Neutral so that I could choose which side I would work for.

Anti because it's cool to be anti everything.

Pro-Empire. As long as they stay lawful good anyways. I really do like them, they don't impose overly much on the provinces and when they do, they outlaw slavery, limit Skooma and moon sugar trafficking, and ward off other foreign powers like the Akaviri and the Aldmeri Dominion.

Sure you don't see enough Legion precence during the Oblivion crisis, but I think the developers said the bulk of the Legion were closing gates in the provinces and the devs probably couldn't add in more focus on Legion activites due to size restraints in the vanilla.

The association between conquest and faith is understandable, but not all missionaries carry that "holier than thou" approach. And is it truly malign to spread books of history to isolated villages?

Remember too that the Tribunal Temple burned books and hunted down heretics. The Imperial Cult rarely does such things



Oblivion felt like a rushed game to me. I think the developers didn't get enough time to really make the world come alive

My Cyrodiil-born Imperial would be a traitor if he didn't support the empire. Long live the empire!

get ride of the empire

At first, I'd say Pro-Empire because of the Septims we've met (Uriel and Martin). Then I realized something:

Tamriel got lucky with Uriel and Martin. Why? Because Uriel didn't have to BE a kind ruler. He could've been a tyrant to his people. Martin (assuming he actually managed to get to the Temple of the One in time) could've been a tyrant as well.

In real life, kingdoms and empires have had SCORES of cruel rulers who did what they pleased simply because they damn well knew they could. Sure there had been kind ones here and there, but still, when a new ruler took the throne, the people would have no idea what kind of a man he'd be.

So Pro-Empire, knowing that not all future emperors would be like Uriel? Some might be bat[censored] insane like Pelagius (sp?) or downright cruel?

I'm siding with the rebels on this one.

Plus, I'm tired of running around a quasi-Ancient Roman empire.

Well, the Ashlands have their own traditions and their perception of history is one of them. What's good and true to one civilization or people, isn't necessarily so for another one. It's very ethnocentric to think that your version of the truth should be spread out to other tribes and deserves to be known among them. I am surely willing to believe not all of them carry that approach, for it isn't that what's on the surface, but the grand strategy behind it all that matters! Sympathizing tactics be used where brutal patronizing tactics don't work... All for the benefit of raw imperialism.

The imperialist cult doesn't mind absorbing other influences as the Empire absorbs provinces for this is the only way how to adapt to stubborn native practices that don't fit into imperialist beliefs when absorbing another nation. Often the best way to convert other people is to nick some of their ideas in a twisted form or adopt ideas that these candidate converts can relate to. It isn't too bad to bend your own truth a bit if it grants you new citizens who are gullible enough to believe what you're preaching. What the Tribunal Temple does is defending its own identity and integrity and they have the right to consider their own beliefs as supreme as the imperialists do with their own. It may look harsh to outlanders, but who as an outlander is rightful to criticize if its people acknowledge it has had its benefits and uses for over generations? A system that works and earned the recognition of a nation doesn't need change just because a nation from down South doesn't like it. Mind your own business. I guess Cyrodiil has enough things to deal with since last time I checked and its own people earn that attention instead of launching another campaign against a remote tribe that never asked for the fuss nor the patronizing. If the imperialist cult doesn't feel like conserving and doesn't mind constant adapting, it only proves how the original package of imperialist beliefs is becoming rather empty now.

As for whether or not I'd let Skyrim secede? Yes.


The Empire is no longer ruled by the Septims, which was the only reason I though it was cool (c'mon, descendants of an ascended god?).

That, and the fact that Skyrim seems like it would be an awesome nation on its own, lead me to feel the way I do.

Yet it's so easy to distort the truth when you answer to no one. The Ashlanders, and indeed many Dark Elves have a certain sense of pride, which can also lead to believing that their culture is superior. Ethnocentrism does go both ways. I'm certain that some of the books are not objective, but does that mean that the Cult shouldn't try at all? What if the Ashlanders learn about something they never did before?

The Tribunal Temple didn't defend their integrity, they hid the truth. And as for the assimilation of religion, it WAS used before when Alessia was gathering allies, but as far as I'm aware, the Imperial Cult is fairly straightforward and doesn't really change for Morrowind.

I think this all stems from a hate of colonialism, which is certainly understandable. People hate the idea because it sounds like everything is going to be leveled flat, with no diversity at all. It wasn't the case in Morrowind though. People still retained their identity

Anti they are ruled by fascists,anyone who opposes them they destroy and they hold no respect for the "beast" races.

Anti. It makes things more interesting.

Correct, they shouldn't for they don't have the right to do so. The Ashlands will be fine without any "special" knowledge. It's easy to see how you're the bringer of truth when you know the money of the provinces is flowing out of them straight into imperialist pockets. Believe what you want while you're in that City, but it gets problematic the instance you decide believing it yourself doesn't suffice anymore and you must push it down our throats as if our values aren't true enough. The Ashlands have no desire of sending an army out of the wastes to force their customs on you imperialists unlike yourselves!
Once again, truth can be quite relative. There are many things we cannot see or do not understand because we only look at it one way and we think it's the only and right way so far, so much better than the different types of perception that may have been or are still existant on Nirn.
I can't see how the Dunmer who came too much into contact with the imperialists kept their own identity. They became a league of their own, a whole house turned away and all so they could share in imperialist riches, allowed them to build forts, shrines and other foreign buildings that never belonged, but the Ashlanders know there are greater and less shallow things in life. I experienced myself [out of debate: in case you didn't know, I'm trying to debate in persona here xD massive lulz] as a Dunmer how they would call me N'wah for carrying that bit of imperialist flavour in the way I looked, walked and spoke and I never even liked them outlanders. How can you call a Dunmer swimming in septims, wearing Cyrodiilic linen, speaking foreign tongues, praying to false gods still a true Vvardenfellic tribesman? This is unacceptable.

I'm anti empire right now, but that could easily change once I find out more about it's current incarnation and what the alternative is. If it was still the Septim dynasty then I might be more inclined to support them, but it's two centuries and however many leaders later and they don't seem to be managing well. It might be time for Skyrim to be independant for a while.

Easily for the empire.Somebody has to keep all the lesser/savage races in line.Who better than the noble Imperial to do it?

amen

I'm anti empire with a dash of extreme hate and sprinkle of loathing.

I'm here to destroy anything the Tiber Septim stood for.

if he has any airs left somewhere I will wipe them out. The empire they created will be fall by my help.

Apathetic.

I think all this hate towards the empire is misplaced, I mean from what we know this is a whole new empire in Tamriel occupying the shell of the old one. The crimes most people are labeling aginst the empire are as far as I can tell the deeds of an empire two centuries in the grave.

Absolutely. I was too lazy to type this myself But I agree with you here.

You can argue about the empire as seen in and before Oblivion, but not the empire we will come to see in Skyrim. You just don't know enough about it yet. By all means, keep guessing though

I think you're a little bit late . . . a full 200 years late.

I'm against it for a few reasons, though I like it for a few too.

Anti-empire

1st, without the empire the different cities and villages will be more unique with different laws and guards

2nd, it creates controvesy more diplomatic events must take place between cities and towns and we could be a part of it.

3rd, small wars can break out giving us more roles to play choices to make and tide turning events to take place in.

4th, there might be a town that makes and sells skooma legally.

5th, Diversity, having a rouges town, a mages paradise, a warriors small kingdom, and some mixed...ect

6th, racism would be more expected and acceptable, you might have some people who hate you for being what you are, which means you might be able to use some magic or alchemy to transform adding more to the ability to role play.

Pro-empire
All the reasons already stated by others for the most part.

On topic, I'm not sure how extensive the Mede Empire is. The timelines we have tell us that the Empire we worked our butts off saving crumbled after the provinces seceded. Then, sometime within the first twenty years of the fourth era, Titus Mede is crowned the new emperor by conquest, but is this just conquest of the Imperial City and Cyrodiil or did he actually recapture the provinces? I'm for thinking that the provinces are still independent considering that the death of Skyrim's high king throw the Nords into civil war -- that just seems the sort of thing that an Emperor would not allow to happen.

I have two characters, one pro and one anti. However, my first playthrough will be with the anti-Empire character, so I'm leaning in that direction.

I think as of the books the Medes control some of Argonia and all of Elsweyr, Skyrim, Highrock, Hammerfall and Cyrodill. It mentioned something about the Altmer becoming independent and taking over Valenwood and the Argonians taking over Morrowind with many of the Dunmer fleeing to Solsthiem. Of course I can't really be sure of all this.