04/01/12 - The ending of the quest line is quite quick, if you choose to take it that way. But you can stop at almost any point and complete any other quest. However, because some things are unlocked by the main quest you get rewards for finishing main quests that are almost equal to what other quest conclusions give you. A housecarl for finishing a dragon, dragonbane, shouts and such are regularly given to the dragon born for completing quests in the main story. So spreading these things out is probably what many gamers choose to do, as compared to just running through the main quest in an afternoon.

03/30/12 - I can only imagine it might seem short if that was the only quest I was working on. I make a point of having characters work on more than one project at a time. That way you're not "racing" through the individual quest, and it's a more immersive way to play the game.

03/30/12 - I can’t speak for the developers at Bethesda, but I think Skyrim was made so that you didn’t need to stringently adhere to quests and worry about “completing” the game. Think of the Main Quest as but one in a series of adventures you can undertake, as and when you wish. It’s quite possible to go weeks without starting any quests at all (except the ones you begin accidentally, or as part of you escape from Helgen).