Empire or Stormcloaks?

At what point did the Stormcloaks kill children...? oö

"make it quick lizard n****".

Must have really burned when you found the Thalmor Dossier on Ulfric Stormcloak at the Thalmor Embassy during the party.

Spoilers (in case you didn't and want to look for it next time)

Finding out that both sides of the civil war were being manipulated by the Thalmor to keep the Imperial army weak (the army that would include Skyrim's warriors if there weren't a war on.) Ulfric wasn't a Thalmor agent, nor was he working for them. But the fact that they had him listed as an asset and someone who was at least in contact with them prior to his campaign in Markath doesn't speak well for him or his agenda.

Finding the Dossier didn't really phase me as much because in my first serious play I was basically neutral. Didn't bother with the civil war, even negotiated a peace (in the main quest) and after completing the game and both sides went back to war I was disgusted enough with both sides to not care. Like you I don't like the Empire enforcing the concordat and making Skyrim renounce Talos. But seeing the shape that Windhelm is in, and the opression it's people (especially it's non-nord population) suffer under... I have a hard time siding with the Stormcloaks too. In the end I just quickplayed through both sides of the war with a character I had already retired... and found out I wasn't really missing out on much by ignoring the civil war entirely. I have 5 complete playthrough characters now, and only 1 has finished the civil war.

"Who built this f#(%!^g police station." -- Leon Kennedy

I actually really envy you. You are just getting to the pretty good stuff. In my various plays, level 21 - 25 represent getting past the last time where you may be underpowered going into a fight. It's not that there isn't danger going forward. But it's more about getting overwhelmed, or caught in an unfortunate position or situation, not because you are taking on an opponent more powerful than you. That's the part of the game where the power fantasy begins to really pay off.

My first character I spent low levels around Whiterun, started off toward Ivarstead (following the summons) but wound up in Markath (after a drinking contest) and wound up tcb in that area for several more levels. I was at 22 or so hitting Solitude on the way back toward Whiterun. Walking through the gates of Solitude for the first time knowing that you may be the most dangerous person in the realm... heckuva feeling.

"Who built this f#(%!^g police station." -- Leon Kennedy

After 500+ hours in the game, I went back to it recently and did the Civil War the first time.

I sided with the Empire, because that's who I wound up following at the beginning of the game, though I don't agree with their ban of Talos worship (but it is mentioned that they turned a blind eye to covert worship - Ulfric made things harder on folks by stirring up a stink.) Also, as my cat is from Elsweyr, he's probably familiar with the Empire.

As for Ulfric, I can't blame him for his stated views. As a Khajiit, I'm used to EVERYONE calling me names. And as for those Dark Elves complaining about how they were treated in Winterhold? Screw them! They've always been quick to demand that they have the right to enslave the "beast races", and they want to turn around and complain that the Nords didn't give them mansions to live in? When my current character slides down the moral scale far enough to join the Dark Brotherhood (another thing I've never done yet - I mostly just screw around in this game, because it's fun). I'm going to make SUCH sport of those b@stards .... Nords might not let the caravan cats into their cities, but at least they don't slap 'em in chains.

Neither side is a very good option, unless you're playing a Nord or an Imperial, I guess.

But as I have the bard mod, at least my cat can perform "Rogues in a Nation" at the taverns.

For people who literally worship the man, the Stormcloaks are pretty keen to tear down his legacy.

I have played through the game twice and went Empire on the first and Stormcloak on the second. I have things that I don't like about both, but I immediately regretted siding with the Stormcloaks and kind of just fell out of that storyline. I played on the Empires story line all the way up until I was a Legate in their Army. I don't agree with outlawing Talos, but the Stormcloaks were extremely horrible to anyone non Nord. I was even playing as a Nord with no ill will directed at me, but it just rubbed me wrong the way that anyone else was a second class citizen to them. Plus Ulfric just annoyed me throughout the entire story line.