I understand that this may appear as a no-brainer to some, but it recently occurred to me how much I appreciate this.

This isn't exactly some major revelation or anything, but it is something that I feel could be greatly expanded upon in future TES titles:

As each Elder Scrolls entry (so far) takes place primarily in one province - there is undoubtedly an intentional focus on the culture of that province's native denizens. This is of course one of the things that makes each individual TES title so special and stand out amongst one another (obviously).

The ability to become so immersed in the culture of a specific race is fantastic, however - there is another edge to it.

Many people since Skyrim's launch have pointed out how the game definitely caters more to Nords - story-wise and culture-wise.

Of course some of this is very intentional, what with the issues surrounding racism and bigotry, but beyond that - some people pointed out that there is little in Skyrim to make your non-Nord character feel like anything other than someone who doesn't belong there (barring the magic of RPing of course).

Although I am not exactly one of the people who complained about this, I have come to recognize the point.

Now the point I am getting at, is that aside from obviously maintaining a heavier focus on the culture of the native race (of whatever province), there should also be a larger effort made to provide at least a certain degree of cultural representation for the other races - in whatever form.

This is something that I personally think Skyrim actually gets pretty close to in a few regards:

Primarily - the inclusion of the Orc Strongholds: for the first time since the Orc's introduction as a playable race in Morrowind, I can feel like my Orc has a cultural identity, despite being in a completely foreign province. Giving a step inside the culture of a race not native to Skyrim VASTLY increased my desire to play as an Orc. Rather than being a green dude that nobody liked, I was able to understand my character's place in the world far better.

and with the addition of 'Dragonborn' - playing as a Dunmer, one can again experience a better sense of cultural identity - albeit in a more condensed setting compared to the predominant Nordic culture. you can't help but walk through Raven Rock and ache to play as a Dunmer if only to achieve a closer connection to their unique culture (I can't help it anyways). I'm not saying that I expected Dunmer villages and the like IN SKYRIM, but a bit more cultural distinction.

Going back further, I think of Morrowind:

With the addition of 'Bloodmoon' - playing as a Nord, you were given access to a sense of identity beyond 'a strong, tall, hardy race of warriors' that doesn't belong in this foreign land.

This means choosing a race depending on more than just their starting stats or skill bonuses.

Now my point I'm getting at is not 'this is what DLC is for', but simply how the implementation of - even just small tastes - of the seperate racial cultures into each Province can be such a massive boon for atmosphere and role-playing.

In future TES games, I would like to see better cultural representation for each of the races, no matter what province.

And I in NO WAY mean that each province should have equal representation for each race - that is completely out of whack.

I'm talking more along the lines of the 'Orc Strongholds' in Skyrim.

The Khajiit caravans are also another smaller example of this, but I feel like even that could have been greatly expanded upon.

The fact is that in almost every single province of Tamriel, you will find inhabitants from every race - due to the effective distribution of the Empire.

It is natural that each race is going to be treated differently and have different levels of prominence in each province, but it is also unrealistic to assume that they would be completely lacking in cultural representation - especially considering Tamriel's LONG history and the continent-spanning involvement of each of its races.

Also understand that these provinces are supposed to be SO much larger than they are in-game, and if you look at each province from the lore-perspective (scale-wise), it doesn't seem that ridiculous to picture a purely dunmer settlement on the edge of the Velothi mountains inside Skyrim - especially due to the fact of their mass-migration following the Red Mountain eruption.

Or perhaps a small shanty-settlement somewhere in the Jerall Mountains where the shunned Khajiit that are not constantly wandering the roads selling wares could live. Maybe that's not a perfect example, but it gets my point across.

Anyways, I apologize for this incredibly long-winded post, but I just wanted to share my thoughts on this.

If anyone has any comments or observations, feel free to jump in!

It would be a nice thing to focus more on, I certainly would have liked if I was treated more like a Khajiit in a Nord land rather than a Nord in a big fur suit in a Nord land.

Maybe a bit too much over the top, but if the Khajiit Caravan weren't allowed in the cities, why can I (a Khajiit) just walk inside with no question at all?

Wouldn't the guards stop and question me, search me for Skooma & Moon sugar before actually letting me in? Where are the nasty comments you'd get like Rolff Stone-Fist gives to all the Dunmer in Windhelm?

Better acknowledgement of what race you choose would be nice. But other than that, small settlements of races would also be a nice addition (or come back), such as Border-watch in Oblivion

I'm not sure I understand what you're looking for.

Arena took place on the whole continent, and had all provinces represented.

Morrowind, in addition to the Nords in Bloodmoon, had several almost purely Imperial settlements (Ebonheart, Caldera, and Pelagiad.) There was a very heavy Orc population in Gnisis and Fort Darius.

In Oblivion, Bruma was such a Nord town that several non-Nord residents complained about it, and there was a small Khajiit town (Borderwatch.) Also, Cheydinhal was ruled by a Dunmer, and had a fairly high percentage of citizens of that race.