It really saddens me that so many in the community are not able to see the wonderful potential of Hammerfell as the setting for the next Elder Scrolls game, and part of it comes down to persistent myths about the province. Hammerfell could be an opportunity to take the best from the previous TES games, and go into new and unexplored territory as well.

First, to dispel some of the myths.

MYTHS

Myth #1: Hammerfell is mostly desert. This is not true. While the Alik'r dominates much of Hammerfell, it's like saying Skyrim is mostly the Plains of Whiterun because of how dominating a vast a geographical feature it is in Skyrim. Morrowind the game was mostly Ashlands in terms of geographic area, yet no one complained, nor did people claim it was boring. Furthermore, http://www.darkcreations.org/forums/uploads/gallery/album_63/gallery_830_63_1704958.png of the geographic regions of Hammerfell more or less.

Myth #2: We've already seen Hammerfell. This is partly true. We've seen Hammerfell, but only a fraction. http://www.techspot.com/fileshost/newspics3/2012/tes-tamriel-map-1.jpg. It's like saying we've "seen" High Rock, Morrowind, and even Black Marsh/Argonia. It's silly.

Myth #3: Deserts are not that interesting. I don't know about others here, but have people even SEEN deserts? They are grand, imposing, beautiful, and incredibly varied. It's not like they're all just sand dunes. I've linked a prior post of mine that illustrates this to an extent:

http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1449219-tes-vi-location-and-setting-official-speculation-thread-8/page__view__findpost__p__22459027

And here's some concept art from TESO about what the Alik'r alone can contain:

http://images.uesp.net/3/3b/ON-concept-08.jpg


Myth #4: TES VI should be somewhere more exotic. What, and a land populated by the descendants of an exotic and almost alien race of men that features a religion we've never really seen before, as well as a different culture divided between traditionalists and progressives, and in landscapes we've never truly seen with a modern Elder Scrolls engine isn't exotic? Come on.


VISUAL STYLE

To start with visual style, just look at what the fine people at Tamriel Rebuilt were able to come up with:

http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/?p=conceptart§ion=15274
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/?p=conceptart§ion=19705
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/?p=conceptart§ion=15649
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/?p=conceptart§ion=19707
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/?p=conceptart§ion=15292
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/?p=conceptart§ion=19708
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/?p=conceptart§ion=15268

And that doesn't even include what myself and others could use/want to use for inspiration.


OPPORTUNITIES

- Hammerfell would have a chance to create open yet interesting and immersive areas, as well as being to create beautiful vistas. Case in point:

http://postimg.org/image/6ij91kmct/
http://postimg.org/image/3vgo74vv9/
http://postimg.org/image/i1kh2t635/
http://postimg.org/image/te1w1sfzb/
http://postimg.org/image/ie579ty37/

- It could give us a chance to go somewhere exotic, as well as take the fight to the Thalmor. Second Great War fighting alongside the greatest warriors in all of Tamriel? That would be awesome.

- Hammerfell is divided between two groups more or less; the Crowns and the Forebears. The Crowns adhere to the Old Ways and are very traditional. The Forebears are more open to Imperial culture, customs, etc. and seem to be willing to modernize the most. This is a perfect opportunity to have two of everything, and for players to choose which one they prefer.

- Warriors Guilds and Knightly Orders for the Forebears; Order of Diagna and maybe even the Ansei for the Crowns in place of the Fighters Guild.

- While the Redguards are distrustful/wary of many kinds of "eastern"/Tamrielic magic, they have their own type of magic from Yokuda. Voila, now you have a traditionalist, unique, and creative Mages Guild of sorts for the Crowns. For the Forebears? Put an independent and small Mages Guild of sorts in Rihad, right on the border with Cyrodiil. The main guild quest could even involve growing the guild and making Redguards in general more open and receptive to magic.

- Thieves Guild for the Forebears, Dura-Ungai for the Crowns and have them wage a war of shadows for dominance? Come on, who wouldn't be down for that?

- Since there's likely to be no Dark Brotherhood, you can make up two local ones used by the Crowns and Forebears, or make up one for the Crowns, and have a lone DB assassin who contacts you/tries to kill you but you end up working together to re-establish the DB in Hammerfell.

- The opportunities for conflict between the Crowns and Forebears and the various Orders and factions respective to both could make for some serious content and excellent stories and gameplay.

- We know Hammerfell still has great and dangerous beasts that roam the harsh deserts and hot plains of Hammerfell. anologue to dragons perhaps? Having to fight giant beasts could be cool. Know what else could be cool? The Rourken Clan of Dwemer would've had to deal with the beasts at some point. Large Dwemer constructs that would put Centurions to shame. They could even have badass names like "Dwemer Leviathan", "Dwemer Colossus", "Dwemer Titan", or something along those lines.

- We know Hammerfell has great cities, and they predominantly lie around the coast. We'd have the opportunity to make larger cities, with sea transport between them, and even have rivalries between them like they do lore-wise. This also brings me to my next idea.

- Introduce sea combat. Become the greatest pirate ever, or defend your goods and the goods of your employer from pirates. Good options, and bad options. Great for the game.

- As for the Main Quest? You must unify Hammerfell to face the Aldmeri threat, and become an avatar of the Hoonding and drive the infidels from your land. Sounds badass and possible? Yes.



I also have folders of obscure stuff that could be used as visual and cultural influences for Hammerfell, further adding to its uniqueness. I have a feeling that the myths about Hammerfell will persist, and there will continue to be people who can't see beyond "black people and a desert", but Hammerfell can hold so much wonderful potential that could then "ease" us so to speak into a place like Elsweyr or Alinor.