Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-72.74.78.209-20141019230536/@comment-24902649-20141201000423

71.248.190.66 wrote: Anyways, let's compare the factions.

Stormcloaks 1) want they're independence from a totalitarian dictatorship that's about to crumble. 2) have a skilled, valiant, noble, tactical genius as a leader. 3) are fighting for they're freedom of religion. 4) are criticized for being "racist" towards a group of annoying mutant cat drug dealers, ugly lizard people and emo Daedra worshipping goth elves who refuse to assimilate into they're culture. 5) respect the traditional culture, laws and customs of the land

The empire 1) it's a puppet state of the TES equivalent of nazi Germany. 2) the empower is an ignoramus 3) they hate they're own founder 4) they try to execute the Dragonborn without a trial dispute him being completely innocent. 5) unless they somehow be build the Numidium, there is no way that they can ever possibly defeat the AD. 6) they clearly lied about the Markarth incident. OK, first off, lrn2they're/their/there. Seriously.

While I support the Stormcloaks in virtually all of my playthroughs, some of those things are kinda silly.

1. Why is the Empire about to crumble? I've seen no evidence of that. The Empire boasts some of the biggest, most populous cities in Skyrim. Hell, Ralof comments on how safe he felt growing up in one as a kid.

2. Ehh. Debatable. I usually just let him die in the Civil War so Free-Winter takes over, because he's just a better guy.

3. No, they're fighting to escape the rule of the Empire and Dominion. Most Nords don't actually seem to worship Talos/Ysmir/Septim. Observe Heimskr: he's clearly considered a bit weird by the population of Whiterun.

4. While those are more-or-less accurate, they're still kinda racist. Of course, the Empire is too.

And onto the Empire:

1. Yeah, pretty much.

2. Prove it.

3. Prove it.

4. You get captured for trying to cross the border into Skyrim illegally. You committed a crime. Now, I'd say that border-hopping isn't quite worthy of being shortened by a head at neck level, you're still guilty of it.

5. Debatable. And there is no more Numidium. Canonically, it got destroyed.

6. Well, the Stormcloaks did too. It's one of those situations where both sides completely blew it out of proportion, and used it as ammo for the propaganda cannons.

The Stormcloaks aren't all that much better than the Empire. That's why it's an interesting game.