I see your point, yes.
But i've developed this habbit of not really pursuing the MQ (at least for some time) for exactly that reason.
Not only in Skyrim, but in other RPGs i've played too. (FO3, NV, DA, Witcher 1+2 to name a few)
I believe it's somewhat dependent on your approach.
1-Many folks get their kicks from trying different classes, approaches and difficulty levels. They won't mind playing through the MQ several times in a different way...well aware that the outcome is going to be the same.
2-Others prefer exploring the world and side quests first and deliberately delay the MQ...well aware they don't want to play the same story again.
Personal opinion alert: Seeing as you basically can make any of the premade chars in Skyrim into anything you want to (Warrior/Mage/Thief), i chose category 2 on thisone.
Coz i know, as soon as i finish the MQ, Skyrim will be shelved.

Dude, no offence but I don't think you get TES at all.

Its about doing what you want. The main quest is just to provide a little structure.

If YOU want the main quest to end YOUR story then you gotta step up and do it last.

I mean that's that whole point of why we have the Creation Kit and the Construction Set.
I enjoyed modding Morrowind and making my own houses and quests. /: EVERYTHING
I really need a PC. :c
Also; do side quests. Don't jump into the MQ right away, I'm 70+ hours in and I barely touched the MQ.
There's a ton to do.

This is what i don't get..

So your the savior of the world. Along the way you bacame the Archmage and every mage and jarl nods to your achievements. Now what? Is that the end of the story? At level thirty two?! Why can't your dragon killing Mage hang up his robe and title and wonder the southlands? Didn't he achieve what he has through his adventurous spirit?

You can Infiltrate the thieves guild and take it for your own.

You can join the companions and prove to the jocks that there is more than one way to skin a sabertooth. Maybe you'd like to pull a double agent on the dark brotherhood?!

Perhaps your have a night terror and realize a surpressed memory of vampires killing your mother when you were young. Time to go hunting every blood svcker in the Province, then you get infected....

You got an arsenal of magic and in-game influence, use it to through your character into the chaos of the world and see what he ends up doing.

Maybe you just decide to start a museum of deadric and aedric artifacts? That might take some time, and who knows what you'll stumble into along the way.

Note that the OP isn't a mage, i know. Just using this as a cover all example.

I'm getting to see a lot of cool stuff just by exploring everything that pops up as I travel around for the MQ. I'm a little bit past halfway through, it, almost lvl 34, and I've got 159 locations discovered, 59 dungeons cleared. And a huge list of assorted quests to follow once the MQ is done.

I think I'll still have a lot to do once that's over...

this is the first of the TES games i feel like i can "stick" with and realy explore (it helps that i LOVE nords). most sidequests are interesting too. heck the journey from whiterun to grey beards i got killed by trolls, killed a sabertooth, gave battle death to a old orc, someone tried to rob me, i took out several bandit caves/outposts. get dropped on by a spider. survive jumping off a waterfall. help defeat a necromancer from resurrecting a persons entire lineage AND found a broken down fort of stormcloaks overtaken by evil magic users that i slaughtered.

im not even to the greybeards yet >.>

How is it ruining it? if you like to restart rather than keep going be my guest... thers nothing wrong with being givin a choice.... I dont see your logic :/

Wait... There is a main quest??? :blink:

you could play after fallout 2... and get all skills to 300% instantly.... and meet jaba the hutt!!

You do the last Main Quest. No credit rolls. No real feeling of accomplishment, no one acknowledges you as the hero of Skyrim except one or two NPC. In other words... BLEH. I guess my game was bugged... Right?

nobody is forcing you to keep your file after you finish the main quest but yourself because deep down you know that to do so makes about as much sense as dipping your toe in an Olympic sized swimming pool for only a brief moment when you could have easily went for a nice swim.