Bethesda hasn't said anything about the future of the Elder Scrolls series, but one of the most common topics of speculation is where the next game should be set. Rather than trying to keep this in the official suggestion/discussion thread we've decided to give this an official home.

This discussion doesn't need to be tied entirely to geography, other setting details are also appropriate. However let's please keep this focused on the game world and leave other matters, like gameplay mechanics or NPCs, in the http://www.gamesas.com/topic/1540762-official-beyond-skyrim-tes-vi-66/

Skyrim offered some great fan service by revisiting Solstheim in the Dragonborn DLC. Is there any way similar kind of fan service could be offered in TES VI by revisiting some place familiar from Oblivion?

Given the location of Cyrodiil, it really wouldn't matter where the next game is set (excluding Alinor), since Cyrodiil neighbours pretty much each of the remaining provinces.

So which province would offer the best chance of revisiting Cyrodiil and why? How could this revisit be implemented in practice? (natural barrier, city walls etc.)

I just hope its a new location(s) and not a rehash. Or even do multiple areas by boat like in Skyrim with Solstheim. And I hope they have new Oblivion planes to explore.

I think the location of TES VI could in some way offer fan service and show us a facet of Cyrodilic culture we haven't seen before. Hammerfell or Valenwood could present us with a part of Colovia, be it an isolated valley in the Colovian Highlands containing Sacre Tor, to the island of Stirk, to the region of Colovia, isolated from the rest of Cyrodiil with said Colovian Highlands. Elsweyr or Argonia could present us with Nibenay, be it with Topal Isle, a region of Blackwood or the Nibenay Valley, or even the city of Nibennium itself.

I also think they might revisit parts of High Rock, should it be set in Hammerfell, or present us with parts of southern Morrowind, should it be set in Argonia. The more the merrier, as long as it makes sense. Regions need to be isolated by some manner of barrier, be it a raging river, a larger body of water or high mountains. Either Wayrest or Daggerfall could easily be isolated from the rest of High Rock by the Wrothgarian Mountains, as could Tear, Narsis or even the Clockwork City be accessible from northern Black Marsh.

Revisiting Cyrodiil and its culture(s) in border settlements, DLC expansions or minor spin-off titles should really be a thing. Oblivion did not do justice to the Colovian and Nibenese culture that co-exist in Cyrodiil, constituting the Imperial race.

What is there in Cyrodiil worth revisiting?

A potential redesign of the Imperial City could be an interesting revisit. City Isle is supposed to be divided into eight islands, at least according to the lore, with channels running between each district. Seeing Nibennium in all of its glory, along with perhaps the Nibenay Valley, could be interesting for a DLC expansion. There are also Mir Corrup, which I think could appear as a border settlement of Argonia. Seeing the Nibenese Imperials reclaim the lost city and establish it as a colony of some sort could be interesting. And of course there's Topal Isle.

We also have Sutch, which seems to have been moved across the Brena River into Hammerfell, most likely a border settlement that has historically been part of Cyrodiil/Colovia. Sancre Tor could appear as a Forgotten Vale-type region for Hammerfell, making use of the Colovian Highlands landscape and Nedic Ruins tileset. Then of course there is Stirk, Colovia's first line of naval defense. I think BGS could use these locations to better present Colovian and Nibenese culture. In Hammerfell, we have Elinhir, in Elsweyr, we have Rimmen.

I think if they're going to revisit a location from a previous location, cyrodill is not the way to go. They should include something from daggerfall or even red guard. It would be nice to see the mc explore a series of islands. Have a ship (ac4) and have him sail around completing a myriad of quests. That way, dlc could just add new islands and none would be the wiser.

I think Hammerfell, in terms of possible DLC, offers the most options. Stros M'kai and the Chain would likely be included in the base game. To the west we have the islands of Herne and Cespar, as well as Cybiades, which seems to have been moved further west by ESO, and the island of Betony, located south of Daggerfall. We also of course have Stirk to the east of Stros M'kai, and Thras to the far west of Stros M'kai. Those two could constitute a fine DLC, adding a strange, alien place in the form of the Coral Kingdoms, and the somewhat familiar Colovian settlement of Stirk.

I have a couple of ideas I'm thinking over regarding Hammerfell. One idea I quite like is the resolution to the Skyrim Civil War, or as it will likely be known as: "The Stormcloak Rebellion". Basically, every major victory only bred martyrdom and escalation, and the war dragged on for years, resulting in nothing but breaking the back of the Empire and rauaging the countryside, this, coupled with a few harsh winters, has caused widespread famine, forcing many Nords to seek a better life in High Rock's Western Reach, in the Nordic city in Jehanna, and in Hammerfell Dragonstar.

I'm probably going to write-up a setting concept for Hammerfell in the same manner as I did for Black Marsha a while back, to try and paint a better picture of what the province might look like circa 4E 201. Under the rule of the Second Empire, Hammerfell was a republic. That makes me wonder if there could be any city-state republics in Hammerfell. A large part of Hammerfell's political questlines could heavily involve trade and economics, mostly dealing with its secession, as well as old grudges resurfacing in times of peace. Would Sentinel even remain as the capital city?

OK, I see.

I agree with you completely. The way cyrodiil was architected in ES4/Oblivion would be utterly insufficient for a DLC that let's us revisit portions of the province. Adding depth to the western and southwestern areas in the manner you described would definetily make such a visit much more enjoyable.

If a significant percentage of the Nord population in Skyrim dies in the civil war and/or leaves to settle elsewhere, this will have extraordinary ramifications.

1. It opens the way for the Betrayed Falmer to emerge and begin reclaiming at least a portion of the province.

2. The Forsworn will have a chance to retake southwestern skyrim, and may become impossible to dislodge.

3. Eastern skyrim might see enough dunmer settle in the area that they become a sizable minority or even majority. This could lead to war.

4. Nords moving west will put pressure on eastern Ra Gada, Orsimer and Bretons. This will undoubtedly boil up into a fight.

5. The dragons might find this to be an interesting development.......

And any of those possibilities would certainly take president over the issue of "who won". I would also open up interesting new possibilities for High Rock and Hammerfell. The Falmer are already becoming a serious problem circa 4E 201, the Stormcloak Rebellion rauaging the countryside could certainly be the turning point for the Falmer. Something like "The Blackreach Rebellion" rauaging north-eastern Skyrim, forcing the Stormcloaks into defending the Old Holds. As for the Reachmen, I think the status of the Forsworn is up to interpretation, from the movement being annihilated during the war, or gaining the upper hand, but never capturing Markarth. I also think it would be interesting if Nords from western Skyrim were spreading rumors that "Jarl Elisif has been possessed by the Wolf Queen Potema" and rumors that darkness has returned to Solitude. As of the writing of the third PGE, there was a movement in Skyrim that believed Potema and her son were the only true heirs to the Ruby Throne. We never saw Potema's remains be sanctified. Could be an interesting rumor, and would put pressure on Solitude's historic rivals of Fahrun and Jehanna.

We also could see a resurgence of the Dragon Cult, perhaps even in places like Jehanna and Dragonstar. There is also the issue of the Blades. If there are Blades outside of Skyrim, I think they might be in Hammerfell, along with the Last Legionaries of Ska'vyn. Perhaps a clash between the Blades and some other faction, be it the Dragon Cult, or the Thalmor, could lead to the discovery and near-destruction of the blades, leading to a schism in leadership in the absence of the disappeared Last Dragonborn. I have this idea that as the Nordic Enclave of Dragonstar has grown in power, occasionally returning to hostilities with its western counterpart, a Cult of Shor has arisen in the eastern district, secretly coordinating acts of terrorism and raids against the western district. While both sides have managed to coexist for two centuries, the Cult of Shor, as well as some of the Crown nobility, seek to expunge the other side from the city. The Cult of Shor has even taken to making alliances with ambitious and vengeful Witchmen chieftains, seeking to expand their domain into the Bend'r-mahk and intending to pay the Redguards back for their slaughter of the Nedes.