Exactly.

you only start the admission quest IF you either say to faralda that you want to join OR talk to Mirabelle/go into the first lesson by Toldfir in the main room inside the tower.
IF you tell faralda that you want to go in because you require knowledge of the >thing that shall not be named< and go straight to the arcaneum you dont start the joining the mages quest

Not really. In real life you always have alternative means of obtaining what you want.

Well, you don't have to join the college nor the thieves guild to advance in the main quest. Heck for the thieves guild you don't even have to to talk to anyone to advance. Pretty much the same for the college, you don't even have to cast a single spell to get in. Once inside just go talk to the npc you need and that's it, don't talk to the npc the gate guardian told you to and you won't join. But i agree that the game try to hard to throw us into joining factions.

The real problem is more about word walls that can only be access by joining a faction, this is a really sloppy design.

Open console "`"

Click the gate.

Type "Unlock"

Then talk to the Arch Mage about *spoiler*

Leave.

You don't have to, I just went through the gate and that's it, anyone is able to get in right away because the spells take less then 100 magic points.

no, I didnt make an argument at all...
but since we are here, I argue that more often than not there is no way to get what you want at all, and that many other times there is but one way to get what you want.
important to note he didnt say that you have choices in life, he said to have what you want... so using your metaphor, to get what he wants (money) he definetely has to "bus table 12"

No.

This is a major issue. If I want to do the main quest, I have to join a faction I don't want to join. Clogs up my quest log and completely ruins my RP as a traditional Nordic Warrior.

What? The spell that was required of me costed 130. I had to go find some gear that boosted magicka just to get my warrior in to do this particular quest the OP is talking about.

+1 to the OP

I noticed lack of choice compared with Vegas. You could do stuff for 5 different factions, or you could kill them all. There was no immortals, except for YES man.

Hey

I had similar issues like this aswell.

My first playthough was a Nord Warrior, I hated the fact that I had to steal a ring and place it in someones pocket to find out where *spoiler* was in the main quest line. Also didnt like the fact that I had a quest to join the college to find out about the *spoiler* in main quest even though I did not talk to the woman outside the door. But on my 2nd playthrough I noticed that there was an option to say that you were a Dragonborn and that you were able to show her your shout. But guys come on, we still shouldnt have to be forced to do something that is against my character class. How can a warrior steal things and pick pocket from a guy or join the college without any knowledge of spells?

Another thing is that they also force us to join a particular faction if you want all shouts.. come on that aint good. I need to join the Dark Brotherhood to get some nice shouts when I'm playing a goody two shoes warrior...

But the thing that really blew it for me was that to complete the Mask side quest I had to become a member of the college to get inside the huge maze (forgot name). I hated that. That made me delete all my saves and I really liked my warrior.. totally regret it now.

I hate this game for the choices it makes us take but in the end its still my favourite game and I'm still playing it. On my 3rd character since on my 2nd character I'm waiting till they fix the bug to be able to get the house in Windhelm after you have completed the Civil War Quests as Imperials.

Voice

It's obvious the main quest is designed to introduce new players to all aspects and options available in terms of play style and potential choices they may otherwise miss.


So you have to go see some mages....sorry Conan.

Get over it.

It's good that the main quest lead you to them yes, but sorry Gandalf you shouldn't be forced to join them like that.

I'm sorry, but all I had to do was demonstrate a shout to get past the College gatekeeper? Why are others having to join? But yes, the Thieves Guild one was a bit ropier.

it was made in a previous reply, I only asked for your age tho... you really shouldnt share that much info for so little purpose, especially if its true.


you are NOT forced, as I shared in 2 of my previous replies... I do agree that both for the thieves guild and in the main quest line, you can easily get "duped" (lack of announcement or intent in dialogue) into starting their main quest chains, but you are NOT forced to join or start either quest/faction.

after advertising your "status" you really shouldnt say things like that m8.
and do keep in mind, even the rich, have their limits in what their status provides them.

Forcing? Are you [censored] kidding me? Everything is optional.

Actualy i was royally pissed off some time back that in order to get further in the main quest, you have to do a job for the thieves guild too. specifically that dude who tells you that you didnt earn your money. and I really, really do not want to help that guy for any reason. well you dont have to do the job for him as he is not the only one who will point you to where you need to go, but the game forves you to see him first. and the worst part is you cannot just end him either.

In a game where you can ignore the main quest completely "forced" is irelevant.

It's part of the main plot.Period.

The Main Quest requires no such thing.

The Gauldur amulet does, but that's all.

Can we just head straight to Septimus's place?

Yeah. Terrible design decision. Just like you can't finish Imperial/Stormcloak questlines without starting the mainquest.

Um in order to advance in the main quest you absolutely have to commit a crime, or you will be stopped right then and there and cannot progress. You might not have to join the thieves guild but what is a good only warrior/paladin type character going to be doing sneaking around stealing something just to advance the main quest? You either have to do that, or you can't continue. If you want to finish the main quest, then yes, you are indeed forced to commit a crime that for some of us is entirely 100% against our character, in order to complete a quest that may define who our character is. I shouldn't have to steal something for someone related to the thieves guild in order to finish a quest that is completely unrelated.

/end