I loved the blades and hated the blades in skyrim,
Love=Bolar.
Hate: Delphine, Esbern

I've actually never been much on the Blades. Just NOT my sort of thing at all. But I did love Bolar.

Delphine isn't evil but neither is Paarthurnax. It's basically a dragon who's ideology involves the "Way of Peace" and worshiping the Aedra rather than actually doing something with the Voice. Same with the Greybeards.

The Blades are loyal to the Dragonborn and being a noob Dragonborn, the Blades help you through. However, the Blades don't want a leader who's only going to stare out at the skies, hence the reason why they want to sever the relationship between the Dragonborn and the Greybeards.

Why can't we just Take people like Delphine, Maven, Esbern, etc and push them over there! *Points at Cyrodiil*

True that. I think that's the most clear/basic way of looking at it. I just hope there are actual implications (in a DLC maybe) for taking a path that walks the "Way" or one that embraces the dragonslayer ideal (and all around militancy, I guess). I can think of scenarios that would play out, but I don't know what Bethesda is up to or if they thought it out. I hope so. I figured if you truly wanted to embrace the way of the voice, then the Greybeards would have some of their own ultimatums eventually. They take a fatalistic atittude towards the world. They might discourage you from wanting to get into politics, might suggest to let someone lead skyrim, might even say the Thalmor isn't their concern. This is usually how neutral types are. Take the Dalai Lama. A lot of people cry "Free Tibet!", but the one who doesn't is the Dalai Lama.

The Blades are just the opposite. Not just with Dragons, but with politics in general. And the Thalmor especially.

All this Breton hating is going to make the High Rock join the Aldemeri Dominion.

"Breton hating"? What did I miss? (I should point out that aside from elves of whatever stripe, and Khajiit or Argonian.... I never notice what race any given toon is.)

I felt Delphine's VA was very good. She is presented as a very strong woman, but the character overcompensates, probably due to the difficulty of how it is being a woman in Skyrim. Now what I didn't like was that here I was just having assassinated Emperor Mede II, and become Listener for the DB, and was Arch Mage, walking into her Inn wearing dragonscale armor which probably cost as much as the inn itself and getting absolutely no respect from her. That was a real turn off. I know this is a game and it was just moving the plot along, but I did feel that they could have had a little sit down and talk about stuff a bit.

Yes I play the game as an escape too. Once I'd done the Alduin's Wall, retrieved the Elder Scroll, and learned Dragonrend from Paarthurnax, I never went back to speak with either Esbern or Delphine. I did go back to Sky Haven Temple after I finished the MQ though and found it empty except that everything was marked "Steal" inside so I stole Dragonblade, the book of the locations of all the dragons, and the book about the dragonborn, as well as a bunch of gold, and read a skill book or two while I was there. Then went back to the house in Windhelm and put stuff in display cases and now wait for DLC, at which time I will pick up the story again. I saw no point in killing Paarthurnax at this time. I just figure Alduin will return when Akatosh wills it. For all I know Alduin is the dark side of Akatosh.

I try to put myself in various character's shoes. My first character is a young criminal (and warrior), who's been slaying dragons for months. He has no love for them. He thinks he's doing right by killing them off. He's also a reluctant "hero" - and more importantly, he doesn't even know how to be a hero. Esbern and Delphine are some of the first people giving him a chance. I see him as someone who goes along with them. He might pay for it eventually. Who knows. He's not exactly smart and knows all the ins and outs of TES. He's just a warrior.

Lately, I've been playing with the idea of a female "Skaal"/Shaman type (I know there's no mechanic for it, but still). They have completely different gods than other Nords - one who is possibly and ironically ... Alduin himself. They have a stronger history/sympathy with dragons. The idea of killing Paarthurnax especially is out of the question.

edit: Mostly, I want to see how each story develops. If they develop at all. When it comes me/myself/I, I don't want to kill Paarthurnax. I still don't care much for the greybeards though. People like this tend to frustrate me. Like, I can't do anything without feeling guilty around them.

I suppose its hard to tell by looking at her, but Delphine is Breton. I will admit, I was kind of surprised when I saw that in the Thalmor dossier.

I can't stand her because shes very disrespectful to the dragonborn. She bosses him around way too much. Also I refuse to kill Paarthurnax. I rather kill her instead.

I don't really understand the love for her.
1) She's ugly
2) She's annoying
3) She tells Dragonborn what to do
4) She names herself grandmaster
5) Dragonborn didn't need her help with dragons. AT ALL. It would have all come out at some point.

Ah. I'd forgotten that tidbit by now. *shrug* Her in-game racial component has nothing to do with whether she's likable, or a good adjunct to gameplay....

Bretons are my 2nd favorite race within the series. I don't hate them. I just hate Delphine and Esbern for trying to command to do something that I will never do.

Even Paarthurnax has sympathy for the Blades' motive to kill him. He said himself that he would not trust another dragon, and he doesn't expect any human to trust him. The Blades don't know old Paxy as well as the Dragonborn does, so I wouldn't blame them for wanting him dead.
It's just too bad that you don't get anything for killing him except for endless Dragonslayer side quest. It doesn't open some kind of guild questline.

This is where the problem comes in for me. I'm not a Blade, and I swore no such oath. It's their oath, so if they want Paarthunax dead, they can go do it themselves.

If they really want me to do it, they can perform the Black Sacrament and set up a proper contract. What little help they gave me does not entitle them to freebies.

Yeah but it pretty much means they can't accept you as a Blade until you kill Paarthurnax.

and LOL at the Blades setting up a contract with the Dark Brotherhood to kill a dragon =D

Yeah, after Dunmer, Breton are my favorite. I suppose she is kind of annoying. "I hear you killed a dragon and absorbed its soul. But I dont believe you are dragonborn, I want to see you do it for myself. Now, I'll just crouch behind this rock while you kill the dragon, have fun."

That encounter plays out differently every time. You're just looking at one game session. I've seen her crouch, I've seen her get up in melee beside me, I've seen her rely on archery, I've pickpocketed her and got in a fight with her while the dragons were talking.... It's just the random nature of the game.

I never liked Delphine either, I always thought she was a "female dog in heat" I refused to kill Paarthurnax when she told me to, just to deliberately disobey her. Also if you see what the actual voice actor looks like, I'm not surprised that Delphine's character is a B**tch. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000260/

Joan Allen is cool actor imo. Of course, this is all a matter of opinion, but she's been around in a lot of good movies. The reason why they got her is she's relatively respected. Not because she's a [censored]. I don't think there's much to know about her personally. Both her and Esbern (Max Von Sydow) have been nominated for Academy Awards several times and have played all kinds of parts in dozens of movies. One minute she can play a [censored], the next she does the complete opposite. She's just an actress.