When Skyrim's trailer was released, we knew there was going to be dragons and we were more likely to be fighting them than conversing with them and riding them. But with Parthurnax and Ohdaviing, we technically do both of those things.

This leads us to be believe that all the dragons we've been fighting and hearing about aren't all about killing people and obeying Alduin's command. It even shows us that some think Alduin has gone too far in his pride and ambition.

So does anyone else think it would have been interesting to see more of a resistance between 'dragons on the side of the Dragonborn' and 'dragons all for Alduin's cause?'

Like a quest within the Main Quest where you find other named dragons that are the most aware (and less go-with-the-group) and convincing them to use their intelligence to spread word and recruit as many dragons for your cause as possible.

So then, instead of having a battle between one Dragonborn and two other dragons that helped here and there, you have one Dragonborn and his army of dragons fighting against Alduin's army. And THEN you'd go to Sovengardge to settle things once and for all.

And instead of dragons still being hostile after the main quest (which annoyed some people because it felt like your actions didn't have an effect on the world), you see more of YOUR dragons flying around patrolling for remnants of Alduin's dragons (which are more rare now). Or just go to a dragon lair and talk to one of them, asking for a status report on the skies.

Generally, the dragons would be back for good now, and the Dragonborn would have changed history by making them organized and less monstrous like the legends portray them. Bring back that sort of 'Akatosh' respect to them, without going back to the worshipping stuff.

Additionally, seeing the conflict between the dragons who supported the Dragonborn and the dragons that supported, the Imperial and Stormcloak leaders may have a change of heart about what they themselves were doing, because the dragons were a much harsher example of their own actions; showing them what they were. Eh, maybe that's a bit cheesy...

Another option would have been (or COULD be) the Dragonborn rallying up the dragons to help fend off the Thalmor threat. And if we ever get a game set in Summerset Isle, we could have dragons be there keeping watch for anyone trying to start up some Thalmor activity again.

I think the only issue with that lore wise is the one that Ohdaviing points out at the very end of the main quest, after Parthurnax flys off. He says that he thinks very few dragons would be willing to submit their nature to the teachings of Parth, and constant meditation and restraint. The reason Parth helps you is because he wants to defeat Alduin as much as you do (basically), but the only reason he is even still around is because he learned to control his dragon-nature: seeking to dominate and control things. And the only reason Ohdaviing is on your side is because you bested him in battle and basically made him swear loyalty to you personally: you're his new leader, rather than Alduin.

While I really like the idea of dragons fighting each other and being able to actually keep them around, it seems that the lore is such that either dragons are "normal" and want to kill stuff/be rulers, or they meditate on mountain tops forever like Parth. Or they have a leader that orders them around. So yeah, as Dovahkiin the player could be that leader: but once he or she dies (sometime past the end of the game) the dragons go back to terrorizing stuff.

A few points of disagreement:
- Dragons in TES seem very aloof, proud, independent, and self superior. I can't see them aligning around a mere humanoid.
- Being aloof, proud, independent, and self superior, what possible interest would they have in the current political affairs of the Thalmor and the Empire?
- The story isn't particularly good at making you feel the odds are stacked against you, and would feel even less so if you walked into the final act with an army of dragons.

They were just some things I felt could have been added to the formula if Bethesda was going for 'epic' as they usually do.

Being the Dragonborn didn't feel like much to me, really. If it had a profound ability dominate a dragon like a dragon likes to dominate things (with the dragon soul the character has inside them), that would be a very empowering feeling, I think. Beat dragons, make them submit to your human ideals, and use them to fix the bigger problems in your world in exchange for besting them and letting them live.

The bit about not feeling threatened with an army of dragons on your side; I think the battle with Alduin should still be one-on-one in Sovengarde. While he wasn't programmed to be very hard to kill, the context of the situation was still as epic as it should have been.

But before that final battle? A dragon war (in the mortal plane) would have been awesome. Would give you hope for handling the Thalmor later, too. Instead of feeling like 'well the dragon problem's gone but we're still screwed there.'

But the dragons would care about the Imperial / Thalmor conflict about as much as we care for the clashes of ant colonies.

I get what you're saying; I know. Dragons typically don't care about non-dragons. But we're the Dragonborn. If we can dominate a dragon (as shown with Ohdaviing), I'm just saying I don't see why we couldn't have also dominated others. Make them care. Be a leader to them like they obey Alduin, whom we are technically no different than.

We may have the body of a 'lesser' creature to them, but we're a dragon just like them in spirit, and if they give us any lip, we'll just kill them. That's what I like. I don't want to feel like a normal human when I'm NOT normal in this game. I'm a dragon-rangling mofo, and anything I say goes when it comes to dragons. Just saying I think Bethesda missed an opportunity there, limiting us like that.

We're dragonborn because we can instinctively learn and use dragon language. We are not dragonborn because we can innately dominate dragons. Ohdaviing is an exceptioin, not the rule.

That much we're never told. Because he was apart of the main quest as it was, Odhaviing was just the only example we had. But in the game, there are many, many other dragons active, and it's very possible there were others that could have been bent to our will. Even if being Dragonborn just means learning the Voice easily, we're still competitive ourselves.

Can I ask what things you do agree with? I feel like I'm wrestling a dragon right now, haha :]