User blog comment:IGotsAName/Empire vs Stormcloaks... Gray & Grey Morality? Really?/@comment-212.70.212.38-20120408091454

I think it is at least stupid on the Empire's behalf to side with the Thalmor against the Stormcloak rebellion so that the liberation of Skyrim does not occur, thereby not allowing the Empire to become a pushover for the Thalmor. They could have formed a racial (not racist) alliance with the Nords and try to come to a consensus to unite skyrim and Cyrodiil, but not in such a manner as for the Thalmor to benefit. I don't mean to get racist here, but the snob, Hitler-like Arian-race notion of (mainly Altmer) Thalmor members is only to hate, not to support.

In any case, i totally justify many players for joining the Stormcloaks just because the Imperials were about to chop their head off, fresh from the start. A plain approach to the whole matter, yet one that relies heavily on survival instincts, is that you shouldn't side with the people only eager to send you to your death, but with th ones giving you potential freedom (even if there is a backstory justifying the exact opposite). Players oblivious to this backstory simply did that, and there is nothing wrong with it.

After all, a game like Skyrim, open-ended and based on the player's decisions, should always give one the freedom to choose their faction, just like they would vote for a party in an election.