You're pretty much supposed to hate the Thalmor, especially the ones in Skyrim as they're the worst of the lot and mostly concerned with hunting down those evil Talos worshippers and Blades remnants, while making sure nothing goes the empire's way (since they're supposed to have allowed Ulfric to rise to power in the first place). They're haughty and annoying, but then a lot of high elves are like that too, but the Thalmor are especially bad. Anyone that is rude to me in Skyrim is fair game for a throat slicing, and I've not exactly done much to avoid Thalmor casualties in any of my games.
Even so, the empire is incredibly ineffectual, and they seem to be merrily bowing to the Thalmor's every wish as while some will talk about sympathies for the nords it's not as if any of them are really doing anything about it, or secretly trying undermine the Thalmor or anything. While I kind of sympathise with their position a bit, they don't really do much to earn my loyalty, especially given the events at Helgen and the lack of even a proper apology.
On the other hand though they've made the Stormcloaks just as shady, as for all of his fancy words Ulfric is still happy to massacre and decide that Jarl Balgruuf is the enemy simply because he wants to remain neutral, which doesn't show much true consideration for the traditions of his people considering the holds are supposed to be able to run themselves and choose their High King, not have one chosen for them. Likewise with duelling Torvig, he used shouts instead of fighting on fairer footing (which he might have won anyway).
It does a good job of creating ambiguity that prevents any one side from being the obvious choice, but it would have been nice if there was more to like about either side once the campaign got underway, for example with more examples of the Stormcloaks being merciful (perhaps by player choice) and more friction with the Thalmor from the Imperials. Or even some way to find a true compromise rather than just a temporary peace.
As a result it's hard to like anyone involved in the civil war, so I just focus on mayhem or leave it to sort itself out later
Since the thread is heavily about the civil war, and that's what I've mostly talked about above anyone, one thing I really missed seeing was the option for Skyrim as a vassal state of the Empire, as it seems like the best of both, as they can still trade and fight alongside one another just as before, but Skyrim is free to make its own decisions on who they are allowed to worship. I'm hoping something like that is at least going to become the canon action, e.g - "After a bloody civil war Skyrim eventually became an independent nation, while managing to maintain strong ties to the Empire", rather than what I'm expecting to see which is Skyrim separating from the empire regardless of whether the empire won the civil war or not and leaving the empire weak and doomed. I mean it's nice to see a changing political landscape in the series, but I still like the empire, though it'll be fun to find out what happens to the reformed Blades based in Skyrim, since the empire has been forced to abandon them so while maybe not completely welcome the nords can't exactly begrudge their existence all that much either.
But ehm… yeah the lack of a true middle ground means the ambiguity of who's right and who isn't is a bit annoying. Also the lack of option support Skyrim's independence but not Ulfric and that kind of thing. The whole civil war is something that could be greatly expanded upon as it was a bit too simple as it is.
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