Just gonna go ahead and drop my obligitory "Set the next Fallout in the Four Corners area" post
I really, really llike the idea of tribals re-claiming old native american ruins.... Places like Mesa Verde would be easily foritified into protected communities, using the canyon/cliff walls to reamain essentially hidden from raiders and other undesirables. Some had creek beds running through could provide water, couple that with the possiblity of mutated buffalo being run off of cliffs, and you've got yourself a pretty good economy for those settlements that could be utilized as trading posts, or remain hidden oasises with unique cultures. Here is a link to a map of indian ruins within that reigion.. as you can see there are quite a few. http://www.amwest-travel.com/awt_canyonlands_co2.html.
The riegion is also filled with gold and silver mines and Durango even has a uranium mining and milling facility that could have a point of interest as a pre-war source for unrainium for bomb production- This area would obviously be a mecca for gouhls to make pilgrimage to.
There are alo TONS of those mega huge "souvenier" shops that dot the current indian reservations, particularly where they meet the highways.
Those places sell everything from fireworks and camping supplies to huntig knives, pistols and rifles... perfect for the post-apoc scavenger, or highwaymen encampment.
The thing about a desert environment that makes it an appealing setting for Fallout is that even without the great war decimating everything, its a harsh and unforgiving environment, as beautiful as it is. This gives a great in-game mood of desolation, potentially placing huge importance on rationing of essential items.
"Last gas for 100 miles"
Wildlife like coyotes, rattlesnakes, gila monsters, horned toads, antilions (how sweet would gaint mutated antlions be?), road runners (gaint mutated, possible caravan utilization?)..... i could go on and on.
I know some dont want desert because that environment has been done in fallout games. But even deserts are quite different from one another, and this reigion is dfinately proof of that.
ALSO: Fallout 4... Four Corners? come on now! the real question is how can it NOT be set in this location?!
Thank you for your time.
I like a couple of your ideas but I don't really want to revisit a desert setting.
It's just that not much physically changes in a desert, besides radioation, mutants, and the occasional destroyed building. Suburban and urban enviroments feel more post apocalyptic IMO.
Plus we have already had three games set in the west and one set in the midwest and one set in the east. I think they should return to the west in two or three games but not the next one. I'm hoping for either Fallout 4: Chicago, having a large map stretching from Chicago to Rockford to Moline to Springfield to Danville (that's probably too big but if it's possible I hope they do it0, with another map in Micigan, strechting from Pontiac to Warren to Ann Arbor to Monroe with Detroit and a small part of Canada in it. There could also be other small maps in St. Louis (Maybe a DLC).
(EDIT-) Or Fallout 4 being in New York with New York City, Long Island, the Long Island sound, and everything up to Newburgh in one map, with another map from Kingston, past Albany, to Troy, to Binghampton and all of the suburban and rural areas in between, with a possible DLC in Buffalo, Lake Erie, and part of Canada. I have high hopes for the furutre of Fallout.