I'd rather play elder scrolls IV and v. And on my giant tv on the Xbox
I'm loving Skyrim. So much to do and such little time.
I'm currently a thief, half member of the imperial guards and the same for a Stormcloaks (I'm holding out before I commit fully), assassin, werewolf, mage and a lot of other things I can't remember. Joining these groups has no affect on your character as far as the storyline goes, so you don't have to pick a personality and stick with it.
I did have to rough some people up once while working for a protection racket, and now I find that store owners ask me to leave - but not before I've traded.
They're probably scared.