that choice is hard. The Imperials are often corrupt, and have the courage of a mouse. It is true that they aren't the Empire we served in oblivion, since the septim line was destroyed when martin sacrificed himself, but the Empire is still the empire. General Tullius is a good man and certainly isn't the bad guy, and Ulfric would agrre with this, but also adding that he certainly isn't the good guys either. Ulfric is a greedy whelp with a lust for the High Throne. In order to open the seat for the thorne he challenged the current high king to fair combat, he used the voice to weaken him, then it was his blade that killed him. Some would say he murdered the high king, while others would say he proved the Empire's weakness. He leads the Stormcloaks, to free Skyrim from the Empire. He uses the banning of Talos as his rallying cry to advance his claim to the throne. While his cause may be true, his heart most certainly is NOT! Equipment wise stormcloacks tend to use light armor and 2 handed weapons, because this is what Nords specialize in. The Empire focuses on Heavy armor and 1 handed with shield, the empire also supports the use of magic duel weilding, and really any type of weapon. Joining Stormcloack grants you soem typical stormcloak equipment and later on grants you the same Galmar has. Joining the Empire grants you Heavy armor ( more specifically legion armor) with the same crest that I use for my Icon and is symbolic on the Skyrim main case. If you join Empire you will eventually kill Ulfric and get to take his Unique clothing. If you join Stormclocks you will eventually kill Tullisu and get his Unique golden Imperial crested armor. In my experience going stormcloack does not affect entrance of solitude or any other city, vise versa with Empire and windhelm. A word of caution though!!! No matter which side you join certain Jarls WILL be dethroned, although none are killed, they are taken to a special area in the opposing capital and remain there even after the war is over. Personally y firs character was Empire, athen made 5 stormcloacks then made an Imperial Orc Warrior, and this is where I am now. A note. The Empire only signed the White-Gold condordat thus bannign Talos out of necessity, the Thalmor were about to take White-Gold tower and kill the Emperor and enslave all mankind! Skyrim needs the Empire and the Empire needs Skyrim, and although no matter which side you choose you never feel entirely evil, you also never feel like some white knight. The Empire are not the enemy, the evil and twisted Thalmor are the enemy! I soooooo hope Bethesda lets me raid summerset isle. then get an amulet for lwo if not NO shout cooldown, and a chance to become high king/queen, or at least become jarl of sumemrset once the Thalmor are destroyed.