So I decided to fire skyrim back up this past week and try the imperial side of things. Needless to say I was highly dissapointed that the quests are basically identical no matter which side you play ( the war quests). Every step is no different than what i did as a stormcloak.

The civil war isn't the main story point to the game though. It's simply one of many things going on in Skyrim.

Honestly the thieves guild and assassins guild quest lines are a lot more interesting. But that's the beauty of Skyrim, there's so many different choices of what to do.

While the actual quests may be very similar, the rest isn't.  The dialogue, the cinematic scenes the general and Ulfric put on.  I got a totally different feeling while doing them.  For the Stormcloaks I felt like I was liberating a people, giving it's a land back to it's true owners (just what I felt initially, I later learned this was not the case!).  When I chose Imperial, I was putting a spoiled child in his place, retunring order to the empire.  It's a role-playing game, play it like one :D

Yet another person who realizes that Skyrim is overrated.  IMO skyrim is a step back from Oblivion.

Originally posted by Worstluck

While the actual quests may be very similar, the rest isn't.  The dialogue, the cinematic scenes the general and Ulfric put on.  I got a totally different feeling while doing them.  For the Stormcloaks I felt like I was liberating a people, giving it's a land back to it's true owners (just what I felt initially, I later learned this was not the case!).  When I chose Imperial, I was putting a spoiled child in his place, retunring order to the empire.  It's a role-playing game, play it like one :D

I had every intention of doing so actually, I usually save getting deep into a character for my second play-through especially in a TES title. I usually feel as though I rushed the first time.

That's how I felt as a Stormcloak as well, it had that Braveheart or Gladiator/Spartacus vibe. But that's the thing that ruined it for me on the imperial side. I wanted to feel as though I was playing a different role, it didn't. To me an imperial would have a completely different objective, namely displaying imperial power and influence. The quests being exactly the same (activity wise) didn't display a distinct difference to me.

I've only done the imperial side so far, even though i've played four characters so i'll take your word for it. I haven't bothered supporting the Stormcloaks because they are not worthy of my support. The Stormcloaks simply show no redeaming value over the Empire. Also, my character was Dunmer and a tad spiteful of the treatment of his people.

The empire are no saints either (after all they were going to execute me), but i ended up supporting them on my Dunmer because the destruction of the Empire would have taken place if they had not signed the White-Gold concordat. Seemed a small sacrifice to end Talos worship openly knowing that on one hand people would worship Talos in secret anways, and on the other it would give the empire time to rebuild it's strength.

I found it impossible to support the Stormcloaks because they are xenophobes who show no compassion for and give no justice to those not of their race. Of course my view may be coloured by the fact i have not played a Nord character.

I haven't bothered with the civil war on my other three characters because they were Khajiit and one Breton. The Khajiit understandably don't care, and the breton was a greedy mage only interested in gaining control of the College of Winterhold.

So in conclusion my take on the whole civil war in Skyrim is that it isn't really worth getting involved in the first place. Bethesda could have done more perhaps in giving more variety in the quests, and also done a better job of playing to the sympathies of either side of the factions. To be honest, i didn't care for either side except on the one case where my Dunmer was tipped over into supporting the empire because the Stormcloaks are racist bastards.

Originally posted by Distopia

Originally posted by Worstluck

While the actual quests may be very similar, the rest isn't.  The dialogue, the cinematic scenes the general and Ulfric put on.  I got a totally different feeling while doing them.  For the Stormcloaks I felt like I was liberating a people, giving it's a land back to it's true owners (just what I felt initially, I later learned this was not the case!).  When I chose Imperial, I was putting a spoiled child in his place, retunring order to the empire.  It's a role-playing game, play it like one :D

I had every intention of doing so actually, I usually save getting deep into a character for my second play-through especially in a TES title. I usually feel as though I rushed the first time.

That's how I felt as a Stormcloak as well, it had that Braveheart or Gladiator/Spartacus vibe. But that's the thing that ruined it for me on the imperial side. I wanted to feel as though I was playing a different role, it didn't. To me an imperial would have a completely different goal, namely displaying imperial power and influence. The quests being exactly the same (activity wise) didn't display a distinct difference to me.

Hmm yeah now that I think about it more, you are right and it was a bit of letdown.  I get blinded by the game sometimes, forget about the bad stuff.  Now that I am thinking about it more, my last playthrough I didn't want to choose a side, but was forced to in order to purchase the Windhelm home which I thought was pretty lame.  They could have definitely made the quests a bit more unique.  Everything else was, the dialogue, the cinematics and what not, but they didn't bother to change a couple quests around.  Could this be something that is modded?  Extra and different civil war quests?

Originally posted by Ceridith

The civil war isn't the main story point to the game though. It's simply one of many things going on in Skyrim.

Honestly the thieves guild and assassins guild quest lines are a lot more interesting. But that's the beauty of Skyrim, there's so many different choices of what to do.

They are much more involved that is true, however I carry the opinion if you're going to add it, you should make it just as compelling as anything else you add. Otherwise it just becomes worthless bloat. Taking the same quest, and adding different dialogue, really detracts from those choices the next time through. As you've already done it.

Originally posted by Worstluck

Originally posted by Distopia

Originally posted by Worstluck

While the actual quests may be very similar, the rest isn't.  The dialogue, the cinematic scenes the general and Ulfric put on.  I got a totally different feeling while doing them.  For the Stormcloaks I felt like I was liberating a people, giving it's a land back to it's true owners (just what I felt initially, I later learned this was not the case!).  When I chose Imperial, I was putting a spoiled child in his place, retunring order to the empire.  It's a role-playing game, play it like one :D

I had every intention of doing so actually, I usually save getting deep into a character for my second play-through especially in a TES title. I usually feel as though I rushed the first time.

That's how I felt as a Stormcloak as well, it had that Braveheart or Gladiator/Spartacus vibe. But that's the thing that ruined it for me on the imperial side. I wanted to feel as though I was playing a different role, it didn't. To me an imperial would have a completely different goal, namely displaying imperial power and influence. The quests being exactly the same (activity wise) didn't display a distinct difference to me.

 

Hmm yeah now that I think about it more, you are right and it was a bit of letdown.  I get blinded by the game sometimes, forget about the bad stuff.  Now that I am thinking about it more, my last playthrough I didn't want to choose a side, but was forced to in order to purchase the Windhelm home which I thought was pretty lame.  They could have definitely made the quests a bit more unique.  Everything else was, the dialogue, the cinematics and what not, but they didn't bother to change a couple quests around.  Could this be something that is modded?  Extra and different civil war quests?

Heh can't wait for the ck, I have some plans of my own for some Imperial/stormcloak related mods. Don't read me wrong this doesn't make me feel any less invloved in the overall game, I still feel hard-pressed to find something current that is better.