Because I don't. I seem can not find enough ground to join either the uber alles nord stormcloacks or the imperials, who try to keep chunks of Skyrim land by chopping people's heads off. Why would I? The mages bever made me feel as one of their own. Why did they make me an arch-mage instead of just giving some gold as everyone else does??? Companions are a little better, until they offered to become a beast. Why would I do that? I don't even feel like a hero. Guards mock me something about sweetroll... All the factions seem so dull and alien.

Yup, but only members of them. I really like Nazir from the dark brotherhood and Shadowmere of course, Farkas and Aela from the companions, Tolfdir from the mages college and Korliah from the thieves guild.

No, not really. Most of the characters in the game aren't developed enough, or for long enough to really form an opinion on them besides either hating them, or remaining indifferent to them in my opinion.

The civil war factions are designed intelligently. There is an equal amount of good and evil on both sides which is a realistic portrayal of most conflicts. There is a problem with individual character development tho, but that problem applies to the entire game and every npc contained in it.

As far as the other factions, the Thieves Guild really has been the best. There are some flaws but I felt accomplished after completing the entire quest line and radiant line. Turning a guild that was in shambles into a powerhouse and actually getting significant benefits from it was great.

The rest, not so much.

the real connection I feel to any faction is an implied and very believed on my part responsibility to lead the blades in a manner that includes ideals that the current blades members don't agree with.

I know that sounds bland, and without giving too many spoilers... we're "educated" by a wise man that as the only Dragonborn we're going to have to figure out our path, and how it balances between the gift of Akatosh and the techings of Jurgan Windcaller through guidance from Kynareth. The Graybeards do not tell us what to do, they tell us to temper our gift with wisdom and through meditation so that we feel right in our decisions. Paarthurnax does not tell us what our destiny is, only that we have one and that it is unwritten so that we can write it for ourselves. He comments more than once that we are doom driven, a Nord term or one the Nords learned and kept from history and other Dragonborn. Then we meet the Blades and Delphine is very clear in her 1000 year old application of knowledge and conjecture and knows exactly what we're supposed to do, we're supposed to eradicate the dragons and do what she tells us to do. What she's going to tell us to do works out great for her and leaves everyone else we've met sort of... well... hanging or dirt dead on the floor.

I agree that as a doom driven hero the Dragonborn needs a group of reliable and powerful soldiers at his/her command, and I agree that having a temple in a location that is reachable by dragons is very wise, particularly since the greatest council on dragons is a dragon, at least right now.

I identify greatly with the Blades and I want to be able to grow them into an army that supports her High King, supports her Empire (if and when it can become strong again) and that protects the interests of Skyrim in the same way that the Thalmor protect the interest of the Aldmeri Dominion. From a place outside of the current government with guidance and teachings from a number of sources, not just the Graybeards or Jurgan Windcaller or Ulfric Stormcloak or the Emperor or their Dragonborn.

lmao.

I know... a little RP there... and still. In all my game experiences with Skyrim this one really strikes me as unfinished or cruelly one-sided and I'm really hoping for some DLC.

Oddly enough no. I have role-played five different characters now and each one did different factions based on their play style. But none of the factions made me proud to be a member or want to help the faction achieve more.

The whole Werewolf thing with the companions really turned me off. I am still ticked and could go on forever about it.

The thieves’ guild was nothing but a bunch of thugs and after you restore the guild they are still a bunch of thugs. Could have been great if I could have actually made a difference.

The Stormcloaks seemed way to single minded on just one thing, getting rid of the Empire. It became apparent rather quickly that they were shooting themselves in the foot with their actions but there is never an option to make real peace between the groups. They were going to condemn themselves and all of Skyrim no matter what.

The Empire was for the same reason feeling like you were fighting a lost cause. Sure you could put down the rebellion, but at the same time you know that you really should not weaken the Empire by fighting against the rebels, but what choice do you have? Again no way to really make a difference and make peace. In other words no way to really save Skyrim.

I am not sure what was going at the college. I became Arch-Mage at level 12 with no real way of making any difference in the college or to help out the ruined town nearby. Again would have been great to have the option to help restore the town and have the college and townspeople on better terms. But no, can not do anything like that.

The Bards college? Never got an instrument. Never could play anything. Was recognized as a member but only so I could do some fetch quests for them. It is so much fun being a tool for the real bards.

Then there is the Dark Brotherhood. I am actually in the middle of it now so I do not know if it will give me any real connection. Based on what I have seen so far I am not too optimistic.

I actually feel quite the Affinty to the companions and the Callage of Winterhold. I really love the twist on the Companions, makes them much more interesting than the typical Merc fighters guild that fights for money and the good fight, it's also a really fun ability.

The Collage of Winterhold is really interesting, a group of mages that wan freedom to research what they want without people complaining of Ethics. Both factions have some decent quests.

With the Dark Brotherhood, you get a Family. Complete with a psychotic "older" sister in Astrid. The Dark Brotherhood had some of the best written characters in the game, and definitely one of the best written story lines. If I felt any natural, personality based affinity with a faction, it will always be the Dark Brotherhood.

now that the OP mentions it, no, I don't have any particular affinity for the guilds. Mages doesn't last long enough, DB is not only creepy, but they can't even do their bit right, Thieves Guild now includes murder so it's the Dark Brotherhood of Bank Heists.....And the companions is too short to get involved in. I was in the inner circle, made leader and out before I could catch my breath.

Murder? You need to kill two people in the thieves guild questline, a traitor and the leader of a rival guild. You'll likely end up killing the rest of the rival guild, and a couple of Falmer as well, but each of them had it coming. If you killed anyone else, *you* botched it, but the guild can't really afford to kick you out, even if you turn out to be a bloodthirsty thug.

The mages college is just silly. They seem to be really incompetent, if the Psijic Order needs to show up and appoint an amateur spellcaster to be the new archmage. My character came for the freebies, did their quests and walked away. I pretend the promotion to archmage didn't happen.

The Companions may need you to be a werewolf for storytelling purposes, but they could make a better point. You know that the inner circle are werewolves, and they want to keep it secret, so they should "convince" you to become one of their own.

The Dark Brotherhood is interesting, I'm not really a fan of all this Sithis balderdash, but the Night mother as a possessed corpse and a haphazard assassin guild work for me. DB and Thieves guild at least have rememberable characters.

The Legion and the Stormcloaks both aren't very interesting, but at some point you may want to restore peace. Since it makes no difference whom you join, you may choose the Empire if you lke the Thieves Guild or DB as they will benefit from a strong empire. Real life parallels in the 1920's aside, the Stormcloaks are still a short-term deal. Give Ulfric another 40 years, but with his dead, his Skyrim will fall apart. Chances are good, though, that Skyrim is another vasal state of the Aldmeri Dominion by then.

Yep, every game from Morrowind to Oblivion to Skyrim, the guild quest lines get worse and worse. Also less and less missions.

the dark brotherhood was hands down the best guild questline and had the most diverse and interesting characters. Shame what happens in the end.

Ditto on most of this but .. College of Winterhold had the most sympathetic people, and my fellow newbs are decent. Plus the leadership isn't all "Do this or never come back", it's more "Thank you for volunteering for this job." And while some of them are fairly useless, Faralda is useful in a fight.

Just created a toon to try DB and so far I don't like Astrid any more than I like Delphine.

Thieves guild for me, because of Karliah.

I'm pretty fond of the Thieves Guild...I didn't really feel welcome in the Companions, there just wasn't enough...respect, I suppose. Most people (except Vex and Dirge) in the TG are generally pretty friendly, and they all have backstories, whereas the Companions are somewhat one-dimensional.

I'm also partial to the College, despite not really being much of a magic-user.

I do have a thing for Angi, however, though I'm happily married to Lydia

My characters don't really feel connected to factions per-se but they do have connections with individuals.

The closest faction / group would be the companions. I wish there was a way with the Companions not to become a beast but still be able to cure anyone in the companions that wanted to be cured.

As for the Mage College I don't care about the college but I do like some of the individuals there who will benefit greatly from my generosity [which includes a lot of the nifty swag I've been gathering on my adventures]

Does Ulfric do some giant U-turn in his rhetoric once he wins the war? Because so far I haven't heard anything out of his mouth about expelling foreigners out of Skyrim. He just wants to free his people from the yoke of tyranny. Yes, TYRANNY. That's what it is when your nominal leader impose insufferable laws, and then start torturing and executing those who won't obey.

Thieves Guild was awesome. Totally felt like I belonged there after doing some work.

Havn't done Dark Brotherhood yet.

The College of Winter Hold felt like you were at Hogwarts during the summer holidays. Bland.

Havn't really done the Companions. But sounds svckish.

To me it feels like they put a lot of work into the TG and DB, but gave up in the mages and fighters guild.

I kinda feel like I wanna join the Thalmor but unfortunately we are not allowed to Hopefully it will be an option in the next TES.

No, he does not do anything of the such. He doesn't massacre or expell, however if you talk to dark elves in his own hold, you will realize that he marginalizes them, ignores and let them die. His attention and help are oriented solely on the Nords. Under his rule, all foreigners will become marginalized and empoverished nothings, not worth his high help or attention. He may be fighting an imperial tyranny, but what he is going to build and what he represents is even worse in my books. I don't feel any sympathy for his cause.

His idiotic campaign will result in total destruction of Skyrim. First, he will get rid of all foreign support inside Skyrim boosting his nationalistic ego, and then, Skyrim will be occupied by the Aldmer with the silent support from imperials. The Nords will be done.

That's quite a lot of hyperbole you've got going on there. You apparently didn't talk to the Dunmer who own businesses and farms in Eastmarch and are doing just fine, like Beyin Hlaalu who says "the way to earns the Nords' respect is through hard work" or the guy whose family despises him for working for Nords. The Dunmer are helping to create their own marginalization. Their culture is pretty xenophobic, too, which deepens the irony of such attitudes as yours.

Skyrim is already occupied by Thalmor- there at the invitation of the empire.

He doesn't ever say he wants anyone gone, all the rhetoric came from propagandists and the fact that he's done nothing to stop his men and his city from being racist. Ulfric wants Skyrim to be united against her enemies, which he counts as including anyone who would do harm to Skyrim. If you're willing to bleed for her and care for her in your own capacity Ulfric welcomes anyone to Skyrim... so long as you don't want to live outside the Gray Quarter in Windhelm.
This is a confusing line for me... it's unclear whether the Nords are biggots and their leader just hasn't done anything about it or whether he's also a biggot and is keeping his politician's face on through it all.

I have an affinity for the Thieves Guild. I became Thane so I could better protect my family.

aside from the quests i have no desire for afiliation with any of them.

I like Aela and Farkas and I would like to knock boots with Vex and Astrid. that's it.

Yes, I feel some affinity with the imperials, I guess. I'm all about one world governments. Sounds bad at first, but the idea has grown on me over the years.

Not that I think it's perfect. Just that it's a good idea worth preserving.

I like playing Nords too, so it's not about my class or race choices. There are plenty of Nords like mine. Rikke is badass.

The Companions are cool too, because most of them aren't very fanatical. Just down to earth and deal mostly with personal disputes. Other than Vignar Greymane.