I think Sovereign would make a more interesting Nordic Culture.... so thats my vote.

Long live the Empire! I'm a huge fan of Imperials.

Death to the Imperial dogs! I'm tired of being a lackey to the empire, even though I bet we'll have to get them so settle their differences in order to untie against the dragons. Who knows how this will end though?

I am Dragonborn, fear my northern scorn. From the dragons, I shall tear out their horns. As for the Imperial race, of Tamriel, they display disgrace. Watch them mourn as I and the nords rise to the throne and etch a new era in blood and bone.

In other words, I'm anti-Imperialism. Don't like Imperials. Nords, on the other hand, great race.

I have a feeling Skyrim will work very similar to Fallout: New Vegas in terms of factions. Just like the NCR and the Legion were the two big factions, Rebels and the Empire are the two big ones in Skyrim. In terms of which side I will actually choose, pro-Empire. Without it, the world could be thrown into just as great a darkness as Alduin would be.

I bet we won't have a choice...

Some would argue that the empire is oppressive, and that becoming sovereign would be the best route. I sympathized with the Dunmer of Morrowind in this case, they practically had their entire country stolen right from under them. The Empire has done little for the provinces and is mainly interested in it's own gain and level of control over others and trade. There are quite a few people of different races from different provinces that feel the same way.

Perhaps. Even though New Vegas was developed by Obsidian, allowing the player choose which side they were on really added another layer to the game. Obviously in Skyrim choosing a side would only be secondary since one is Dragonborn. But it would still be nice to have an impact nonetheless.

That may be true, but there's one important factor you are leaving out. As long as the Empire has control over all the provinces, there is peace and stability. Without the Empire, the provinces would be at each others throats. Not to mention other continents that could take advantage of this lack of unity, and suppress the supposed "oppressed" anyways. United the provinces are strong. Divided they are nothing. Plus, who likes the Dunmer anyways? :tongue:

obviously i will try each side at least once but my first play through is definitely going to be anti-imperial.

Theorically I agree with you, but the Septim dinasty (cursed may be) sure did an awful job in creating a viable Empire. Cultural and religious domination, conquests by force, egomaniacal leaders, racism and an overwhelming sense of superiority certainly isn't going to cause much sympathy amongst the masses. To put a RL example, I also agree with Napoleon to a degree, but I'd have joined the spanish side (MY side) of our Independence War (yes, we spanish had one, too...) if I was born on that time. That's basically the same.

Any leader has to realize that or it'll always happen what has happened here: you end only dominating by the force of your army. And as soon as that force crumbles, your Empire dissapears, both because the faith of keeping peace is faded away (no armies = no peace), and because all the oppositors will take the slightest chance (and your weakest moment) to take you down.

Maybe a not-so-egomaniacal and self-centered Empire could success in uniting all of Tamriel again. But certainly the scars from the past, and from a forced conquest (and the humiliation that supposes) will take time to heal. IF it heals.

I do agree that united they are stronger, but I would hardly call forced armistices "peace".

I had no sympathy for a government that allows slavery like the Morrowind one did. My sympathy only extends to the anti-slavery Dunmer.

But you have sympathy for an empire that literally paves the road to stability over the graves of indigenous peoples and cultures? How ironic. Also, the empire never did anything to get rid of slavery in Morrowind, that was Morrowind's own internal government(s).

Applying 21st century real world ethics of wherever you live to a fictional world with completely different races, social structure, history, religion and ethical values makes no sense. It is wrong enough to apply today's ethics to different historical times. There is no inherent "good" and "evil", there is only such within the context of a certain society in a certain place, at a certain point in time. For some Dunmer factions slavery was moral, not because they were somehow "evil", but because such was their worldview, religion and traditions.

On topic, I say anarchy, it will be fun trying to reunite the various races in a future game when the Akaviri invade again.

I'm fairly certain that it's quite clear from the pvssyr in Oblivion that the Empire outlawed slavery.

My support or opposition to the Empire depends on what has happened leading up to Skyrim. I understand what you're saying though. To a large part of the Empire in Star Wars lore for example people only saw the good it did. The game Tie Fighter does a good job of portraying that Empire in a more positive light, yet of course it was anything but benevolent in that world's reality.



I don't buy that at all. I define good and evil based on the golden rule. I really don't care what the standards of the society were. It was backwards and wrong, and I will never look at any slaver in a positive light. Slavery is the epitome of selfishness and ego-centrism.

I second that. :foodndrink: LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE! :biggrin:

George W. Bush would agree with you. Buy it or not, it is the point of view from wich real history books are written, not from whatever self righteous siocioethical view you represent. It only seems backwards to you because you live in the 21st century, in the real world. You would not have the same idea if you lived, say, in ancient Egypt. Same goes for Morrowind.

I hope this is the case, as it would give two very nice play throughs!

I fanceed being a Khajit, but I can't see them being pro-Imperial with the slavery history.

I voted for anarchy because that′s the mindset my first character in Skyrim will have, my Oblivion character would be with the empire and my Morrowind character does not care, perhaps I should make a character that is against the empire some day.

I'll side with whichever one I can give the controls to a giant stompy robot to.

Or if they have mushroom houses.

Or... hell. I'll side with whichever one is cooler.

For the Empire!

The Empire is against slavery. And hadn't Elsweyr remained a dictatorship, and Black Marsh being slaverbait for the Dunmer if the Imperials hadn't "taken over"?

long live the empire

All this situation make me think about choosing a side in Civil war in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. Idk why

I hope we get some nuance like in Morrowind... House Telvanni were obviously not friendly with the Empire, but they weren't overtly antagonistic towards it - they just wanted to be left alone and maintain their traditions. House Hlaalu was a real mixed bag, with some of its major powerbrokers actively trying to undermine the Imperial presence on Vvardenfell, while others attempt to work with the Imperial administration. House Redoran was sympathetic with the Imperial Legion, especially their discipline and bravery, but did not like Imperial religion. So there was no way of being completely aligned with everything the Imperial occupation stood for as well as everything your chosen Great House stood for.

So hopefully we'll see something like this in Skyrim - factions which are sympathetic towards some aspects of the Empire, but not others; factions which are prepared to do some things but not others to support/oppose the Empire. Just going by anology with Morrowind - which obviously isn't original, but is nevertheless hopefully illuminating - maybe we'll see a faction which wants to stick to most elements of Nordic culture, and so resents Imperial religion, but nevertheless acknowledges the benefits of Imperial trade. Maybe we'll see a faction which is pro-Empire, but only insofar as they see Nords as being the true rulers of the Empire, and they want to stake their claim. Maybe we'll see a faction which disavows the historically traditional Nordic aims of conquest and expansion, and so simply wants to secede from the Empire and go their own way. And so on and so forth...

But whatever. The main point is that just two black/white options of pro/anti-Empire would be exceedingly disappointing.