SPOILERS to follow.

I'm the Arch-mage. The Eye of Magnus (and I never really figured out what that... was) threatened to destroy a city, and even the world. But I scoured the length and breadth of Skyrim to find the one item that could temper its power. Through the immense magical showdown between two powerful, ancient artifacts, the threat was abated.

I'm fought for the Empire and stamped out the rebellion as General Tullius' champion. Victory, stability, and peace have been achieved.

I've battled dragons all over Skyrim and traveled to Sovngarde itself to defeat Alduin, the Mighty World Eater. Through this, I have saved time, space, and this world itself.

And ya know what? After all this I look around and can't escape the feeling that I really have nothing to show for any of it. I still feel like I need to get out there an accomplish something in Skyrim, but the sad fact is that I've accomplished the majority of the things that I wanted to do. Specifically:

• As the archmage, there's hardly anything for me to do. In fact, there's hardly anything at the college at all. There's a library there, but that's it. Where do the classes take place? Why can't I take part in anything that goes on there? Even if you do the radiant quests, the people giving them to you don't behave as though you are the arch mage at all, instead acting like you are still that new recruit looking to find a little way to help out here and there. So I saved a city, was somehow selected by the ancient Psijic Order (for whatever reason?) to help reign in a terrible and powerful magic relic... and nothing really comes of that? I have a bedroom which constitutes one half of the main building of the entire college, and the leftover staff from the previous quest. That's it?
  I suppose in reality, this one's not so terrible. I do at least get the bedroom and there's some cool stuff in there. Still, though, the College feels completely lifeless.

• After having fought in the civil war, I've basically facilitated the conquest of Skyrim. I went across the nation, fighting battle after battle, coming home victorious every time. I lead the final charge, and was with the general when the enemy leader fell. Now, after having finally quashed the rebellion, my duties complete, I'm left with nothing but a sword. It's a nice sword, but... is that it? No new title, no castle anywhere? No duties in this great new city we just conquered? Not even a bunk somewhere, or.. anything? It's almost as if I've been fired. There's literally no trace of anything I've done with the Legion this whole time, save the sword. Which, now that it's in my basemant... is hardly a reminder at all. I don't even remember which one it was, frankly.

• Lastly, and worst among them all, is the main quest. I've freaking killed or banished the World Eater. I've slain the mightiest dragon history has ever known. I did it all while alive and mortal in the immortal realm of the dead. And when I get home...
  
  Nothing. Not a word from anyone. My friend and "mentor" Esbern and his sissy blade friend hate me, because I won't slaughter my only real friend and actual mentor, Parthurnaax. Speaking of whom, the olde dragon has a few words to say about how he'll miss his brother that I just banished to Oblivion, then he and his friends fly off. And for me? I'm just left standing there in the snow. The only human being in Skyrim that even seems to realize that I've done anything at all is Argenir, the old Greybeard. Even he doesn't come find me or say anything. I have to go seek him out, and then he offers me a little thank you before giving me the "business as usual" dialogue. I mean... I'm totally and completely deflated by all this.

What I'm left with, in the end, is essentially nothing. I've completed half the major questlines in the game and I have nothing to show for it. Nobody in Skyrim recognizes me, nobody cares what I've done, and I haven't gained any symbol or lasting impact anywhere at all. I've changed history and literally left no mark on it whatsoever.

How in the world can this be? Am I just blindly missing the subtle and wonderful things that are taking place around me, or is it that I really am just standing out in the cold of Skyrim, a nobody?

Well the guards sometimes say thank you for defeating alduin ... but you are right nothing changes except minor details like imperial guards in all citys after defeating ulfric. The problem is that the world needs to stay the same so you can continue to explore it. Imagine after the main quest no more dragons spawn and you can kill all of them. Thats for the world what i really find anoying is this i am the master but i am treated like a nobody. There should be some quest for the leader of the thieves, or arch mage. Can be radiant quests too just switch the dialoque to something like oh hey guildmaster we have a problem what do you want to do (rob someone, plant evidence, steal) or something similar for the archmage .. just recognize me ! I really dont know why this isnt working

Well, that's life.

Really. That's it.

"I saved you all and didn't even get a t-shirt"

But yea hopefully DLC will add something to do as arch-mage or thieves guild leader. Stronghold ideas been thrown around too.

I agree completely with the OP. I just became master of the Thieves Guild only to hear the NPCs spew the same lines to me that they did when I first set foot in the Flagon. Brynjolf still tells me "not right now kid, I have important business" when I walk by him. Beth couldn't bother to have a voice actor say one more different line for the new Guildmaster? It can be demoralizing to say the least.

Eh I have not completed the tasks you have yet but I'm already disappointed. The console limitations start showing up in mid-game. There really is no end game for the game as you have stated.

Pretty sure the stickies say not to post spoilers in this board.

I can't agree with you. Nor understand why their is next to no recognition for accomplishing feats such as those. People play games to separate themselves from their life and delve into another. So to say that's life, is annoying. No its not life, its skyrim and i just slaughtered the dragon of dragons, give me some credit for it. My .02

I disagree with this, precisely because Skyrim isn't life. That's the whole point. If it was life, I wouldn't bother to play it, since I have life to deal with every day.


I'm fairly sure that the spoiler warning at the top of the page is not referring to honest-to-goodness discussions of game content, but to posting game-spoiling content just for the sake of posting it.

The whole OP is spoilers makes one wonder why it wasn't in the Spoiler section.

This is what you have the CK for..

I'm fairly sure that you're wrong.

I've only completed the Companions so far. The guards will say that they are in awe to be in my presence. The companions circle say they will accept me as leader because the old guy says so. That's about it.

I have also gotten comments from guards after I've killed some Thalmor (sp?) and such, so they do say things sometimes.

The discussion here is about quest rewards. The discussion is not about "here's what happens on the main quest!"

Any discussion about game content could be regarded as a spoiler, anything from what spells are in the game to how to level smithing. However, those discussions are centered around balancing or building up the feature, which is exactly what this thread is about.

Please stay on topic.

I tend to agree. This happens in all tes games. One thing that bugged me was becoming guild leader. You are surrounded by people who worked there for their advlt lives... And little Dovakiin instantly gets the top position. Always seems silly.

There was a oblvion mod were you were downgraded from archmage after the quest ended, hopefully something like that will be made for skyrim

No spoilers means just that, no spoilers. It can't be any clearer than that. It does not matter why the Spoiler is posted, it is a Spoiler. Putting "Spoilers Ahead" does not change the that. If your game play discussion needs quest details to in order to be discussed, then guess what, it is a Spoiler plain and simple. I have not done some of these quests and now some of the game is ruined for me just be moderating this thread. Thank you very much for that OP.

I will move this thread to where it should have been posted in the first place, the Spoilers section.

I think I am going to start suspending people for posting spoilers in General. Maybe then people will stop posting spoilers in general.

Some questlines really feel like they're not really over when you complete them.

Look, did you pay attention to Parthurnaax and Arngeirn's little speeches after you defeat Alduin?

It goes somewhat like this.

"You've defeated Alduin, Dragonborn, but this is not the only deed you will be remembered for. Alduin's not really dead, and there's still much to do. I'm sure you'll know the path"

To me that was a pretty big hint at future DLCs, that maybe will give us that sense of conclusion.


I'm not sure about the Empire questline, but when you side with Ulfric, it also feels like there's more, since they keep talking about how they will take the fight to the elves soon.

Lonely at the top.

oh did you singlehandedly win the civil war for me? take a hike.
thats how i feel.
i wish i was able to let the khajit in the towns as a prize

I know. The civil war quest in particular feels like you've been dismissed from service when it reaches the end. You get a sword, and then everyone just goes away. It's like.. the aftermath of a bloody revolution just peters out and becomes irrelevant.

And worse? Some NPCs still mention the war.

Exactly. This is why I tend not to start threads, other people do them for me. Aside from the abysmally short quest lines, nobody really acknowledges anything you do. Ever. Well some do, but barely. Neither do quests lines recognize what you've done in previous unrelated quest, or related quests. You could be the guild master of the thieves guild when you get the dark brotherhood quest to interact with them, Delvin will treat you like he doesn't know who you are. Nobody in the thieves guild speaks about your exploits, they will remark about the guild master gracing their presence. But when you actually talk to them, they treat you like [censored]. NPC's and especially faction NPC's should keep track of what you've done in the world and dialogue should change to reflect that.

Today this got really poignant. I went to Whiterun to sell of some gear, and I stopped by the enchanting table in Dragonsreach to see if I could disenchant anything and learn a new spell. Turns out I had 1 item with a new effect, so yay.

However, I turned to sell off Round 1 to the mage standing there, and he was pleasant enough. I bought all his empty soul gems, then I sold him as much stuff as he would buy. The thing is, he says to me:
"You know if you've got the aptitude, you should join the mages college in Winterhold."

I just have to sit here and think to myself... man. You're a court mage. You didn't hear about the huge catastrophe that just took place there? Or how the psijic order got involved? The Thalmor were ejected? The arch-mage killed?

Oh, and a new arch-mage took over? Ya know, me??

That's annoying enough as it is. But the real problem is that he's not the only one. All the NPCs act like this. Some of them recognize when I've joined the guilds, but they never do seem to notice when I become the new leader. That is really irritating. On a side note, it would be cool if we could respond to someone by telling them that we already joined, and took over, said guild.