I haven't really sided with either of the two parts mentioned in the thread title yet. I've recently just entered Winterhold and overheard Ulfrics talk with his friend/general or something, and that changed my mind completely. There's no way I'm choosing to side with this [censored]. Now, the stories throughout the game of the Imperial Soldiers have pretty much convinced me that I don't want to befriend them either, so I'm wondering whether there's any choices left for me now? What can I do? Just leave the quests alone? Will I, at some point, possibly be able to go my own way and kill Ulfric even though I choose to side with him from the get go?

If I have to be some morons' right hand and there's no way out of it except leaving the quests alone, I'm incredibly disappointed. I should just stab everyone in the back and be king myself.

Bump!

Aren't those just big "sidequests"? Kill both/ignore both. That's what I do.

yeah they tie into the story sort of - theres a part of the main quest where you cant continue unless the war is solved, but there is a quest to make a treaty between the two armies to continue on (if you havent done either). I'd say this would be your best bet.

I wish there was option to side with Thalmor. As of now, i'm more inclined to Legion side, although I dont want to take their pathetic oath until I finish Dark Brotherhood questline.

In my case, I play as Dunmer so I try to figure out how he thinks. He comes from a devastated province, half destroyed half invaded by the lizard-faces.
If he remain neutral, Stormcloacks may win... if that happens, who will stop the nords to slaughter the dunmer refugees or even invade black light or so ?
also if the empire falls, who will stand against the thallmor... and they say the thalmor is both behind the ulfrick and argonian uprisings to divide the empire.
I was undecided too... till I reached Windhelm... when I saw the grey quarters my decision was clear: I choosed the side who will help more the dunmer. And also, kill more god d4mn nords in the way.

join one side or the other. Then do whatever they tell you. And at night, conduct raids on your own 'side', leaving no witnesses

Ignore them.
Like pretty much all other stuff in the game, they have very little impact on anything.

Well I ended up in Stormcloaks. I know everyone complains because they seem racist and treat the Dunmer like crap. But lets go back to Morrowind here. Maybe alot of the newer players do not know that the Dunmer were just as racist and also had a legal slave trade in their province. In simple terms The Dunmer are no better then the Nords. Most of the races in TES lore hate each other. I was surprised though to see that the Bosmer were part of the Dominion. All I have ever seen of them is whinny wimps or nature loving hunters. Never thought they were the ruthless type, I would have expected the Bretons to join Dominion. Given their snotty almost Altmer like attitude towards others.

Once you finish the DB questline, you will realise there are some logical contradictions in this plan.

Our racism is good. Theirs is bad! lol

My first charater, a Dunmer, sided with the Stormcloaks. I saw the squalor in the Grey Quarters, and decided I wanted to help them. Meanwhile, I was a good friend of Ralof. So I decided I would fight the Empire, make the Stormcloaks victorious and use my newgained influence to help them. And as I had lost my homeland, and was one of the refugees from Morrowind I decided that I didn't want another people lose their home as I had experienced the pain myself. So I fought, and I followed Ulfric, despite hating the man deeply.

But on my Orc, I followed tribal Orc tradition. Roll with the Legion to test my strength and gain fortune. Of course, if I could help ending a civil war all the better.

I have yet to start the MQ beyond killing Mirhuanir or whatever way it's spelled.(the first dragon).