So im on my 4th play through admittedly I only completed 1 of them. We escaped Helgen and instead of following Ralof I ran off to Falkreath, I just heard him shout wait lol. So my point is now ive gone off and done my own thing I can see the full beauty of this game I can do my own thing now build up my character the way I see fit I plan on not doing any main quests as long as possible, no guilds just on my own exploring.
I just hate the way now the game trys to rail road you onto the main quest so early for example if I chose to do main quest at leval 20 the dialogue wont make sense because they will be talking about it all as if it happened yesterday. Just the way it starts off is DRAGONS YOU MUST DO SOME THING ABOUT DRAGONS NOOOOW.

Unlike Oblivion, there's no real reason not to finish the main quest. I'd just stop and think if you ever reach crossroads.

I do the same, putting off MQ as long as I can. On my second char I ditched Ralof to go explore around Falkreath, and all char since I haven't even started the MQ before I make a new char. Even if I'm on level 30 or whatever. So I still got lots to learn about the game. But the dragons just keep coming if you start the MQ. It's such a nuisance, dragons showing up every few minutes, ruining my exploring buzz.

I went straight to Markath from Whiterun Stables (didn't enter Whiterun at all), I played the first time to around level 54 doing the first part of the main quest early on, I got SERIOUSLY annoyed with how frequent Dragon attacks are, so this time i've avoided killing the first dragon so I can wander around without ever seeing a dragon until I start the main questline. I find it much more enjoyable this way.

My first play through I put it off for as long as possible. But... it almost seems like that's not what you're suppose to do.

There's this big looming danger, Alduin's apocalypse, and you rush to defeat the World Eater. You get all this awesome stuff along the way. The Fus Ro Dah shout, a dragon you can call to your aid, the Blades are reformed and you get their gear, you become a skilled warrior, etc.

When it's all done, Arngeir comments that you've learned a lot, and that you'll use your skills for better or worse and maybe make a name for yourself, etc... whatever.

But.. Arngeir... I've already done EVERYTHING. Nobody told me I would get a DRAGON to call whenever I fancy by doing all this.

So, whatever. The hold off on the main quest thing is something that's been drilled into our heads with TES IV, Fallout, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, so on and so on.

This playthrough, I'm saving the world, retiring from being the Dragonborn, and exploring where ever the hell I please. Most people seem to have no idea who you are anyway. So I think, RP wise, my new toon is gonna be the washed up hero type.

In fact, first thing I'm doing after saving the world is having a drink with that shady looking dood in the Bannered Mare. He looks like the trustworthy sort.

I have several characters who have never even started the main quest except for getting out of Helgen. The only thing I really miss is Fus-ing people of cliffs (I found dragons annoying).

My current character went straight to Falkreath as well. Almost 17 hours into this go around and I've halted the MQ at the point of meeting my first dragon. You can turn in the stone just fine, but from that point on, it's best to avoid going to the watchtower because it'll be all dragons all the time after that.

My character is anything but a hero, and he most certainly is not the dragonborne...in fact, he's a cold blooded murderer, werewolf, Daedra worshiper, and eventually an assassin for the db. http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/5013/screenshot72p.jpg

This is the beauty of TES games - do as you want and not be forced down a set path. To me the beauty and fun in skyrim is away from the main quest. Although I do tend to advance it to a point where the dragons appear as they're fun and you can get some epic battles, loved my titanic battle with an elder dragon around dawnstar - every non-essential npc killed by the dragon.

i'm at 54...i'll start it real soon, running out of things to do.

You can set your own personal endgame - it doesn't have to end with the resolution of the MQ at all. I'm currently playing an Argonian thief (level 51) and I haven't seen a dragon for about a month. His adventure will end with the TG questline.

I'm also going to re-roll a Nord female who finishes the MQ before the Companions, and take advantage of some of the goodies you get from the last few quests.

It's really up to you how you play it.

this was the beauty of morrowind you would play mq up until u meet caios cosades and he would tell you to go off explore make a name for yerself join some guils if u wish and then come back when you are ready. leaving it totally up to the player how he wanted to rplay his char. if you didnt want to mq you really didnt have to. there was plenty to do just exploring, and what i loved about it is the way it allowed you to go at your own pace, without any urgency to go back to mq.

The only issues for long term characters who are Dragonborn is the world literally gets depopulated. There is only so many people you can save in a dragon attack. Sooner or later all the farms and outside settlements, Riverwood, Rorikstead, Ivarstead, Winterhold. Will be depopulated of no essential.

Please please tell me there is like a console command for 'No_more_bloody_dragons_murderering_everyone 1'

>.<

http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/downloads/file.php?id=14519.

From my character's point of view he wanted to get the hell out of there and ditch Ralof as soon as possible. He doesn't want to get talked into joining the stormcloaks and as hes experienced first hand there trouble. Defiantly doesn't want to end up with his head on a block again. only reason he went with him at Helgan was he went though the closest door. Out of interest what happens if you go to whiterun now if you didn't go with Ralof to river wood?

I'm avoiding the MQ on my current game. The dragon attacks get tedious. I was seriously bummed when I discovered the attacks continue after the MQ is completed. I want to explore in peace and encounter only the wild beasts and bandits that populate the lands.

I'll probably make a Nord for the MQ, but my main character is not the Dragonborn xp

That. I hated this issue in Oblivion as well. Your trying to do mission X, and a freaking oblivion gate pops out of the ground. Of course it was fun when I was a theif, Lex himself was chasing me and he chased me into a gate. Closed it thinking he would be trapped inside... nope, he just appeared next to me and arrested me right there with a storm atronach staring at us.

Last character... had started the MQ early on, and by lvl 71 had killed FAR more dragons than there were shouts to learn. He sadly died.... playing dead is dead. New character followed Ralof to riverwood, and he went to Whiterun to tell the Jarl but only because Ralof's sister gave me all that free stuff before she asked me to. Even went in Bealk Falls Barrow to get that guy his golden claw back, but did not pick up the dragonstone. And that is how he will leave it until finishing a lot of other quests.

Same here, though my character is a thief who's rejecting all this Dragonborn nonsense and only got dragged into it all by accident. Whenever there's a dragon attack she just sneaks away, leaving it to others to fight. Had some fantastic cat and mouse encounters in the wilderness too. Great sneaking out of a cave or something and then have this massive dark shadow swoop overhead.