Hey, all!

So, I decided to jump back into Skyrim after taking a few months off, (got busy, other games came out, felt my desire for the game was fulfilled, etc.), and so I'm going back through the campaign I was running with initially, and I have some questions in regards to the Civil War storyline portion.

1. Is the Civil War questline part of the main quest that I'll eventually see?

2. If not, then must I join either the Legion or the Stormcloaks to see the Civil War portion of the story?

It looks like I'm nearing the end, because:

If it is true that I am only a few quests away from the end, then I might as well finish up this playthrough and start a second, (if I'm close to the end of a game, I prefer to go ahead and finish it up and just start a new playthrough).

You can play the entire Main Quest without touching the Civil War storyline.

Hey, all!

So, I decided to jump back into Skyrim after taking a few months off, (got busy, other games came out, felt my desire for the game was fulfilled, etc.), and so I'm going back through the campaign I was running with initially, and I have some questions in regards to the Civil War storyline portion.

1. Is the Civil War questline part of the main quest that I'll eventually see?

2. If not, then must I join either the Legion or the Stormcloaks to see the Civil War portion of the story?

It looks like I'm nearing the end, because:

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

I've fought Alduin for the first time, and by looking at the quest list, it looks as if I'm a few missions away from the ending.

If it is true that I am only a few quests away from the end, then I might as well finish up this playthrough and start a second, (if I'm close to the end of a game, I prefer to go ahead and finish it up and just start a new playthrough).

@BraveToaster said:

You can play the entire Main Quest without touching the Civil War storyline.

That's not strictly true is it? If you don't deal with the Civil War outside of the main story, isn't there

@dekkadekkadekka said:

@BraveToaster said:

You can play the entire Main Quest without touching the Civil War storyline.

That's not strictly true is it? If you don't deal with the Civil War outside of the main story, isn't there

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

a peace summit you have to broker?

You still don't ever have to pick a side or anything, and can do the actual Civil War quest line after finishing the main quest line. I say this from experience.

@dekkadekkadekka said:

@BraveToaster said:

You can play the entire Main Quest without touching the Civil War storyline.

That's not strictly true is it? If you don't deal with the Civil War outside of the main story, isn't there

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

a peace summit you have to broker?

There is a peace summit, but you don't have to take sides. The Civil War is not part of the Main Quest.

@dekkadekkadekka said:

That's not strictly true is it? If you don't deal with the Civil War outside of the main story, isn't there

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

a peace summit you have to broker?

Oh? Can anybody confirm or deny this?

@The_Laughing_Man said:

You do know you are tossed back into the game after the main story is over right?

You do know that I don't care to continue a playthrough when I've already beaten the main story arc, right? Beside, there are other story and character variables I'd like to do differently this [second] time around.

@BraveToaster said:

You can play the entire Main Quest without touching the Civil War storyline.

That pretty much answers my question, as well.

There isn't some New Game+ after you beat the game. You quite literally beat the Main Quest and return to Skyrim as if nothing happened and can continue to do Side Quests and explore. Same with the Civil War story line. Nothing drastic really changes.

@Napalm said:

@dekkadekkadekka said:

That's not strictly true is it? If you don't deal with the Civil War outside of the main story, isn't there

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

a peace summit you have to broker?

Oh? Can anybody confirm or deny this?

@The_Laughing_Man said:

You do know you are tossed back into the game after the main story is over right?

You do know that I don't care to continue a playthrough when I've already beaten the main story arc, right? Beside, there are other story and character variables I'd like to do differently this [second] time around.

@BraveToaster said:

You can play the entire Main Quest without touching the Civil War storyline.

That pretty much answers my question, as well.

Well, technically, yeah. The Civil War is not part of the main questline stricly speaking, but it does intertwine with it as others have said. If you want to think in relative terms, all the guild stuff (Dark Brotherhood, Companions, etc.) influences in absolutetly nothing the main quest. It's not even mentioned in it, actually, as if it didn't exist. But the Civil War does touch it, at least in terms of sub-plot. You can, however, postpone the actual resolution of the Civil War (i.e. doing the quests) for after the main quest is complete.

And since you ask, both sides have basically the same quests: conquer the other party's bastions and cities. The only major divergence is at the end, of course.

There is a point in the main quest where having the civil war done is makes it easier.