Hey guys,

I am still playing Skyrim but have never done the Civil War questlines. Do they tie up with the main quest? Are they interesting ? Do they change a lot of things in the cities eg kill people , merchants etc? Do they make some cities better, worse? If I become a Thane to a Jarl and then that changes does it affect me ? New quests etc?

I don't want any spoilers just some info to see if I should start those quests. Is it also better to do them after the main quest or before? Or does it not make much difference anyway

Thanks and cheerio

If you haven't beaten the CW, you have to do a quest to get a temporary peace treaty near the end of the MQ for the Jarl of Whiterun.

The CW is the same for both sides since both sides have the same missions.

The CW doesn't change practically anything in the game apart from replacing the guards of opposing holds with soldiers of your side and changing the Jarls. The only other noticeable difference is that you stop getting Thalmor random encounters if the Stormcloaks win the Civil War.

No new quests are added. If you are the Thane of a hold which is liberated/reunified, you lose your thaneship but it is easily regained since if you were already thane, you just ask the new Jarl to make you a thane again and you are a thane once again.

I recommend doing the CW before the MQ since the CW seems lackluster and Alduin makes a better final boss than the opposing side of the CW.