I'm busy?! Lydia is finally all over me! Oh yeahh."
Person 5: "Sorry, I can't hear anything. Headphones on my head, see? Nooooooooooooooooo I died again! RELOAD! Stop pestering me!"
Person 6: "There you go, you filthy n'wah! A blade through the chest!"
Person 6: "Heaven is overrated. Sovngarde owns you! The overly normal flowers from there especially."
Person 7: "Bah, Sovngarde. Hoorray for Hircine's Hunting Grounds!"
...
Heh, but that's already been done so many times it gets boring without any special reward. And it's not cool anymore to save complete strangers and not ask something in return. Besides, those in Sovngarde are already dead. they couldn't possible be even more dead than they already are, so heh, it didn't matter all that much anyway.

I looted Alduin. After he died, I opened the console, clicked him, and typed "removeallitems player"

You can return back to Skyrim after beating him

but... no one returns from Z'ha'dum

D&D Dragons are hardly the only ones to have loot.
And I was going to add in something about him being "the world eater" and not having much use for loot, but I didnt want to over anolyze things.
And there are mods out that add give dragons a bunch of loot. Saw a screenshot for one, and it was a bit of overkill in my opinion. 3 or 4 magic weapons amongst some other stuff.

Now no treasure in Sovengarde? Not even a drink? No mead? Not even any Beer? That's why I'm leaning toward the hunting grounds.... because.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntkC-o52weI

I would have liked to get some kind of vanity item- something like Alduin's Horns, huge pointy monuments you could stick on either side of the door to your favorite house to let the world know that the *censored* Dragonborn lives here!

This^

Summon Odaving or one of the Nord Heroes and you can pretty much sit down on the nearest rock and eat Ho-hos while you watch the fight.

True. But I think that goes for the entire game. There's lots of stuff I'd like to decorate the houses with from my adventures but I can't. Someday there'll be a mod for it unless you play on Xbox or PS3 (like me).

Logic? On these forums? Blasphemey!!!

No. He should drop some undigested treasure from someone he ate earlier: probably an iron sword with that does 5 flame damage, a damaged hide shield, and an iron helmet with the horns. Yeah. That's about it. And a bottle of Nord Mead. That should satisfy the hard core.

what would be the point of the "dragonborn great sword of flaming destruction" after beating the final boss?

Because the MQ is just a portion of the content available in game.

there is SOOOOO much to do after the main quest, it would be cool to get a sword or some armour. The only way it would be not useful is if you stop playing after MQ and not explore or do any side quests.

I'd be happy to just get some special scales or bones off him; some that are extra strong, or just black.

Honestly had no thought of loot, no desire to hunt for the big round top chest; it didn't occur to me while fighting with warriors that were all about honor and preparing a place for me.
I don't think there's any souvenir that would have been appropriate after the defeat.... Except what I was given, which was honor and their pledge to fight alongside me.

Defeating Alduin, and going back to Paarthunax's anguish had nothing to do with finding septims or displayable trinkets to me. It was complex and grey, not black-and-white and coming away with a gift bag.