why is it in every Elder Scrolls game I’ve played the Dark Brotherhood is always on its knees, about to be crushed into the dirt

There are various groups you may join and numerous experiences to have within this vast world: The Dark Brotherhood, the Companions, Thieves Guild, The Bard School, School of Winterhold to name a handful

Dark Brotherhood?

Dark Brotherhood*cough*. Overall, I am really impressed with the map 10/10, the graphics deserve a 9.5/10 and the quests need some bugs worked out, but are still entertaining 8.5/10.The Horse

You can opt to join the dark brotherhood and get assigned hits to take people out, join the thieves guild and rob people, join the mage college, etc.

There are also some pretty cool things they added as you progress from your factions - for instance with the stronghold for the dark brotherhood you can get a torture chamber upgrade.

The stories for the main quest and major side quests (The Companions, Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, College of Winterhold, and the Civil War) are terrific

Dark Brotherhood: You will mostly fast travel and the creative elements to kills have been removed (in Oblivion you were asked to kill a guy by dropping a moosehead hanging above him on his head -- not here)

I mean, much darker than the most heinous tasks for the Dark Brotherhood Quests were in "Oblivion"

But weak sisters don't join the Dark Brotherhood, do they?Most quests however are just go here, pick this up, bring it back.

It IS nice that the player has the option of turning against the Dark Brotherhood, however

The Dark-brotherhood has 3 contracts before the final

The only faction quests which I am not thrilled about is the bard questline only because it seems almost innocent compared to the other quests like Magehold, Companions, Dark Brotherhood, and Thieves Guild questlines

alway join the dark brotherhood

Dark Brotherhood: You will mostly fast travel and the creative elements to kills have been removed (in Oblivion you were asked to kill a guy by dropping a moosehead hanging above him on his head -- not here)

You can, if you wish, join the Dark Brotherhood or hunt them down or ignore them; the same with most other factions

The Dark Brotherhood

I have not gotten into the Civil War or the Dark Brotherhood - the first is a significant part of the Skyrim story line and the second is an "assassins guild" quest line