Next map reset, I have an idea.
When you make a character, you could chose roughly where to spawn with wilderness spawns. North South, or "I'm new here." Clicking the latter would bring you to the Ring of Brodgar, where you would learn the basics somehow. The ROB would be neutral, like it is now.The North and South both have pros and cons, but are an equal challenge.
The North
A new addition would be the heat scale. Cold on the left, hot on the right. You aim to stay in the middle. Being to hot or cold drains SHP and stamina. In the North, things get cold. At night, it is wise to throw up a fire and camp out, as it gets far colder at night. Perhaps the landscape could look different as well, snowy and thick forests. Animals won't come out during night, except for wolves, bears, and the like. No foxes or boars in the North.
The South
In the South, it is wise to travel at night, when it is colder. The heat is terrible, and animals don't come out in the day, except for a new addition, snakes. They should be able to poison, taking HHP. There are no bears in the South, just foxes, snakes, and boars. No bears would be a major drawback, so crocodiles could be added in, equally as deadly and useful. The South would barren, rocky, and have small shrubs that work like trees, but can't be chopped. Instead for building, one would use adobe.
To help settlements, being on a claim or village claim would keep your heat towards neutral, it would still fluctuate, but not enough to do SHP damage. The North and South are to encourage trade, and to give H&H a variety. I'll add to this when I have a good idea, this is not done.