Still a fair amount I haven't done in this game (I'm bad about that, I sidetrack myself both intentionally and unintentionally nonstop, and reroll a ton. Morrowind may be my favorite game ever and it took me well over two years to finish the main quest) but the thieve's guild line is shaping to be my favorite in Skyrim. Completeld once, got 2/3rds through on another char and deleted him, currently about 2/3rd on my current char.
And you can do the barest minimum possible, at the lowest level possible for the trophies.
Which is what I did.
The thieves guild quests are unnessery vileness wrapped up in writing and acting so sickeningly sentimental and teeth hurtingly sacharine you would think they were talking about a honey farm, where cute bunnies hopped round the fields and everyone was lovely and nice.
They ar'nt even consistant. One minute you are stealing from Torsten Cruel-Sea, next he is asking for your help and being your fence.
People for no discernable reason, however good and decent, suddenly want to become fences. Some you might expect, but seriously. A silversmith a farmer, a nobleman? None of those have any reason to be or want to be fences.
Did you listen to or read the quests? They never said they were nice or good, they blatantly say they care more about coin than anything else, this is not the "Robin Hood" thieve's guild. At all. They mostly focus on protection rackets and outright theft, with occasional odd jobs that are more vicious. They have a rule of not killing (which they break sometimes, but much of that makes sense towards the end of the main quest), and that's mostly for self-preservation.
And since when did a tg, with no hint that they help anyone, be called to avenge a dead girl?!
Would'nt the Companions be a better, more logical choice? There is no logic to any of it.
It makes perfect sense. The farmer is *poor*, and wants a person killed and an organization crushed. The Companions would have no interest, effectively risking soldiers for no gain. The farmer knew the (Riften) thieve's guild and has contacts in Windhelm, and offers help for the thieve's guild to re-establish themselves, as well as pointing out a competing thieve's guild that gleefully kills often is a threat on many levels. Both sides have multiple things to gain, and little to lose. The Companions don't run crime in cities, so no coin means they're not interested.
Mercer Fry is pathetic and weak. And they act like he's so strong and force you to give your soul to Nocturnal, for no help at all, were no help is needed.
You literally get no help at all for the rubbish with Nocturnal.
This is barely coherent, but again Mercer Frye's odd behavior is central to the quest chain. He's behaving erratically and exceedingly violent, you're given the option to ask "Isn't murder a Dark brotherhood thing, not ours?" and he simply tells you to shut the hell up. He's not following the rules, he's a bad leader for many reasons, and it sets up why you have to remove him.
Not even the deadra makes sense.
Nocturnal is a idiot.
Why anyone would follow her is beyond me.
She offers nothing, for ridiculous ammounts in return, and does'nt even give you or let you keep a artifact.
I refused to be a agent of anything and left as soon as I could.
Because even that's not giving you anything. And I had zero interest in it, and as far as my character was concerned, she had nothing to do with Nocturnal. No deal, nothing.
All the other deadra give you stuff for being their champion or doing things for them.
And it's all optional.
The daedric lords are all crazy, haven't you figured this out. Nocturnal was betrayed by a major lieutenant, who grabbed her artifact. They are limited in acting directly in the world, but the quest line she re-establishes herself, and her remaining lieutenants seem quite loyal to and happy with her.
I refused to wear any of the s**t armour or use the s**t weapons. I threw them all away in the wilds were no one could pick them up and give them back to or ask for them, or find them.
The Nightingale armour is the most hideous, ugly armour in the entire game.
It simultaniously makes you look big headed, skinny, flat chested, with a big ass.
The 'skirt' is the most ugly, unflattering thing I ever saw. The cloak is horrible.
It is like a cheap batman costume, skyrim style.
Except that Nightinggale/guildmaster/thieve's guild armor is some of the most loved in the game. (Admittedly a lot of this is because much of the rest is hideously ugly) The helm is the only way to get price reduction other than necklaces, and it stacks. The speechcraft neck at the end is amazing and not available anywhere else. The basic thieve's guild stuff is wonderful for an actual starting *thief* and can be acquired very easily and early.
The rest of your post was alternately whining and saying Mercer Frye is the only one who made sense (apparently you can't make up your mind in even one post, you say he's the worst thing since Hitler as well as makes no sense in the beginning). Usually I'd say games like this everyone is entitled to their opinion and gameplay preferences. You're now the exception, I'm declaring you fundarmentally wrong.