Story wise, what order should I do the quests in Skyrim?

Question

Okay, so hear me out. I played Skyrim before, but quit after getting about halfway through the story-quest once I encountered a game-breaking bug. Now, I'm considering going back and starting over. I want to do all of the interesting quests and quest lines, including the Dark Brotherhood and Thieves Guild, but I also want to role-play as a good character and ultimately join the Imperial Legion. This necessitates a redemption story. I was thinking that I would do the Thieves Guild first, then sink even deeper into villainy with the Dark Brotherhood. Then, after feeling guilty about killing the Emperor (since I'm going to be playing an Imperial whose father was killed in the Great War) I would start to take on quests that would benefit Skyrim. However, I want to know of any morally dubious quests with no real heroic alternative that I should get out of the way before my character decides to turn over a new leaf. Thanks.

Answer 1

I would do the Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild and most of the Daedric quests first. I think the only really "good" Daedric quest is Meridia's Beacon. And maybe Sanguine Rose (A Night to Remember) and Wabbajack are more silly than good or evil. Azura's Star is only good if you choose to work with Aranea Ienith to cleanse the star, rather than taking it to Nelacar to make it evil. Some of the Daedric quests have options to choose a good ending -- like sparing Brother Verulus and killing the Namira cannibals instead, or sparing Erandur during Waking Nightmare -- but you won't get the Daedric items.



If you have the Dawnguard DLC, it isn't possible to join both the Dawnguard and the Volkihar Vampires in the same playthrough -- you can only be one or the other, and you can't switch sides once you've chosen (though you can later cure yourself of vampirism, if you desire). So you might want to be a vampire and get that out of the way, or you might want to avoid the questline until you're ready for redemption, and then join the Dawnguard.



The Companions are a bit morally dubious, imo, because they become werewolves and people generally don't like werewolves. But it is possible to cure Kodlak, Vilkas, Farkas and yourself, for redemption at the end of the questline. My first character cured everyone, including herself, and then killed Aela because Aela refused to be cured of the beast blood.



There are some malicious side quests, like Lights Out in Solitude, but they're not that important. You can either do them early on, or just ignore them later when you are "redeemed."



I would save the Dragonborn DLC for when you're redeemed, maybe, since you'd be driving Miraak out of Solstheim for the benefit of all. And I would put off the main questline for awhile. Just don't take the dragonstone to Farengar, then whenever you're ready to "find your destiny" as the hero who saves the world from Alduin, go ahead and do it.



I don't think the College of Winterhold or the Bard's College questlines are particularly good or evil, they're just about knowledge, which can be used either way. Though, in Winterhold you have to basically save the world from the power of the orb and the tyranny of the Thalmor trying to use it, so that one might fall into the "good" category.



Anything where you have to help people -- restoring the White Phial, Book of Love, fetching a sword or book for someone, etc -- might want to wait until you become a good person.



See a list of all quests here: http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Quests_%28Skyrim%29

Answer 2

Skyrim Quest Order

Answer 3

As for those morally dubious quests, the first one that comes to mind is the lighthouse one (Lights Out). The Argonian hanging around in Solitude will give you that one.



The Mace of Molag Bol quest (don't remember that one's name) requires you to kill some dudes. There's a guy hanging around an abandoned house somewhere nearish to the entrance in Markarth who will initiate it.



I guess there's also that one with the fugitive Redguard woman (In My Time of Need or something), although it's only morally dubious depending on who you believe.



And it's pretty unimportant, but there's a little miscellaneous quest in Riverwood to "frame" one of two competing guys with fake letters to Camila.



I know there was SOME random tower thing or another where you can help a hagraven reclaim her territory from another one, but I don't remember the specific one. Somewhere in the west part of Skyrim I think. There were definitely Forsworn.



There's probably more but those are the ones that I can think of off the top of my head. If you talk to people and explore a bit, you can probably find a few more.

Answer 4

Thieve's guild and Dark Brotherhood are morally wrong factions.



You may also consider getting College of Winterhold out of the way if you are doing all of them. Being power hungry and whatnot.



Joining the Dawnguard? Perfect for redemption. Joining vampires? Get that out of the way alongside with the Thieve's guild and dark brotherhood.



Typically, I do quests from weakest to strongest. For example, the Imperial Legion is a great way to hone your skills before joining the companions. An expert thief can more easily lean towards assassin.



While doing the faction quests, I tend to wait until I am very powerful to do the main quest. I usually stop before going to Bleakfall Barrow or before going to see the Greybeards, then do the faction quests, then go back to conquer the main one.

Answer 5

erherm... well, just stop, play the main questline until you get the horn, then stop there, do the theives guild next, then get the Dragonborn DLC go to Solsteim and talk to glover mallory, do the quest for him to retrieve some armour plans, go into his basement (mind the nord on the floor ;) ) get the blackguard armour, its so good. then you can go and kill a whole bunch of creeps with the Dark Brotherhood, then go and get the Dawnguard DLC and do that questline. when you have finished all that then you can finish the main questline

Answer 6

There is only one way to do it completely.

Keeping in mind that each game will have variables, making some decisions will require another choice being impossible.

Talk to EVERY NPC you meet, some will require conversations more than once as some aspects of the game are level or item triggered.

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Quests