So I realize my previous post was horrible. I wanted to create a thread where we can discuss the main quest - so here's my second shot at it!
What did you all think?
My thoughts (this is regarding the end, do not open the spoilers tag if you do not want to find out about stuff):
Spoiler:
It was way, way too short. The ending was ridiculously abruptive. I thought that once you had reached Sovngarde, you would've reached the middle. But there it was; Alduin dead, no epic speeches, no real...consolation. Hell, we have the dragons still flying around without leadership, the blades in ruins, there are still Thalmor around and so on. Of course I realize other guilds and stories might deal with that, I just did the main quest, but...I don't know, it was such a huge disappointment.
I used to make polls, but then I took an arrow in the knee.
The main quest was very lacking. As soon as I reached Sovngarde I was worried...was this already about to be the end? Heck, even on a higher difficulty Alduin was not much of a challenge. it was like fighting any other dragon mostly, well besides his little meteor shower. Then we get back to the Throat of the World, Panthurnaax gives his little speech and that's it...I thought it bugged. No cut scene? At least Oblivion gave us that, and Oblivion's ending was pretty lame as well.
I mean, you do the peace treaty with the Stormcloaks and the Imperial Army, and then Esbern tells you about Panthurnaax, and how if you don't tell him, he won't help you anymore. Well, I'm thinking "Awesome. So if I kill him, I'll kill the person that just helped me figure out a way to defeat Alduin by Time Traveling. If I don't kill him, the two people who helped me almost every other time, and helped me kill a few dragons, won't help me." I figured that this was like a split in the Main Quest. Kill Panthurnaax, have to find some other way to kill Alduin. Don't kill Panthurnaax, Esbern won't help you kill Alduin or something. I didn't kill Panthurnaax because I figured I'm a good Nord, and would rather [&@%!] of someone I like, than kill someone I like. Next thing I know, I trap a dragon, fly to wherever with the hard puzzle near the middle, then I'm in Sovngarde. I figured that this would be like when you went back in time with the Elder Scroll in a way. You go to Sovngarde, the three people help you figure out a way to kill Alduin, you return to Tamriel, do some stuff, then kill Alduin. Not, "Shout this mist away, then let us do most of the work, while he completely ignores you...Good Job you killed him!" And even when you do kill him in Sovngarde, they don't really celebrate, just a good job, and we'll celebrate when you're dead.
I stopped playing for the night after I finished the main quest, so I don't know what happens after it, like if people cheer you or just ignore the fact that you killed Alduin, so I can't comment on that, but I'll be annoyed if it's like "I know you, you killed Alduin! Now get out of my house, or I'm calling the gaurds!"
“People are stupid. They will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true.”
I enjoyed the main quest myself. I did think that there would be one more leg to it after the Sovngarde bit, but I thought the main battle itself was pretty epic if you got into it. However, there are definitely valid criticisms made. It just wasn't as big a deal to me, because I was "pumped". I'm not saying that excuses it being as short as it was, it just helped me.
However, I think the state the end was left in was perfect. I wouldn't want it to be any other way other than Chaos. I want to fix things on my own. If I want to roleplay and kill all dragons, that's what I'll do. If I want to recruit people and put them in Blades armor to rebuild the Blades, that's what I'll do. I like that freedom. I can understand wanting to be able to fix it yourself through an actual questline though.
Also, just a little caveat, the main quest has little to do with the Thalmor. I get wanting to fix it yourself, but it's not a problem for the game. It's a problem for the empire.
I loved the main quest. Maybe it's just because I'm comparing it to Oblivion's but I think it still took me about 10-12 hours. That's really not that short when there are also several other questlines of similar length.
So far I've done the main quest, Dark Brotherhood quest, and half of the Storm Cloak's quest.
Still spoilers, stop reading if you don't want stuff revealed!
Don't get me wrong, I loved the main quest, but it was a ridiculously abruptive ending, especially since the civil war didn't really matter in the end.
I used to make polls, but then I took an arrow in the knee.
The MQ was ever about the cival war it was about the dragons, the cival was never meant to matter just like any other guild dose not involve another guild
this way you can do what you want istead of HAVINg to do something you dont
I personally loved the ending. It didn't really feel that short to me, but maybe that's because the blackreach part took a while. I love the openess of the ending, still letting you kill dragons and help the blades. Sovrngarde did feel a little short, but never the less I loved it. The fight with Alduin was epic with those nord warriors, and I didn't mind the last speech made by Paarthurnax.
All in all I thought it was a very good storyline. The Imperial/Stormcloak faction questline is for the politics and civil war in Skyrim, not the main quest and I like it that way. It wouldn't even make sense if the civil war was a part of the main quest.
I myself liked the Main Quest. Though, I still can't decide what to do with Paarthurnax. I really like the guy, so I think I'ma stick with the Greybeards on this one, though. Anyone mind letting me in on the caveats of either side? Advantages or disadvantages?
