Rebels or the Imperials which is best in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

[Kanive]

I am unsure whether to join the rebels or the imperials, i always like playing the good guys first so who should I side with to start? If there are no good guys and both are grey then what is the goal they both want and how do they go about achieving this goal? Will both give equal amount of questing time to side with both? I know most people haven’t played yet but I didn't like in fallout: NV that the NCR missions were more numerous than the Legion's quests.

[mbangali]

Hardly anyone knows at this point but my suggestion is to just play the game and see which one takes your fancy. Since my first character will be neutral at first there is a chance I may take a side eventually after playing the game. I don't think we know what their motives are as of yet. I would imagine they would make their factions morally grey.

[LotusN]

The player may have the opportunity to join the Stormcloaks if he / she is quite expert in a certain magic ability and is seen by one of its members with a spell of this skill. At that time, the player is asked if they would like to join the group. By accepting this offer, the player will be guided to a meeting which will start in the group. Seeing as I am playing a melee fighter that will only use restoration magic I think I'll side with the Imperials. If it's anything like the past Elder Scrolls games - you can't be a perfectly good guy unless you don't do anything at all. Skipping all the guilds and even the main quest is about the only way to be a Paladin type.

[AlisaDsa]

The Imperials are a shadow of a once great empire that is crumbling and is struggling to remain in power. They would like to keep Skyrim a part of the Empire because it provides much needed resources. The Stormcloaks however are a group of natives that wish to secede from the Empire. They believe that the Empire is punishing them for its own mistakes by burdening them with helping pay for efforts to keep the Empire relevant. I guess if you want to pick a side, it might fall more on your character's political thoughts. Should the people govern themselves independently, or should they remain a part of a larger group that provides extra security at the cost of some freedoms.

[Mollyi7]

I agree with what others have said play for a while a determine who you want to support. In Morrowind I thought the Morag Tong weren't so bad and sided with them. In Oblivion I slaughtered the leader of the Dark Brotherhood when he startled me during my slumber. I played a Boondocks Saints/Punisher character in Oblivion never actually siding with anyone. To answer your question they're who you say they are.

[Orochimaru]

Not necessarily. You could decide to be a bad person as an individual. Associating with a certain side doesn't make you a bad person any more than deciding whether to be a Christian or a Buddhist or an Atheist.

[VazV]

I'm pretty sure that's erroneous, seeing as that's the entry requirement for the college of Winterhold. I doubt there'll be such a requirement for a faction mostly made up of guards and other warriors, who, if the previous game are any indication, won't be using magic at all.

[Jung]

You may ask "In this harsh world of Skyrim, who can truly be called good?". I may not have played the game yet, but I already know. They are the farmers, the miners, the smiths, the lumber mills, and the merchants. They are the working class, and every day they sacrifice their time and energy to help produce the goods you need to survive the harsh world, such as food, armor, weapons, and potions; all in exchange for some gold so that they may feed their families and continue working to produce. So when destiny calls, ask yourself "Will my decisions affect the people for the better?" because remember, without them, you wouldn't be half the hero you could be.

[Nimos]

I originally thought that I would join the Stormcloaks, having loved Star Wars, anything with the word Empire in it really makes me think of evil. But when I reached Winterheld it turns out most of them are racist bastards, so I have completely had to rethink what I want to do. I have never been a huge Bethesda fan but its minor details like this that they put in and make you believe in their world, and react to it in the way your character may, pushing us outside metagaming (i.e. joining a faction because it will benefit your stats later on somehow), that really makes this one of my favorite games.

[Enos]

Neither side is better than the other. Both have their strong points, and their weak points. For example the Stormcloaks want the Nords to be out of the thumb of the Empire and what they see as the Empire's Thalmor overlords. Yet if you talk to enough people, even those who don't take a side in the war, you'll learn that Ulfric is a selfish bastard who has always coveted the throne and that a good portion of the Stormcloaks are racist bastards who refuse to have anything to do with those who aren't Nords.