Faction Identity really was something sorely lacking... It makes sense in the Companions, Each Man, his own, each woman, her own... But for the College, Thieves Guild, and even the Dark Brotherhood, it kind of svcks you don't get that small affirmation that really reinforces the concept of an organization.
Pacing is another issue that could probably be linked to the Radiant Story Blunder as well. Both The Companions and College are very poorly paced. It's like 2 quests in, and you're already trying to save the world. Even the Thieves Guild does a better job at pacing. While the story there is really quite bad, it does hit all the right pacing notes at the right time. It's an example of a Bare minimum.
Of course, the stand-out in Pacing is easily the Dark Brotherhood. It feels the "Most Morrowind-Like", because as you progress, Astrid will gives you "Breathers". Opportunities to do some less-important work, or get out in the world and explore. The Dark Brotherhood should be the model for which all Skyrim Factions should follow. It only svcks that it appeals to a very Narrow type of character.
The Darkbrother hood quest line was nothing short of amazing, the thieves guild was hit and miss, if only the writer for Oblivions thieves guild story had written Skyrims one and perhaps the others, the factions did need more less-important jobs and I don't know why but being forced to be a werewolf in order to finish the companions quest was irritating to me, even though you weren't ever forced to transform it's annoying because it takes away the freedom for me and if I were a vampire then I'd of had to given that up in order to continue.
Hopefully BGS have learnt their lesson and the next TES game will resemble Morrowind more than Oblivion and Skyrim, I loved being somebody unimportant and doing simple quests, no big epic story to follow, just a simple person trying to rise up in the ranks, having to level certain skills in order to advance is needed back as well.
To this day I don't know what power the eye of Magnus was meant to hold, the Psijic order were a little underwhelming, but the lore of TES has always sounded better than the actual representation of it.
God, I sound like I hate Skyrim, which I don't, it's huge step up from Oblivion to me, just that like Oblivions main quest, it's a little underwhelming in some areas, Alduin didn't match up to my idea of this all powerful world eater, becoming a nightingale after being the Grey Fox in oblivion was a little disappointing for me, killing the emperor wasn't all that satisfying for me, you'd think with him dead Ulfric and the Stormcloaks would be celebrating yet nobody whispers a word of it.
OK rant over! I love Skyrim and every other TES game!
My apologies OP, I didn't mean to hijack your thread, just got carried away as I've never shared my gripes with Skyrim with anyone before.