I'm currently running a level 25 Nord warrior-bard (mods), and I've only progressed to the point in the MQ of being accepted by the Greybeards and getting the Whiterun house. Apart from scripted events, I've only killed 3 dragons, and only have a couple of shouts...in fact, I have more shouts than souls. This game, the dragons won't fight, and the entire game line is way slow.

My view is that unless you want to live like a hermit with no worldly possessions, you need a house, and that the shouts are an integral part of your character and go hand in hand with the dragons. But, and this is the important thing, there are several places in the game's main story where the actual dragon appearances seem to taper off...perhaps that's design, or perhaps it's purely random, but I think that when it does happen it allows the ability to deviate from the main quest while still having the benefits up to that point, without having dragons greatly impacting on non-MQ roleplaying.

Skyrim is linear? That's weird. I thought it's a pretty open world.

I thought I read that the dlc would be like fo3 in that they would take place after the mq. Shame that the game you bought is making you play it. Anyway I hope that with the dlc has some new monsters in it that will hallenge a high level character. Sorry about your ranger though.

I believe that the reference to Fallout was that the DLC would be of an expansion-pack size, rather than some of the smaller fluff DLC that Oblivion got. They've never said anything about the main quest being necessary to access new DLC.

And did you even have to complete the main quest in Fallout to get to the DLC?

Oh yeah, Morrowind's way to greatness sure is something. You don't even know that you're supposed to save Morrowind the minute you get off the boat. Just that the first actor you see is a Dunmer, and the first person that talks to you is Azura but is cryptic as to your reason for existence lol.

But I like Oblivions better. I always liked going through the sewers with them. The sense of urgency is so high. And once I get out with the Amulet of Kings, I forget about the MQ =P.

I like the fact that so far no DLC released by Bethesda has ever really been linked to having started the Main Questlines. I did begin a part of the Trubunal Expansion very early because my new character liked to be able to sleep, but I did not have to.

Well, I've logged over 200 hours in the game so far and haven't started the main quest. I've never seen inside White Run, and never seen a dragon or used a dragon shout. I might actually get to the main quest sometime, but it is not high on my priority list.

A lot of the things you mentioned can be done without doing the Main Quest, so long as you're willing to talk to Alvor/Gerdur after you escape from Helgen. No one's forcing you to talk to Balgruuf. You can't buy the Whiterun house (Hjerim's better anyway, IMO) and I don't know about The Whispering Door, but you should be able to do the Civil War as well.

I think so.

Personally I recall the Greybeards saying "You're the only Dragonborn of this era...at least, that's revealed himself so far." Maybe it's just me but that line felt like foreshadowing, as if there will be a DLC that introduces you to another Dragonborn.

I'm not doing the main quest, and I'm based in Whiterun. I do have the quest to talk to the Jarl about Helgen, and sending troops to defend Riverwood.

I spend most of my time by the warmaiden. I dump excess equipment/stuff on the ground in her shop in the morning, and pick everything up when I finish playing at night. Haven't lost anything yet.

You can go anywhere in Whiterun, except you can't go to Dragonreach because the Jarls' people will intercept you and try to get the main quest started.

I don't have the house, of course, but like I said, dump stuff in the Warmaiden's shop. So farm I'm doing side quests and a lot of walking off road to find and do dungeons. I've found about 6-7 dragon shouts, but since I haven't talked to the Jarl, I don't have any dragons coming after me.

Just today started the thief quest line and will finish that, then will take a nap and get kidnapped by the DB leader, and join them, as I've done that pre-lude.

Maybe after that, I'll go to Whiterun and talk to the Jarl.

You monster ... "she was just an old lady" Zappa

What event happens the first time you go to Whiterun?