Plus all citizens are required to have undergarments surgically attached to their bodies and having children is forbidden, it's the Empire's solution to overpopulation.

But to be more serious, I don't get the impression that the Empire does much to control the trade and possession of weapons, players being able to carry around weapons in towns, of course, might just be for gameplay convenience, but NPCs also seem to get away with having weapons in their homes or on their person, and stores that sell armor and weapons can be found in every city, it seems like as long as you keep them sheathed, nobody cares.

Thats kind of how it is in most parts of America, except only cops can carry guns openly (Not concealed) but anyone can carry a knife openly as long as long as you don't draw attention to yourself.

Oh and by the way the Empire banned drinking water a LONG time ago.... Basically in Tamriel its reverse prohibition!

Honestly, what would be the point of weapon control? Unless there was some sort of forced silence to go with it (which could make communication... very hard), that would just mean those skilled in magic would be even MORE powerful relative to everybody else.

Except in real life, if you go through enough hassel and pay enough money, you can obtain a license for owning fully automatic firearms.

Didn't seem to matter where I went or how much dough I had in my wallet, there wasn't a spear or crossbow to be had.....

I'd assume that when you're going into Empire's [censored], errrr, i mean Emperor's Palace you need to put away your sword (as in give it to the guard for safekeeping). (of course that isn't the case because of game mechanics)

the focus in TES is not on weapon control, but on adventurer control through the guilds

Oblivion seems to handle this a bit more realistically, with many shopkeepers running away and whatnot. In Morrowind, you swipe somebody's candlestick, and everybody in the tavern brings their weapons crashing down on your head. Granted, Vvardenfell was more for the colonists and adventurers, but it's still hilarious.