I know some people dislike the appearance of Cyrodil in Oblivion for two reasons. It isn't a jungle, and it feels generic and cliché. Now speaking for myself, I have never entirely understood what people mean when they call it cliché, but that isn't really the point of this post.

What I've wondered is, which is more important to people, having a place which isn't generic, or having jungle? Now I'm not saying both aren't possible but I'll explain what I mean.

Let me pose a hypothetical scenario. Suppose Oblivion had been released with a radically different Cyrodil? To be more specific, suppose Cyrodil was made entirely of Crystal? The ground has no soil or rocks, just solid crystal. There are no plants of any kind, just edible crystal formations. There are no animals, creatures, or monsters of the familiar kind, just moving living crystal formations. All buildings and cities are made of solid crystal.

This would certainly be more alien than Oblivion's Cyrodil. But it would also violate prior lore in a dramatic way.

Now I will pose two questions.

Those of you who disliked the appearance of Oblivion's Cyrodil, would you have preferred my Crystal Cyrodil over it if you had to take it just as I've stated it, no compromises?

Which is more important to you, prior lore, or alienness?