# The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim post-release thread **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 10, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540 "2011-11-10T22:09:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 80
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1581 "2012-02-15T23:32:45Z")
Has anyone come down on which side to support in the civil war? On the one hand, the Thalmor are real pricks and I don’t like their interference with another country’s religion (really, that was a treaty requirement? who DOES that?). On the other hand, Ulric is no prince, and he and quite a few of the Nords who support him seem to be very, very racist. On the other, other hand, I like all the Gray Manes I’ve met, but only a few of the Battle-born. Also, I think Balgruuf would make a good high king, although 2 of his 3 kids are real PITAs, and I kind of wish that were an option. I’m \*way \*overthinking this … ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1582 "2012-02-16T00:55:01Z")
Among the Jarls: Solitude, Imperial: okay Markarth, Imperial: meh, Stormcloak replacement: idiot Falkreath, Imperial: incompetent idiot. Stormcloak replacement: crazy but ok Whiterun, Imperialish: pretty cool, sons ARE twats. Morthal, Imperial: crazy but ok, Stormcloak replacement: seems fine Windhelm, Stormcloak: xenophobic jerk Winterhold, Stormcloak: xenophobic, antimage jerk Dawnstar, Stormcloak: crazy, paranoid. Imperial replacement: seems ok. Riften, Stormcloakish: pretty cool. Imperial replacement: bitchy crime boss So Empire is 3.5/5, Stormcloaks are 1/4 ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1583 "2012-02-16T00:57:10Z")
I recently took up with the StormCloaks but haven’t done anything else in that quest arc yet, aside from join them. I know I will probably whine and complain if I somehow manage to play myself into a corner or cut myself off from certain options by waiting too long to progress on any of the Greybeard/Blades/Civil War stuff, but I’m still having entirely too much fun knocking about with everything else. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1584 "2012-02-16T01:44:41Z")
From what I can tell, MQ spoilers and minor faction spoilers: After finishing the quest “Season Unending,” you are mostly committed to the main quest and your faction progress is stalled until you finish the MQ. After that you can go back to liberating/reuniting the land. The main way joining a faction can “ruin” your game is by making a particular dungeon more difficult if, say, the generic bandits get replaced by seasoned Imperial troopers. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1585 "2012-02-16T02:16:52Z")
Last night was by far the crowning achievement of my Skyrim career. I hit Lydia square in the face with a pie. It hit her so hard the jam came out! (Note: the jam was actually blood.) ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1586 "2012-02-16T03:44:42Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > It’s too late. I’ve done too many things since. It sucks that she had to get in my way during melee. I was so happy to finally kill the Falmer though. I tried a couple times solo and failed. She was a great tank-mule; she is missed. I hired a mercenary in Windhelm to replace her, but he couldn’t make it through the Dwemer ruins I’m in now. He was my third companion. Lydia was my second. I got an archer in Riverwood, but I accidentally hit him during melee and had to intentionally kill him after it was over because I hadn’t learned Calm yet. The merc from Windhelm was named Stenver. I replaced him with a mage in Riften. The mage died in Labyrinthian. I wanted Mjoll to replace the mage. I got her sword. She agreed to follow me. I then asked the Lioness to marry me. I hung out in the Temple of Mara, waiting for my wedding ceremony. The time came and Lydia’s and Stenver’s dead bodies were dumped on the temple floor. Now Mjoll never wants to see me again and everybody in the temple just tells me to go away. That was totally unexpected. I lost my follower and I can’t get married! ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1587 "2012-02-16T04:38:30Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > The merc from Windhelm was named Stenver. I replaced him with a mage in Riften. The mage died in Labyrinthian. I wanted Mjoll to replace the mage. I got her sword. She agreed to follow me. I then asked the Lioness to marry me. I hung out in the Temple of Mara, waiting for my wedding ceremony. The time came and Lydia’s and Stenver’s dead bodies were dumped on the temple floor. Now Mjoll never wants to see me again and everybody in the temple just tells me to go away. That was totally unexpected. I lost my follower and I can’t get married! Seriously? Wow. Who brought the bodies? Had they … decayed? On a side note, I found myself back at the Abandoned Hut after quite a bit of game time had gone by. The two people I didn’t kill are still there, apparently none the worse for having been on the knees without food or water for .. well a while, I didn’t keep track of when I got there the first time so I don’t know how much time had passed. Days, at the least. There ought to be a way to let them go. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1588 "2012-02-16T04:47:43Z")
Ah! It’s a bug, Invisible Chimp, and it’s since been fixed. [Quote=UESPWiki] [If a follower has been killed prior to this quest, they may drop through the ceiling of the Temple of Mara at the same time that your spouse and his or her family (if they have any) arrive. This causes you to automatically fail your marriage attendance. Luckily you can talk to your spouse again and usually the wedding goes through glitch free, though users wishing to avoid all this should not take followers on particularly risky adventures. PC Only This bug is fixed by version 1.2 of the Official Skyrim Patch.]([Skyrim:The Bonds of Matrimony - The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP)](http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:The_Bonds_of_Matrimony)) [/Quote] Maybe you can try Mjoll again? Or use the console command ```auto resetquest RelationshipMarriage ``` I think that lets you start the Bonds of Matrimony quest from the start (i.e., ask Mjoll, attend your wedding). ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1589 "2012-02-16T05:43:49Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Ah! It’s a bug, Invisible Chimp, and it’s since been fixed. > > Maybe you can try Mjoll again? Or use the console command > > ```auto > > resetquest RelationshipMarriage > > ``` > > I think that lets you start the Bonds of Matrimony quest from the start (i.e., ask Mjoll, attend your wedding). I’m playing on the Xbox360, so no console commands for me. I hope I can talk to Mjoll again and change her mind. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1590 "2012-02-16T06:36:09Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Seriously? Wow. Who brought the bodies? Had they … decayed? I’m disappointed that it’s just a bug. I was hoping this question had an answer and would lead to a quest. I had suspected the Dark Brotherhood. They’ve tried to kill me twice on the road and I haven’t joined them yet. Somebody literally dug up skeletons out my closet and ruined my wedding day! ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1591 "2012-02-16T07:17:26Z")
What a weird bug. “Death cannot keep me from the ceremony. I’m on the guest list, by golly, and I love me some cake!” I ran into a cool though minor easter egg while exploring Alftand (apparently I’ll be going back for a quest at some point) but there is this one batch of 10 ft tall glowing mushrooms tucked in a corner that reminded me of that classic Digital Blasphemy wallpaper with the glowing blue shrooms. I think there’s a dungeon or two that may be filled with them, but these were the first huge ones that I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1592 "2012-02-16T17:55:21Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > There ought to be a way to let them go. The sweet embrace of Sithis, the Void… ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1593 "2012-02-16T18:54:22Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > So Empire is 3.5/5, Stormcloaks are 1/4 Stormcloaks all the way. They’re flawed but the Empire is weak and the Thalmor are just outright bad guys. The people of Skyrim let a ton load of refugees pour in from Morrowwind and now have to stomach their religion being taken from them. I hmmmed and hawwwed but glad I went Stormcloak. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1594 "2012-02-16T19:19:59Z")
Can you join every faction over the course of a game? Here’s the thing … I suck at games like these. I’ve never been into D&D, so the whole potions, and poisons, and magic shields, enchanted war axe mages with a roumelade topping … is really beyond me. Not to mention that I have the attention span of a spastic gnat, so the story gets lost on me pretty quick. The reason I ask the question is that I was under the impression you had to make a choice. I’ve already been tasked (in the miscelaneous tab) to join one or the other. I was holding them off and generally just diddy-bopping around Skyrim when I found myself wandering around a castle and I decided to talk to this dude. Next thing I know I’ve been given my first test to see if I’m Empire material. I haven’t gone out on that quest. If I do, am I Empire through and through? Can I still rebel, without a cause? And please don’t look down on me because I have the battle difficulty set to Five-Year-Old-Girl level. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1595 "2012-02-16T22:45:42Z")
The civil war faction decision is final and you have to pick one or (I believe) you miss out on some of the main storyline dialogue if you don’t join one or the other by the time you complete it. You are free to become thane in all of the Jarl’d cities, and you are free to join all of the guilds (Companion fighters, Mage’s College wizards, Dark Brotherhood assasins, Thieves Guild). Aside from the achievements that apply to choosing the Empire or Stormcloaks, I believe there are a few other achievements that won’t be able to get all in a single playthrough if, you’re just trying to maximize what you can complete with a single character. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1596 "2012-02-17T00:30:35Z")
I was able to change Mjoll’s mind. The wedding went off without a hitch the second time, but after the ceremony, Mjoll knelt by Lydia’s dead body and said, “I’ll find out who did this.” ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1597 "2012-02-17T00:36:11Z")
> [@Lochdale](#): > > Stormcloaks all the way. They’re flawed but the Empire is weak and the Thalmor are just outright bad guys. The people of Skyrim let a ton load of refugees pour in from Morrowwind and now have to stomach their religion being taken from them. I hmmmed and hawwwed but glad I went Stormcloak. Hrmmm… on one hand, my character is Breton so I don’t care if the Nords lose their religion or have to fill their streets with refugees. On the other hand, the game opened with me about to be beheaded by Imperials who didn’t even bother looking into why I was there or why I wasn’t on their beheading list. I guess while I don’t care about the Nords, they haven’t casually tried to chop my head off either. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1598 "2012-02-17T00:47:12Z")
> [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](#): > > The civil war faction decision is final and you have to pick one or (I believe) you miss out on some of the main storyline dialogue if you don’t join one or the other by the time you complete it. I don’t believe the decision is finalized until you complete the first quest, though, so **Jack** should still have his options open. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1599 "2012-02-17T01:33:15Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I don’t believe the decision is finalized until you complete the first quest, though, so **Jack** should still have his options open. Yes that’s my understanding as well. If you haven’t killed the Ice Wraith and reported back (for Stormcloaks) or the same for whatever task the Imperials send you off to do, you can still change your mind. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540/1600 "2012-02-17T02:11:50Z")
[The Jagged Crown quest](http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:The_Jagged_Crown_%28Stormcloaks%29) seems to be the turning point. You can actually start the quest for one side and, by giving the crown to the leader of the other side, switch sides. Once you hand it over, you’re committed. Still no commitment on my part. I think I’m going to wander around a bit more. Considering skipping the remaining Dark Brotherhood quests, as I only joined for the Shout. I’m sneaky but not really assassin material, I think. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540.md?page=79) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim-post-release-thread/602540.md?page=81)