Is the fight between Stormcloaks and Imperials just a side quest or does it get involved in the main quest? What I want to know is if I can play the main story and some side quests and, 60/80 hours later, go and join the Stormcloaks or the Imperials or will that "story" move along even if I don't choose neither. Does the characters don't get involved in the main quest (because Ulfric kinda seems important)?

I'm asking this, because I don't really know who to choose and the little I read about this suggested

Imperials sound like douchebags (and they did try to kill me in the beginning). Stromcloaks sound like racists. I can't choose.

It doesn't matter if you do that quest or not, every quest is independent of each other, but if you do join one side then people will have lines of dialog in reference to your allegiance when they show up in the "main" quest.

I've played through the Civil War quest (I chose Stormcloaks) but I haven't completed the main quest yet. Although I'd say I'm over half way through the main quest and what I've seen hasn't seemed to be affected by anything I did in the civil war quest.

I went Imperial ultimately. The Empire needs unity to fight back those elves.

Stormcloaks are just terrorists that want power.

@Ezekeilpurger: Ok. Thanks. But, to put it simple, the Civil War is on halt throughout the game, until I start that quest line, right?

@Kanden: You finished the Civil War quest? Does that thing I said in the spoiler box happen?

@Doctorchimp: Money is all Imperialist care about. Ulfric at least studied with the Greybeards. He can't be that bad.

I went Imperial ultimately. The Empire needs unity to fight back those elves.

Stormcloaks are just terrorists that want power.

@WMoyer83 said:

@Doctorchimp said:

I went Imperial ultimately. The Empire needs unity to fight back those elves.

Stormcloaks are just terrorists that want power.

I disagree. The Imperials are just trying to become the ultimate power, and are no different than the elves. Long live Stormcloak!

You're wrong! Ulfric is a traitor and should be hung from the ramparts!

@Winternet said:

@Doctorchimp: Money is all Imperialist care about. Ulfric at least studied with the Greybeards. He can't be that bad.

Bit of a weird logic jump.

But okay, there's a war going on outside Skyrim, and the times I met Ulfric he came off as a colossal racist dick.

@Doctorchimp said:

@Winternet said:

@Doctorchimp: Money is all Imperialist care about. Ulfric at least studied with the Greybeards. He can't be that bad.

Bit of a weird logic jump.

But okay, there's a war going on outside Skyrim, and the times I met Ulfric he came off as a colossal racist dick.

I've just reached Windhelm and talked for the first time with Ulfric. At least he knew what the hell was going on and knew about the Greybeards and shouting and some history about Skyrim. But, I don't like all the racist talk.

By the way, this is my first Elder Scrolls games (well I played like 2 hours of Oblivion). Are the Elves the bad guys or what? For what I could tell, the Imperial are or were at war with them. But, they are all around Skyrim, so it's all good now? Or is it a different kind of elves?

@Winternet: I'm fairly new to Giantbomb (specifically the forums) so I don't know how to do spoiler blocks. So I'm not going to say if a town gets destroyed. Also about the elves from what I can tell sometime after the events of Oblivion the elves attacked the Empire and more or less destroyed them. They eventually worked out a peace treaty of sorts but it basically makes the empire have to follow all of the rules that the elves set, ie they banned worship of Talos one of the major gods in Tamriel.

@Winternet said:

@Doctorchimp said:

@Winternet said:

@Doctorchimp: Money is all Imperialist care about. Ulfric at least studied with the Greybeards. He can't be that bad.

Bit of a weird logic jump.

But okay, there's a war going on outside Skyrim, and the times I met Ulfric he came off as a colossal racist dick.

I've just reached Windhelm and talked for the first time with Ulfric. At least he knew what the hell was going on and knew about the Greybeards and shouting and some history about Skyrim. But, I don't like all the racist talk.

By the way, this is my first Elder Scrolls games (well I played like 2 hours of Oblivion). Are the Elves the bad guys or what? For what I could tell, the Imperial are or were at war with them. But, they are all around Skyrim, so it's all good now? Or is it a different kind of elves?

He also completely abused the tenants of the Greybeards by using the shouts for power and personal gain, instead of honoring the gods, as the greybeards instructed. He commited regicide with a shout just to create political instability and claim the throne. I agree with Doctorchimp's line of logic. The elves are trying to kill and enslave mankind, a cross-tamriel alliance is going to be the only chance of survival for men, and the imperials are the only group influential enough to do it.

I originally sided with the stormcloaks, but after talking to almost every character on each side, the whole picture became imminently clear. Skyrim is but a tiny part of this larger conflict and splitting it off from the empire will be a deathwish for all men involved.

@WMoyer83 said:

@Doctorchimp said:

I went Imperial ultimately. The Empire needs unity to fight back those elves.

Stormcloaks are just terrorists that want power.

I disagree. The Imperials are just trying to become the ultimate power, and are no different than the elves. Long live Stormcloak!

You're wrong! Ulfric is a traitor and should be hung from the ramparts!

@Kanden said:

@Winternet: I'm fairly new to Giantbomb (specifically the forums) so I don't know how to do spoiler blocks. So I'm not going to say if a town gets destroyed. Also about the elves from what I can tell sometime after the events of Oblivion the elves attacked the Empire and more or less destroyed them. They eventually worked out a peace treaty of sorts but it basically makes the empire have to follow all of the rules that the elves set, ie they banned worship of Talos one of the major gods in Tamriel.

You coulda just say yay or nay.

@Winternet: Alrighty then, sorta yay the town still functions the same as it did before but there are a few things broken.

@Kanden: Ok. So all the quests remain intact?

@Winternet: From what I've seen yes but I could be wrong. If it does affect the main quest I wouldn't know how because the only people you actually kill in the towns are the city guard and either Stormcloaks or Legionnaires.

I don't know which side to pick. I'm really bad at making decision like this! Why does Bethesda force me to make these decisions!

Like when I was coaxed into bringing a guy I liked to a cannibal feast. I feel shame just thinking about :{

Not enough shame that I didn't loot him though.

I was all set to play a chaotic good thief who would side with the stormcloaks and bring the empire down while being all sneaky and stuff. So I picked a Wood Elf, and got to Windhelm, and the Stormcloaks turn out to be a bunch of totally racist mofos who don't want my kind anywhere near their jobs... turned me sour on them pretty quickly. I like how they made it so that the Stormcloaks are not just unqualified good people... but if I play any non-human race I can't see myself siding with them.

Yes it's a sidequest, although I read something about a bug in the civil war questline that can possibly make both that questline, and the main quest incompletable. Could someone clarify this?

Both sides are racist wankers and I am a Dunmer so I do not know what to do.

@TheDudeOfGaming said:

@BlinkyTM: Just go with Stormcloaks, Imperials are complete dicks. I love going around Imperial camps, killing everything, even the wounded soldiers >:)

Even the wounded?! You're a bad person!

I was actually thinking of going with them, but I'm worried that I'll get attacked in all the towns I go to.

@XII_Sniper said:

@Winternet said:

@Doctorchimp said:

@Winternet said:

@Doctorchimp: Money is all Imperialist care about. Ulfric at least studied with the Greybeards. He can't be that bad.

Bit of a weird logic jump.

But okay, there's a war going on outside Skyrim, and the times I met Ulfric he came off as a colossal racist dick.

I've just reached Windhelm and talked for the first time with Ulfric. At least he knew what the hell was going on and knew about the Greybeards and shouting and some history about Skyrim. But, I don't like all the racist talk.

By the way, this is my first Elder Scrolls games (well I played like 2 hours of Oblivion). Are the Elves the bad guys or what? For what I could tell, the Imperial are or were at war with them. But, they are all around Skyrim, so it's all good now? Or is it a different kind of elves?

He also completely abused the tenants of the Greybeards by using the shouts for power and personal gain, instead of honoring the gods, as the greybeards instructed. He commited regicide with a shout just to create political instability and claim the throne. I agree with Doctorchimp's line of logic. The elves are trying to kill and enslave mankind, a cross-tamriel alliance is going to be the only chance of survival for men, and the imperials are the only group influential enough to do it.

I originally sided with the stormcloaks, but after talking to almost every character on each side, the whole picture became imminently clear. Skyrim is but a tiny part of this larger conflict and splitting it off from the empire will be a deathwish for all men involved.

These are my thoughts exactly. The Dominion are easily the most dangerous thing present. They are also total racists and the Empire is everyones best shot at freedom.

imperials sound like assholes, nords deserve their own land, plus they don't sound like up tight dicks that want more power they don't deserve.

I am an Imperial so I have decided to join the Stormcloaks. I expect fun and weird dialogues.

I was walking around Windhelm, I joined some dude to drink. We ended the conversation he calling me friend. I talk to him again and he is all "Fuck do you want!". An Imperial on the Stormcloaks side is going to be great.