User blog comment:Wolfishtail/The Ultimate Civil War Vote/@comment-6365350-20130605112437

My vote goes towards the Empire for 3 main reasons.

1. I didn't play TES IV: Oblivion and fight alongside the men and women of the Empire to turn my back on it 200 years later. I am as much a citizen of the Empire as General Tullius or Titus Mede, if not moreso as I helped save it during the Oblivion crisis. This may not be the Septim Empire anymore but its ideals and goals are the same: A united empire for all, with free religion and peaceful coexistance between the races. Its my Empire too damnit!

2. To stop the Thalmor. I respect the stormcloaks ideals, Talos is their greatest hero and they are fighting for the right to worship him, they are fighting for their independence from what, in their eyes, is a crumbling Empire. This is noble and certainly deserving respect.

However! Their cause is only weakening Skyrim, this war is causing grave loses on both sides and if they win it will only open up Skyrim to attack from the Dominion. With a strong stance against magic their troops will be hard-pressed defending skyrim from the magic-affluent Thalmor and with Ulfrics bigotism they are unlikely to recieve help from neighbouring provinces, especially since they are all a part of the Empire (Morrowind, High Rock, Cyrodiil).

3. I always feel guilty when I side with them. When I help the Empire win the civil war I don't feel proud but I feel like I did the right thing for the long run. However when I help the stormcloaks win I always feel that it was just that. A Stormcloak victory. Not Skyrims victory, not a Nord Victory, just a Stormcloak victory, get what I mean? I feel like I did the wrong thing.

Partly because Ulfric just doesn't seem like a true leader. Don't get me wrong, hes cool and a wonderful character but not a good person. His bigotry and racism really push me away from his side and although he can really rally the people of Skyrim around him he just seems like hes in it for himself. Plus he is in over his head. Read the Thalmor dossier and you'll see that they have more control over him then he would like to think. All hes doing is ripping Skyrim apart and creating an opening for the Thalmor. He is destroying the Empire, MY Empire. The Empire I fought for 200 years prior. Yes its not the Septim dynasty but its still the Empire.

And there you have it, those are my main reasons for siding with the Empire.