***SPOILERS FOR EACH FACTION IN THE GAME!!! DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU'VE COMPLETED THE DB, TG, CoH AND Companions****

Factions have always been the best thing about TES because they've always dragged the content of the game out in unique and awesome ways. Not saying that isn't the case with Skyrim, but there's one thing I think they missed out on.

The plotline should always be there, but let it build into it. Almost every plotline is revealed within 2-3 quests of joining, and the College has it on the very first quest.

College of Winterhold - Plotline is revolved around the power of the Eye of Magnus, which you find in the first quest.

Dark Brotherhood - Plotline is revolved around the emperor's assassination, 3 major quests into the guild.

Thieve's Guild - Plotline is revolved around getting revenge on Mercer Frey, after 3 heist quests.

Companions - Plotline is revolved around the war with the Silver Hand and lyncothrapy, which are revealed in the 2nd (iirc) quest.

From there it's just progressing the plot, which makes them seem short and unrealistically rushed. I'm not saying I want useless filler quests, but extend the plot a little and have some quests early in the guild that don't mention the plot. Joining a faction and right away facing the major problems seems too coincidental.

I agree with this. I find the stories within the guilds (the ones I've played) quite good in themselves, but I don't really need or want too much of a story in guild questlines. I'm a bit old fashioned, I want guilds to be something I can join and work my way through, slowly and unsteadily. I don't always want to be the main focus of all stories, and the one everyone turn to. Sometimes I wish I could just be another guild member, doing my jobs while stuff revolved around someone else. As it is now, some guilds feel more like just another story questline, and less like a traditional guild.

I can't agree more~The story is rush and short. It makes they are very willing to grant the leader position which is odd to me and not real at all.

The random quest should not replace the main guild questline, especially these random quest is "plot-less" boring and irrelevant to the story at all.
But still, I appreciate part of the thieves guild storyline. Since to be the leader, you will have to regain the former glory by Special jobs.
However, if adding big thief project like the previous oblivion will be great.

Absolutely agree.

Apart from the problem that there just aren't many quests in each quest line it really does feel like we skipped something in each story.

There at not time is a point where your just getting into the everyday life of a student, or Companion, or thief, or assassin. I mean were supposed to have the everyday established then the meteor comes hurtling towards the earth, so that way we know what was and how it will be affected. In these stories its just, Join - Meteor - End, thats it.

Wheres fighting by your Shield Brothers and Sisters as a whelp?

Wheres attending classes as an Apprentice in the College?

Wheres learning how to scraqe up jobs for the remnants of the Brotherhood?

Wheres seeing first hand the hard times the Thieves Guild has fallen on?

I absolutely agree. There were far too few major quests in these factions. While the Thieves Guild was ultimately fun, and was at the end dragged out by the requirement of doing odd jobs in certain areas a certain number of times, it was still too short. Of the ones I've done though, the Dark Brotherhood was the worst. In Oblivion, there were so many fun quests for the DB that had you murdering in fun and creative ways, and of course with those lovely bonus rewards. This one... there were what 3 quests that had actual requirements for how you kill the target? It really felt rushed to me. I get that the Sanctuary was run differently, what with the focus on family above all else, but to entrust you with high profile jobs so shortly after joining... and even how quickly they accept you as Listener (not to mention how quickly you get named Listener... though you could see it coming a mile away).

At the end of the DB quest especially I was left with a feeling of "What.. that's it? Just the odd Radiant quests from now on? Already?". Whereas in the Oblivion DB questline... it just felt so right when you got a rank advancement, you felt like you earned something. By the time you rose to the top.. you damn well felt like you earned it.

One of the biggest problems honestly is the absence of actual Ranks. The members of these factions go from "Ok, so you're one of us, but that doesn't mean I have to like you", then after a quest or two straight to "You are a paragon of our kind and have our undying respect and loyalty". Where the hell did you earn that?!

I agree completely with all that has been said, but the one guild questline that botherd me most was the companions, when the hell did you become a member of the inner circle, there was no hitning at this coming (Granted you could figure it out as you are always destined to become top rank within the guilds) and more importantly, how could you have been trusted enough for any of the information disclosed to you at the time?

I mean once you see, I think it was Vilkas? probably not.. Transform, instantly you can be trusted with the information that all the inner circle members ar lycanthropes? this is pretty much your first real mission with the companions and your already trusted with the inner most secrets of the guild? Where's the proggression, where's the sence that you have earned the trust of your sheild brothers and sisters, how do you have such a relationship with the guild master, what, A dream was enough for him, but you don't learn any of it till his death so your supposed to feel his trust is natural and merrited? I did not feel like I deserved anything earned within the guild.