Sometime in the near future, fantasy game fans will once again be able to enter Tamriel and save it from evil machinations. WhileSkyrimis still selling consistentlyand fans have been able to traverse Tamriel throughThe Elder Scrolls Online, the next fully fledged entry in the franchise is a ways off. Currently titledThe Elder Scrolls 6, the game promises to be a grand return to the single-player RPG series that has been dormant since 2011.
The last single-player RPG Bethesda released was 2015’sFallout 4. One of the biggest features thatFallout 4introduced was the brand-new settlements that allowed players to construct their own homes across the wasteland.Fallout 76expanded upon this by letting players build up a camp almost anywhere they wished.The Elder Scrolls 6will be taking players back to a fantasy landscape, and the settlement feature should follow players into Tamriel.
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Fallout’s Settlement Feature Explained
Fallout 4fans are familiar withPreston Garvey’s constant requestsfor the player to go assist different settlements across the map. In the base game there were a total of 30 different settlements the player could build up and populate with survivors. The various DLC packs forFallout 4added even more settlements, bringing the total number up to 37. Each of these settlements worked similarly, but had their own unique aesthetic that allowed players to run wild with their imagination.
The settlements inFallout 4required a bit of micromanagement from the player. Once they unlocked a settlement, they were able to construct various buildings, objects, and decorations inside its boundaries. They could then call settlers to the area with a radio beacon, and would have to provide them with enough water, food, and beds to maintain happiness. These settlements could be attacked by a multitude of adversaries, and the player would have to build up defenses to ensure it survived the wasteland.
The DLC forFallout 4added even more stuff for the player to construct.AutomatronandWasteland Workshoplet the player build robots, neon lights, battle arenas, and all sorts of various goodies to further expand their settlements.Far Harborintroduced a brand-new land with four settlements and a bunch of items.Contraptions Workshoplet players go all-out with building their own factories and wild contraptions to cause havoc.Vault-Tec Workshopgave players the ability to construct their own Vault, andNuka Worldlet them turn their settlements into raider havens.
Fallout 76brought theFalloutconcept into an online world and replaced settlements with C.A.M.P.s. These camps serve as player housing, and users are able to place them almost anywhere. The campsoperate much likeFallout 4settlements, except there will be no settlers coming to live there. They can also be relocated anywhere else in the world, unlikeFallout 4settlements that were required to stay in one spot.
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What an Elder Scrolls Settlement Feature Could Look Like
Right now, it seems theFalloutsettlement feature will stay in theFalloutfranchise. There isnot much information about the interworkings ofStarfield,and in that information there’s no hint that the settlement feature is making the cut. Regardless of what happens with that title, the feature should make its way to Tamriel inThe Elder Scrolls 6.
The idea behind the settlement feature is that players are helping to rebuild the world after all-out nuclear war. That idea fits perfectly withFallout,and it made the player feel like they actually had an effect on their surroundings.The Elder Scrollsfranchise, on the other hand, does not take place in a post-apocalyptic world. The story ofThe Elder Scrollstakes place in a medieval fantasy world, so theFalloutfeature would have to be altered heavily to fit into the narrative of Tamriel.
A new settlement feature could take inspiration from theSkyrimDLC calledHearthfire. This added the ability for players to purchase their own land and construct houses. They could then hire stewards, carriage drivers, and a personal bard to help around the house. The house was customizable with an assortment of different items, and the player could then move into it with their spouse and children. It could also be attacked by various adversaries whom players would have to fight them off.
TheHearthfireDLC felt likeBethesda’s first iteration of theFalloutsettlements, and it should be expanded forThe Elder Scrolls 6. Players should be able to purchase or claim land, but expand the mechanic to potentially the size of an entire town. They should have free rein to construct their own medieval town complete with a blacksmith, general store, inn, training yard, and everything else a growing town would need. NPCs should then be able to move into said town and turn it into a thriving settlement.
IfBethesda tookTheElder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’sHearthfireconcept and shaped it using knowledge from theFalloutsettlement feature, it could deliver a pretty in-depth town constructing feature. Letting them construct their own medieval fantasy town in Tamriel would keep a lot of players invested, and it would fulfill many peoples' dreams of being a lord in a castle. While little is known aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6, Bethesda should bring the settlement feature over for players to build to their hearts content.
