Don't feel like playing for the Empire again but I'm reading that the Stormcloaks are basically Skyrim's version of Nazi's and that an Orc would never join. They didn't try to kill me at the beginning of the game, though.

Not absurd. I'm roleplaying an orc who was a legion veteran and is siding with the legion, but after Helgen I imagine she'd have been pretty teed off. If you go with Hadvar in the opener, the game gives some good balance. With her character I've seen far more Thalmor dragging off prisoners than I had on past games, and a redguard gave her the Stormcloak quest who was pretty convincing as well. He said "the empire is in shambles, look at all we fought for and then they surrendered anyway."

The Stormcloaks are also no more racist than anyone in Tamriel, contrary to what you might hear on the internet and sometimes in this forum.

There are NO NAZIS in this game.
When do people learn that not everything different is Nazi?


Furthermore the Stormcloaks may not want you but they seem to be willing to collaborate with people with similar goals (destroy Empire).

May I ask where you read that??

If you are looking for a reason other than the shoddy legal system at the start of the game the empire did not really leap to the aid of the Orcs when Orsimer(sp) was under attack from ,I believe,High Rock and Hammerfell.


If the Thalmor were smart they would make overtures to the Orcs and make the offer you take it you keep it.The Dumner are also looking for a new home(since apparently they have no intentions of retaking Morrowind) so they could also be included in this.The Thalmor alliance is lacking in meatshields to protect their squishys and Orcs would fit that role perfectly.

The Stormcloaks as a group are more nationalistic than racist I believe.Well except for maybe a couple a drunks in Windhelm

Stormcloak nazis? The nazis murdered over 6 million jews alone (blacks, asians, gays, etc not withstanding).

If anyone in TES Skyrim is a nazi, it's the Thalmor. Nazis want to exterminate Jews. Thalmor want to exterminate Man.

Where is the supporting evidence that says that they're an autocratic genocide machine..?

From what I gained from the Stormcloak:CW quest is that Ulfric Stormcloak himself is no racist. He's just an inspired Nord with a love for his nation who wants nothing more than for them to have a stable, self-determined state like they had in the old Empire. Ulfric doesn't realize it yet, but the Thalmor are his real enemy.

Let's please not turn this into a discussion of Nazis or the use of that term.

It is true that many Stormcloaks are racist, but then the Empire has plenty of sketchy supporters as well. I think it's reasonable for a non-Nord to join the cause, and an Orc could reason that a prominent Orc hero would help secure the position of the strongholds after Ulfric wins.

I'd say it's true that many Nords are racist.

I'm restarting my Orc. He sided with the Stormcloaks in Helgen, and none of the Imps had two-handed weapons but the Stormcloaks did. He's going to be a two-handed melee warrior, so it's better to side with the Empire and loot the heavies from the Stormcloaks.

The stormcloaks and freedom fighters and heroes that gladly accept the help of outsiders after the prove themselves allies.

The Stormcloaks are not like the Nazis. The Nazis were very scientific, calculating, and cold in their deeds. The Stormcloaks dislike magic (which is kind of a form of magic), simple (though brutal), and honorable in how they behave.

The Stormcloaks are tired of being ruled by an empire that is too weak to support them. In fact, off the top of my head anyway, the Haitian rebellion from the French and the colonist's rebellion from England are the closest parallels that come to mind.

Nords rightly hate elves -- elves began the race war thousands of years ago during Ysgrammor's time and were driven out. Now elves are concerning themselves with dominion over all the races of man. If anything, the Aldmeri Dominion are the Nazis with the Thalmor being the equivalent to the S.S. and Gestapo.

Anyway, Nords look down on everyone -- even other Nords -- until said persons prove themselves honorable and worthy of respect (as it should be).

Orcs would more than likely prefer to support the Empire over the Stormcloaks as the Empire is said (by many orcs) to have been good to orcs since they were inducted into the Empire. However, most orcs that are secluded such as ones in the strongholds would not side with either unless they were threatened and benefitted from joining one.

If you follow Ralof just hang back at the torture room or the last room full of Imperials.If you dont join in one or both of the stormcloaks that tag along usually dont make it.Plus you get the Imp officers helm so win win

^Starting weapon hardly matters.... You'll be able to smith yourself a 2hand of choice upon reaching Riverwood for crying out loud.....

Also agree that Stormcloaks =/= genocidal believers in eugenics...

Thalamor much more closely resemble that...

Stormcloaks are rebels... I'd say that braveheart more closely resembles the stormcloaks... hey, they got a racist leader too! (oh mel! ... lmao)

Shoot, my latest character is a Dark Elf who won the civil War for the Stormcloaks. He just wanted to kill Imperials. That's all it really takes.

The Stormcloaks simply want the empire out of Skyrim. I don't see them gathering non-Nords up for mass genocide.

Dont believe everything you hear and only half of what you read.

Stormcloaks aren't like Nazi's, Stormcloaks are basically like a bunch of rednecks riding around in a pickup truck while swept up in post 9/11 paranoia.

I would think most Orcs would side with the Empire due to them sending a Legion to defend the Orcs from High Rock/Hammerfell(?).

If you are going for a role-play scenario, my thinking would be: "Fellow Warrior". Of all the races in the game , the Nords are the ones that the aggressive Orcs would most likely respect.

If any one is the Nazi's it is the High Elves who are dragging Nords off for worshiping their god and killing them.

The Nords relate more to braveheart and how they were fighting for their freedom against an oppressive ruler.

Well the stormcloaks do not have the dress sense of the nazi's that for sure.

Or they could be people who don't want to be told by elves who they can worship and having their supposed leaders on the enemy's side.

Lets not forget the Elves are not only telling them who they can worship, but they kill them for worshiping Talos. Do you really think any Nord they lock up in those dungeons gets out alive? Yeah and my mother is a Khajiit.

Generally it would be absurd because the Empire has always treated orcs well. At least that is according to the personal blacksmith of the Jarl in Markath. Not too sure if he was the one who said it, but I remember an orc did say that.

It is entirely possible for you to have some backstory where you despise the Empire, anything is possible in an RPG. Or maybe orcs are indifferent to the civil war, and they just want to be able to make a living in Skyrim, regardless of who wins the civil war. Orcs aren't so different from other races.