A detailed idea for the next Elder Scrolls that came to me as I pondered the following:
1. Summerset Isle and Valenwood are now reunited under the new Aldmeri Dominion.
2. The next TES will likely be on the next generation of consoles and PC tech of 5 years from now.
With that in mind, I present my vision for:
The Elder Scrolls VI: Dominion
Setting: Both Summerset Isle and Valenwood, about 1.5 to 2 times the size of Oblivion/Skyrim gameworlds
Plot: Chronologically set during or shortly after the events of TES V: Skyrim, the new Aldmeri Dominion is also suffering from political instability.
The new legitimate King of Alinor favors peace and alliance with the Empire and Elsweyr, and is not only allowing but encouraging men and beasts to immigrate to the Summerset Isles. His Altmer-supremacist younger brother finds favor in many corners from those who oppose the king’s racial policies, and he seeks to undermine and overthrow him. Seeking Elven allies in the elusive Maormer, he encourages them to send pirates to the coasts of Summerset.
Meanwhile, in Valenwood, the instability of Summerset allows a small but determined group of Bosmer tribes seeking independence to wage a guerilla war against Thalmor loyalists.
The hero, a prisoner in Alinor’s dungeon, is pardoned by the king and sent to investigate the usurper and his plots against the king; whether he repays the king or joins the usurper is unknown…
But all the while, a more sinister and secret plot by the Daedric Prince ??????? seeks to destroy the Aldmeri Dominion entirely; the hero must foil ?????’s plans before all of Summerset and Valenwood is destroyed….
[The Daedric plot would be the main quest; with 2 “sub-main quests”, one in Summerset (siding with king or usurper) and one in Valenwood (siding with Thalmor or rebels; for plot purposes either king can forgive you for siding with Bosmer rebels in exchange for helping them keep/win the throne), the 2 sub-main quests would have to be finished one way or another in order to foil the plot and complete the main quest.]
Key New Features:
*A Main Quest with two independent sub-main quests allowing for 4 possible outcomes
*Ships – not just for show anymore! In addition to - or in lieu of - houses, you can buy, build or sell a ship (own 1 at a time), hire a crew, and “sail” (fast travel-like) from port to port, carrying cargo: personal items and/or goods to buy and sell at port for profit.
Random encounters with Maormer pirates or other pirates and ships at sea. Hostile encounters include the pirates boarding your ship and fighting them off with your crew, and then looting their ship if desired (I envision this as interrupting your “fast travel” with the two ships, static, in an isolated cell out at sea, you can continue the fast travel after the fight)
*An expansion set in Pyandonea to destroy a Maormer invasion fleet being built (even if siding with the usurper after the king is overthrown the Maormer intend to backstab him and invade)
*Return of water-breathing ability for Argonians! Lol