I don't know about anybody else but did the Thieves Guild main quest line not actually feel like the Thieves Guild such as from Oblivion. To me it felt more like a Thug's Guild or even a sneaky, illegal Fighter's Guild- as we had epic thieving quests during the main quest line in Oblivion such as "The Greatest Thief in the World" where you whereas in Skyrim the final Thieves Guild mission is
What are other people's thoughts on this matter?

Agreed, honestly from all Skyrim guild the Dark Botherhood is the only one I don't have problem with.

They are more like thugs in Skyrim, yes. I don't find this to be a bad thing. It is a huge departure from how the thieve's guild in the games before Skyrim worked, but it makes sense in this case. Skyrim is a different place. The guild in Riften could have been less violent when it wasn't just a shadow of what it once was. It might not even be connected to the Thieve's Guild we saw in earlier games. It might be a completely different guild that just happens to share names with the less violent one.

It might be a now exiled branch of the Imperial Thieve's Guild. It seems extremely likely that it's like the Dark Brotherhood in that it once was part of the original Thieve's Guild, much like how the DB was once a branch of the Morag Tong.

It's worth noting that "The Thieve's Guild" isn't neccessarily THE Thieve's Guild. 200 years have passed since Oblivion, after all. While the Bust of the Grey Fox implies some respect of sorts, the founding tenants ("We steal and put everything in a locked room and at an undisclosed time you get your share.") are much different, just as the Oblivion guild is much different from the one in Morrowind, and the one in Morrowind is different than the one in Daggerfall.

I'm honestly surprised they didn't make the seperation of names like they did with The Companions and the College of Winterhold, and give the Thieve's Guild of Skyrim a different title, merely making it the spiritual successor of the guilds we used to remember.

The Companions aren't related to the Imperial Fighters Guild. They are a Skyrim based guild. The College of Winterhold isn't related to the Mage's Guild. In fact, the Mage's Guild doesn't exist anymore. The Mage's Guild became more like a political thing by the time the fourth era started. For all we know, the thieve's guild has fallen on hard times in most provinces and became more like thugs.

Indeed. Like I said, they're the spiritual successors, not the direct successors. Most people if they ask "Is there a Mage's Guild?" will be directed to the College of Winterhold. Fighter's guild? The Companions.

Hmmm... I suppose it does make sense that it has moved on and developed from the previous guild styles, but I do agree with you that maybe the name should've been changed (maybe signifying a complete cut-off from the original guild).

It is misleading that it is still called the Thieves Guild- as someone playing for the first time would believe that the main quest will be just that: thievery, when it's clearly quite far from it.

ive been meaning to ask about this myself, as i completely agree with you. the quest lacked the whole "Oceans eleven" grand heist vibe that was the major appeal to the thieves guild in oblivion. i was really hoping for another grey fox incarnation too.

It's not that the Thieves Guild is a thug's guild that it bothers me. It's the fact that it's marketed basically as a STEALTH guild. There's only like two locations where sneaking is required. Calcemo's Lab and one of the special jobs. And the last dungeon is recommended for sneaking or a swarm of hard level enemies will murder you.

Everywhere else, you CAN sneak...but there are no repercussions for not sneaking. In the Dark Brotherhood, not sneaking has great repercussions, whether it be a bounty, swarm of hard enemies, or just the fact that it'll be harder for you in the end. Even if there aren't repercussions, at least the locations are designed for sneaking. Thieves Guild? Mostly linear caverns, fit for a warrior or mage.

And like Johnor4 said, there's no great heist like the Italian Job or Oceans Eleven that Oblivion had. It's just: Kill a guy. That's the final climix. For the Thieves Guild to redeem itself, it should've gone like this:

Instead of fighting Mercer, you go on a great heist to steal back the Skeleton Key and the Eye of the Falmer. After discovering Mercer's location, you prepare with Karliah and that other guy whose name I can't spell and starts with B. Then, you do an epic sneak where one wrong move means your death and you use the items you gathered during the preperation quests to aid you, with Karliah and that other guy disabling traps for you or taking out impossible to sneak by enemies.

Now THAT's a Thieves Guild.