I have a problem. I don't really like playing as a Nord, but assuming the role of Dragonborn with any other race seemed inappropriate, so I was left with a severe case of restartitis because neither of my two favorite races - Dunmer and Orcs - fit the role of Dragonborn to me, yet when I played as a Nord, I kept wanting to play as one of my favorite races creating a vicious cycle.

then I tried out an Imperial. I always liked them, but never really used them. Playing as an Imperial, it feels natural to play as any of my favorite builds - paladin, arcane ranger, spellsword - and it also feels appropriate to don the moniker of Dragonborn. so I get the best of both worlds. I can play a race I like, AND feel natural as the Dovahkiin. Currently I am using an arcane ranger. Basically typical ranger, who uses conjured weapon and supportive magic to get the job done. I love it so far.

Any love for Imperials here?

For a race that didn't exist till Morrowind, is a jack of all trades race, but is outclassed in that aspect by Dunmer, and a race that is adept in politics but is outclassed in that by bretons, and just all around generic? Na.

So much win.

my few imperial race characters always sided with the cloaks

But aside from some different conversations I never noticed anything different between an imperial or a nord. Actually people don't seem to pay you any difference in regards to your race unless your a khajiit or argonian it seems.

I still laugh when orc bandits charge into battle against my orc yelling "No one bests an orc!" If that is true why attack my orc? Someone is going be visiting malacath very soon.

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Yes I love that they have skill with magic, are well rounded, and have Roman foundings. They are the closest thing to an Italian I'll get, yeah? They're fun to play with, and I can make some real purdy females. Very easy and fun to work with.

Veeeeery purdy females.

Imperial through and through.

Though, I find female nords to be a bit more fetching.

What if I told you... in ye olde days, when the Nords were True and pure, and worshiped Alduin, Chief of Divines; They were a race of philosopher warriors, who were as magically in-tuned as they were fierce with their axe?

Do not mistake the heretical troglodytes that infest holy Skyrim these days as Nords. They are a devolution and a blight. Look upon the Priesthood of Alduin, praise be. We revolutionized necromancy before Mannimarco was even conceived of. And our culture rivaled that of the Altmer.

I think that an argonian would fit the bill of dragonborn. You know, cousins and all.

I think orc and dunmer are two of the best dovahkin races, dunmer are fire resistant for god's sake, and a green orc with red hair just looks like he was born to eat dragon souls.

I've never seen a problem with any race being Dragonborn,

because Akatosh is crazy and does what he wants.

I read on TIL that they always existed, just called as Colovians, and some other thing. So tjey just merged the two natives of Cyrodill was still leaving those names.

Those were considered Nords still at the time. See here, it says no description, race not present.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/races-tamriel-imperial

My main in Skyrim is a Redguard, and my 2nd character is a Imperial

Exactly the same as me.

Playing as Imperials since Morrowind. Fit the title of Dragonborn perfectly.

A lot of lore was changed between Daggerfall and Morrowind, introducing the Imperials as a distinct people was one of them. Before than, the "Imperials" were humans of Nordic and Breton ancestry living in Cyrodiil with a distinct culture from their native provinces, using their more cosmopolitan culture to establish the Empire, though the Cyrodilic Nords were the ones with the most power under the Septims I think. Then a lot of things changed and the Cyrodilic race was born, Tiber Septim became a God and the Tribunal appeared and lots of other things.

As the lore is now, the Imperials always existed, being the descendants of the nedic people the Ayleids enslaved, but the lore changed significantly after Daggerfall.

As for the thread question, I don't like them that much. They have always been sort of a weaker version of the other humans at just about everything. Supposedly good at trade and diplomacy, but I don't buy that. All races have good traders, since trade is common in every nation. The Morrowind description even portrays the Nords as rather enterprising in trade. Then there is diplomacy, which there is only one good example of being used in the Septim Empire, which was during the War of the Red Diamond. Since then, Imperial Diplomacy has really meant "under the Imperial Legion's boot", and their own province commonly divide into petty kingdoms when there isn't a strong ruler to force them all in line.

In gameplay, they're not really good at anything, in any of the games they are in. Weaker fighter than the Nords and Redguards among the humans, and worse at magic than the Bretons. Their stats doesn't make them any better suited for stealth than the Nords and Redguards either. In Skyrim, they have really become the Nord-1, given the utter useless passive racial ability(2-10 more gold in some containers compared to 50% Resist Frost) and the nearly identical activated racial ability(fear and calm, both being slightly different forms of crowd control).

I like the idea of an "Imperial/Cyrodilic" cultural identity made up of different races living at the center of Tamriel, caught between the other groups, but I don't see any benefit in making them a race of their own. And I don't find much reason to play as them.

You should change your name for Milk Addict then.