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Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 27 2020, 07:00 PM

I thought we already had a thread for this but I couldn’t find it. Anyway, some supposed screens have “leaked”, which is funny given the timing right after the big Microsoft deal.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PmeKGon_Z5M&t=633s

The guys are kinda annoying but the info they present is interesting.

Posted by: Renee Sep 27 2020, 08:11 PM

Microsoft is buying Bethesda???

Posted by: Acadian Sep 27 2020, 09:31 PM

Yes. Announced about a week or so ago.

Posted by: Renee Sep 27 2020, 09:41 PM

Maybe I should avoid going in the new forums for awhile. I have a feeling they're really messy right now. Then again, the Xbox has garnered some respect over its past generation, especially since MS allows modding now. Still though. I can already hear the furor!

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 27 2020, 09:45 PM

I was not surprised. I have genuinely been expecting Bethesda to go out of business because of how they have been trying to do too many things at once (which almost drove them out of business once before - but Morrowind saved them at that time). Not to mention doing those things badly (looking at you Fallout 76). I expect selling out to Microsoft was the only way for them to stay around in any shape or form.

Apparently they are buying Obsidian too.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 27 2020, 10:00 PM

Yeah they bought obsidian last year.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 27 2020, 10:06 PM

My understanding is that Microsoft is going to use the Bethesda games to make buying a new X-Box more attractive. Plus they will probably put it on their Game Pass, which is a subscription service for games. You pay a monthly fee, and you can play any game on the service. So it is Netflix for games. It sounds like a great way to try out games before you buy them. Especially if you play a lot of different games.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 27 2020, 10:13 PM

Oh yeah, that’s what most people are thinking it’s all about, considering the timing of this right before the preorders for the new consoles went live. Also Game Pass sounds kinda cool, though I wonder if I would get my money’s worth out of it. Maybe just do it a couple of months at a time?

Posted by: Renee Sep 28 2020, 01:39 PM

That really floors me. So all the mistrials and mistakes with 76 is biting Beth in the butt now. And they could be out of business because of this. I do know that before Morrowind, they were in danger of going out of business because they decided to try making Redguard and some other game (more action-y / less freeform type of games) but I had no idea they were about to tank.

I need to finish watching that video. The name of this thread is Starfield and I didn't even make it that far into the video. And I'm curious about Starfield. I am, I am.

First though, I need a drink. I'll be in the next room if anyone needs me.

Posted by: Kane Sep 28 2020, 02:30 PM

At this point I think that 76 and the CC were more likely forced on BGS by Zenimax, in a effort to make the company look more appealing on the market. They probably were trying to inflate their value with intent to sell it off.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 28 2020, 03:03 PM

It’s ok, the Microsoft deal is worth discussing! That said, I don’t think you quite understand the Microsoft buyout. You don’t pay 7.5 Billion dollars to “tank” a company. Beth will still be in business they will simply have to answer to Microsoft. For their part, Microsoft have indicated that they might be pretty “hands off” with Beth as well, which will allow them to just “do their thing”. We’ll find out how true that is. The biggest take away I got from it is that Microsoft wanted Bethesda games exclusive to XBox, so that will make buying the new Xbox more appealing than the new Sony PlayStation. In other words, don’t feel bad for Bethesda, they most likely will benefit tremendously from this.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Sep 28 2020, 03:37 PM

I really don't know where we all are getting this idea that Bethesda is doing poorly financially, getting stagnant, etc. Not trying to get on anyone's case here, but I see this getting propagated all the time when I don't know where people are getting these ideas from. Let's not mistake any of our personal opinions about the games to be representative of what the overall gaming population thinks--or that gaming forums in general are representative of gamers for that matter. Gaming forums also tend to just make stuff up or believe some unverified or flat-out false info because they want to believe it. Well, that last part goes for the Internet as a whole.

Getting bought out doesn't necessarily mean you are doing poorly financially. Sometimes they get bought out specifically because they rake in profit. That's exactly what's happening here. This isn't pre-Morrowind Bethesda, where there actually was the danger of going out of business and their games were selling poorly (which is ironic, given that the MW fanboys claim Oblivion and Skyrim were the ones that "sold out" to appeal to a wider audience). Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Skyrim: Special Edition all made obscene amounts of cash for Bethesda and made them a real household name for gaming. And for all the [censored] that Fallout 76 gets--some deserved, some undeserved--I'm willing to bet that it's been a reasonable success so far. Not like it's series predecessor or Skyrim by any means, but it's gaming forums that are jumping to the conclusion that 76 has been a flop. That's because most of them don't like or even hate the game.

And that's all well and good, even though I like the game but think it has a serious lack of polish (which is why I recommend it only a big sale), but gaming forums really need to stop propagating things because they want to believe in them, or believe their opinions are facts. For example, how is Bethesda becoming stagnant? Fallout 76 was released in 2018 and is still getting content. Even though it is much more so Zenimax, Bethesda has still had a level of involvement in ESO. Fallout 4 was in 2015. Skyrim was in 2011. That's a pretty normal rate of output for them, maybe a little bit slower. People are also really starved for new Bethesda (the main studio) stuff, regardless of their gripes, so that helps make it seem like Bethesda is slowing down. But Bethesda is also not the juggernaut that, say, EA or Ubisoft are, where they can crank out multiple games in a year like it's nothing. They're more of a medium-sized studio, despite being AAA.

Look, I have my issues with Bethesda and Zenimax, too. There's plenty of things I criticize in Skyrim, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and ESO, even though I have a lot of fun with all of them. No one is above criticism, especially big businesses. And they should be held accountable. But I think people are really taking this too far and spinning stories in their head. Bethesda is doing just fine from a financial standpoint. And that's exactly why Microsoft wanted them and Zenimax.

Posted by: Renee Sep 28 2020, 05:54 PM

Okay I see what you're saying, RaderOfTheLostArk, and TheCheshireKhajiit. So it's more like they want to get involved in a situation which they see as mutually beneficial. Not necessarily that they're about to go under.

I do hope MS is hands-off. Of course, there will be all sorts of cries in the future about how they aren't being hands-off, even if they are.

Interesting. Hmm.

Another thing. Beth themselves did not want to release the next Elder Scrolls until the next gen consoles were out. I saw an interview in which Pete or one of the top management informed this. They didn't feel the last generation (PS4 and Xbox 1) were advanced enough for what they want to see in ES6. Everyone in the new forums were wracking their brains what is going on until I found that interview. I'll have to find that link.

Posted by: Kane Jun 7 2021, 01:49 PM

So, anyone think we'll get something about Starfield at E3?

Posted by: Pseron Wyrd Jun 7 2021, 03:37 PM

I would be very surprised if we did not discover something about Starfiel at E3. The Starfield planet in XBox's E3 image practically confirms it.

Posted by: Kane Jun 7 2021, 09:01 PM

Aw yiss.

Posted by: Pseron Wyrd Jun 13 2021, 06:40 PM

It's official: 11/11/22.

Posted by: Renee Jun 13 2021, 07:24 PM

Whoa... time to look for news, I guess.

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 13 2021, 08:34 PM

Not 22/22/22?

Posted by: Adella Jun 13 2021, 10:49 PM

Looks like Bethesda now have a thing about multiples of eleven

At least we can now calculate the release date for TES6

11/11/33 for the main game
with dlc expected 11/11/44

Which will make me…

Dead!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 13 2021, 11:23 PM

I’m kinda shocked this game isn’t coming out this year.

Posted by: Kane Jun 14 2021, 12:45 PM

I was hoping for this year, but alas. I think the best case scenario we can get for TES VI is 11/?/23, if they are working on more than one thing at a time (possible since they have MS resources now).

11/11/22 - Starfield release
2/3/23 - Starfield DLC season begins
6/11/23 - E3 and TES VI trailer11/?/23 - TES VI release

Also wouldn't surprise me if it's 2024 release, but I have to think by this point that they really want to get another TES game out the door.



But I am also the eternal optimist.

Posted by: Renee Jun 14 2021, 01:52 PM

Yes, hope for the best, plan for the worst. So now I'm thinking Elder Scrolls VI won't be out until 2026 or 27, because they'll stay with Starfield for awhile.

Anyway, https://bethesda.net/en/game/starfield. Starfield is confirmed to be single player. Cripes, look at those graphics. I want to eat that sandwich on the table.

Posted by: Kane Jun 14 2021, 04:06 PM

All new animations supposedly, too. And they announced the Creation Engine 2 at the same time.

Posted by: Pseron Wyrd Jun 14 2021, 04:26 PM

Here is Bethesda's new Starfield website, if anyone is interested: https://bethesda.net/en/game/starfield

Posted by: Adella Jun 15 2021, 03:07 PM

Hmmm….I don’t know. I am in two minds….Well, yes of course I am Lol,
but no, what I mean is Beth has a poor track record of making polished games that do not need a lot of work from the modding community to make them close to what they should have been hmmm.

It takes a while for all those mod fixes to be made….So IF I take the Starfield plunge it will probably be a good six months after launch.

….and, I will only consider it IF my likeness can be generated in game, if I can’t be “Adella in space” then it won’t be happening in my machine huh! (Probably comes across as an entitled prig…but seriously, I do not want to be in a game where I have to be called Bob…have a ready made family, and have space bandits steal my baby at the start.

Buuuuuut….I suppose if it does come with a good free form char creation screen AND 3rd person pov AND it looks actually playable rather than a glitch and crash fest, then I suppose…..sign me up.

A.

Posted by: Pseron Wyrd Jun 15 2021, 06:17 PM

In an interview with UK's Telegraph yesterday Howard confirmed that Starfield will indeed be 1st and 3rd person. He also said this:

“It's also a bit more hardcore of a role playing game than we've done. It's got some really great character systems – choosing your background, things like that. We’re going back to some things that we used to do in games long ago that we felt have really let players express the character they want to be. So I think when you see it being played, you would recognise it as something we made.”

To me, this sounds like the chargen process may be even more in-depth than in previous games. As to bugs, that's anyone's guess. Bethesda hasn't had a particularly good track record with bugs, going all the way back to Daggerfall. But the fact that they are taking their time with this game gives me a bit of hope.

For those who are interested here's two more more snippets from the interview:

“Well, we like to put you in a world where we're not dragging you by the nose and saying you must do X, Y and Z, and that it's okay for you to want to test the [game’s boundaries]. You know, can I read this book? Can I pick this up? Can I do this? What if I do this? What if I do this? And the game is saying ‘yes’ a lot.

“And it has large scale goals and storytelling, but that minute-to-minute feels rewarding for you. And if you just want to pass the time and go watch the sunset and pick flowers it's rewarding in that way too. The quiet moments feel really really good.”

Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/features/starfield-e3-2021-reveal-exclusive-todd-howard-spent-25-years/

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 15 2021, 06:50 PM

I’m interested, but I need more details before I decide if it’s a must buy, even then it will be purchased well after release unless it is universally lauded as some kind of masterpiece.

Posted by: Kane Jun 17 2021, 12:54 PM

Inject this new content into my veins, Godd Howard!

Posted by: Renee Jun 17 2021, 01:23 PM

I think I'm going to go for it. Buy & try Starfield, for whatever console I get next, right at midnight or whatever. And then I'll tell you folks my experience. I mean, I still need to see some more videos and read some more documentation, but I'm already liking what I see. Plus the game is confirmed to be single-player.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 17 2021, 06:34 PM

It’s apparently not going to be available on PlayStation, so definitely get an Xbox or upgrade your PC if need be.

Posted by: macole Jun 17 2021, 07:01 PM

I've been looking for an excuse to build a new PC.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 17 2021, 07:35 PM

There ya go!

Posted by: Kane Jun 17 2021, 07:41 PM

Gives me a reason to tweak mine some more, too. Just added a second screen, so maybe this time I'll double my RAM from 16 to 32.

Posted by: Renee Jun 17 2021, 09:02 PM

I am undecided whether to buy a PS5 or whatever the next Xbox is called. I know Xbox is always the safe way to go, that it will include more mods, and so on. I guess it depends what other games might be out there, exclusive to one system or the other.

Me too. I don't want to upgrade or modify my gaming PC anymore! I'd rather keep it the way it is and then eventually buy or build (probably buy though) a new one. By the time 2030 rolls around I'm going to have so many gaming devices in my room...

Posted by: Kane Jun 13 2022, 12:41 PM

This looks to be quite the game.

Posted by: Renee Jun 13 2022, 12:50 PM

And why do you say so, Kane? New info? I haven't been keeping up.

Posted by: Kane Jun 13 2022, 01:01 PM

Gameplay reveal yesterday:
https://youtu.be/zmb2FJGvnAw



Some highlights:

• Open world galaxy exploration? Check
• RPG? Check
• Spaceship flying and combat? Check
• SPACESHIP CUSTOMIZATION? Check
• Settlement outpost creation on any one of a 1000 planets or moons? Check

Posted by: Renee Jun 13 2022, 01:42 PM

Non-threatening wildlife? Check. Not every creature attacks us? Check. That's something I like: a gameworld with balanced fauna.

Walking still an option? Check. Third and First person? Check. (I mention these because I heard a rumor we'd only be able to run, and that the game would be First Person only.)

Ha ha "digipicks" instead of lockpicks.

Whoa, the player just ... flew? ... just before 5:50? That must be some sort of jet pack. Very kewl. Whoa, look at New Atlantis. THAT is going to be a blast exploring.

I dunno... I have trouble being critical, I only get psyched about new games. SubRosa?

Posted by: Kane Jun 13 2022, 01:48 PM

Definitely saw that jetpack combat, too. Looked like fun!

Posted by: ghastley Jun 13 2022, 03:58 PM

I will be watching to see how mods are handled. Creation club precedent has me concerned that they will want control of distribution, and possibly restrict the access to the tools.

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 13 2022, 08:38 PM

It looks like Fallout 4, but in space, and with a different color palette. Right down to the jetpacks, which seem to work exactly the same as in FO4.

I also cannot help but to make the comparison to No Man's Sky, just with better graphics.

Finally, as ghastly noted, Bethesda's recent actions with modding has me very skeptical of whether it will even be a thing anymore.

Posted by: Renee Jun 13 2022, 08:39 PM

Another thing I learned recently is there will be no Playstation version of Starfield. Even though I enjoyed my PS days playing Oblivion, it's overall a good idea Beth isn't bothering to make the game for PS, which is always the weakest version; the version most folks complain about.

And now they'll get to complain there's no Playstation version, of course.

Anyway, assuming I get this game, I'm already thinking of names for my first character. I think I'll roll a guy or gal named Bill Loney, or Jerri Kerls. and then I'll play dead-is-dead. Silly names. This way I won't get attached to him or her as I fumble about at early attempts at the game!

What recent actions? (I am unaware).

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 13 2022, 11:39 PM

I think it looks very interesting. I’m reserving judgment until I see more though.

Posted by: Kane Jun 15 2022, 12:25 PM

Either I missed it in the presentation or their was a separate event, but apparently The Todd said that modders would love this game. So hopefully that means no Creation Club. That honestly would not surprise me, since I think that the CC was forced on them by ZeniMax.


Modders would indeed love this game. Think of the content that could be added in a game like this.

Ah, it was an IGN article. He also said that TES VI is in pre-production, and that Fallout 5 will be the next game after that.


I gotta say...if Starfield is successful and they make it into a third franchise...they're going to need to expand big time. The time gap between sequels will be nuts.

Posted by: Renee Jun 15 2022, 01:02 PM

What does the Creation Club mean? Why is this a bad thing? I really don't know the answer. I only shop at Nexus.

Posted by: Kane Jun 15 2022, 01:34 PM

They are essentially paid mods distributed directly from Bethesda, but are considered official content like DLCs. The advent of the CC in Fallout 4 and Skyrim Special Edition has folks worried that they were going to push out 3rd party modding in future games. I personally don't believe that to be the case, but ya never know.

Posted by: ghastley Jun 15 2022, 01:48 PM

I’ll try to sum up Creation Club from my point of view as a creator. Basically Bethesda wanted gig employees to write paid mods for them cheaply. I would have submitted my ideas for their approval, before making anything, and only be allowed to do it if they liked the idea. Then I would do the work, they sell it for money, even if indirected through a token system, and then I would get a small percentage, having done ALL the work. I assume that the ones bundled with AE pay nothing to their authors, as Beth gave them away free.

Mods created outside CC were not eligible for inclusion, as Beth did not have creative control. And that is why the CC mods all suck. They are all Beth’s ideas, with the work done on the cheap. Carry on getting mods from Nexus, or elsewhere when mine find a home, as they will be genuine mods, not cheap DLC.

I don’t want payment for my mods, but I do want full creative control if my name goes on it. CC gives Beth the control, but not the responsibility, for the mods, and the payments come out of the profits from the mods, so it costs them nothing.

Posted by: Renee Jun 15 2022, 01:50 PM

Yikes! Well that answers that!

Well I'm with you Kane. I don't think they'd get rid of third-party mods either. They'd be shooting themselves in the feet with longevity of sales.

Posted by: Renee Jun 16 2022, 12:58 PM

I wonder if we'll be able to fly a spacecraft? Oh gosh, that's going to be a riot. Renee flying a craft, Renee LANDING a craft. Crashing into buildings and whatnot.

Posted by: Kane Jun 16 2022, 02:53 PM

Oh yeah, you can. You can also fight other ships in space, board them, and take over them. There is also spacecraft customization.


No landing, though. I think it'll be a load screen or cut scene from space to landing position. I can't believe they managed to get flight out the Creation Engine, so landing is probably impossible.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 16 2022, 03:29 PM

Yeah The Todd made sure to mention that they didn’t feel it was necessary or even desired to design the game to allow direct-from-space-entry into the atmosphere of planets because they want gameplay on the ground and in space to be two very different experiences. Whatever that means. So, I agree that we will probably be dealing with load screen when we want to land on planets.

Posted by: Renee Jun 16 2022, 09:24 PM

Damn!

Posted by: macole Jun 16 2022, 09:39 PM

They were probably thinking of me and the carnage I would cause while try to land the craft. Saving me a lot of pain and agrivation because I died without saving after finally achieving successful landing and then have to do hours of landing attempts again.

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 16 2022, 10:48 PM

It will also make the world design a lot easier. If you can fly anywhere you want, they have to actually build each entire world. By instead doing a load screen from space to surface, they can restrict you to landing in only one place for each planet. Then they can build out a small world space around just that. It will basically be like how the interiors of cities in Oblivion are separate world spaces from the main world. But in this case each planet will be its own world space, and outer space will be the main world space (ala Tamriel).

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 16 2022, 10:53 PM

Exactly.

I just wonder how the game acts when you come up to a new planet. Does it take you into an “autopilot orbit” from which you can either choose to land or go back to space or do you fly into the planet to activate a load screen? I’m curious to find out.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Oct 3 2022, 12:33 AM

Thank you for providing the only thoughtful explanation I have seen for why Creation Club could be a problem. Almost every single time, it's been just capital-G gamers finding something to complain about and parroting other people's opinions (like, you know, a lot of things gaming-related). But this actually gives me real information on how it works. That's actually kind of scummy on Bethesda's part. Yes, it's their IP, and they're not going to do something like this if it doesn't make them money. But taking that large of a cut when they are not doing a majority of the work, even if they are providing guidance, and taking most of the creative control is kind of low.




As insanely cool as it would be to be able to transition directly onto a planet a la No Man's Sky, I think it's better this way. It allows for a much more curated experience (and supposedly there is at least twice as much handcrafted content than any other BGS game, from what I have heard). Plus, the tech for doing that while making a handcrafted experience like a BGS game is not at all feasible, I imagine.




Yeah, that's what it seems like it will be. More and more, it's sounding like a modern-day, outer space version of Daggerfall, which really piques my interest. While the "modern" direction of TES from TESA: Redguard on is for the better, I've wanted to see BGS take another big-time stab at a Daggerfall-esque game.


It's almost always good policy to temper hype for anything, but I'm incredibly excited for Starfield!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Oct 3 2022, 02:37 PM

I’m very interested. From the everything I’ve heard about, it sounds like it will be a game that I would like (space piracy!).

Posted by: Renee Dec 1 2022, 02:57 AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9AAnV59ddE. I haven't watched it yet but it's supposed to go into Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Dec 1 2022, 03:56 AM

Yeah I heard he had done a new interview. Haven’t watched it either.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 11 2023, 08:37 PM

The Starfield showcase just finished up a bit ago.

...

https://youtu.be/qGtYn7DCIYo?t=3851

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 11 2023, 10:04 PM

I still have to watch it. Probably be tomorrow though.

Posted by: macole Jun 12 2023, 03:50 AM

Wow, that was fun to watch. I definitely will keep an eye on it. hopefully the requirements to run the game will be reasonable.

Posted by: SubRosa Jun 12 2023, 07:18 AM

It certainly looks nice. I would say an upgraded Fallout 4 visually. Some of what I saw in the gameplay also reminded me of F04. The jetpacks especially, and the gun combat. I noticed some kind of auto aim, because the bullet streaks coming out of the gun at the beginning were doing so at different angles, in order to hit the target.

I like the super jumping I saw in that segment too.

I see it has the offset third person camera, which I have never liked, but every game does. Hopefully someone will make a mod to center that.

The interface reminds me of Oblivion's, where everything is accessed through one button that takes you to an uber menu. I hope they do like they did with Fallout's Pipboy, and add shortcuts to go to specific things, like inventory, character, quests, etc...

The space travel looks to be entirely fast travel from planet to planet, with a visual that plays every time you make a hyperspace jump and land on a new world. Hmm, later on they show ship combat, so it appears you can do some free form space flight. I wonder how much? The way you can allocate energy to various ship resources reminds me of the old X-Wing and Tie Fighter games, where that was crucial. I am not a fan of that ship hud with the ring in the center of the screen. I find it distracting.

That also makes me wonder how space combat will work with a mouse and keyboard? Or can you also use a joystick for that, and go back to mouse + keyboard for regular gameplay?

The main quest appears to be you had a mysterious interaction with a strange artifact from an unknown alien race. I guess that means the Reapers are coming, and you are the only one who can stop them. Better tell Joker to prep the Normandy.

The character creation looks a lot like Fallout 4's again. Which like the other stuff, works fine. I hope they build in the ability to save face files and import them, like the LooksMenu mod does in FO4.

The Backgounds sound good. Pillars of Eternity does that, it adds in a little flavor that pops up occasionally.

I did love that they worked the Adoring Fan in, even with the original voice actor. His hair looks better this time.

The Trait system is another nice thing from the old school Fallout games.

That nerve punch thing sounds perfect for January. I wonder what the melee combat is like? I hope it is better than Fallout 4s. I really hated how they nerfed blocking, so that you could not hold a block in that game. Instead it just plays an animation of you blocking for a few seconds, then drops it. So you have to time your blocks in order to meet enemy attacks, rather than just keep blocking until you want to stop. And the shield bashing was completely removed. Hopefully they bring that back.

The ship appears to be your permanent home. I like how you can buy new ones. I also see they took Fallout 4's settlement building and applied that to the ships. That is nice. So you can change its layout as well as stuff. The Optimus Prime ship was cute.

The big question of course is what about Modding?

https://youtu.be/qGtYn7DCIYo?t=5663

Posted by: Kane Jun 12 2023, 01:14 PM

HYPE TRAIN LEAVING THE STATION! CHOO CHOO
And damn is that watch sexy.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 12 2023, 05:59 PM

Ok, Khajiit has watched and now he shall post thoughts!

Taking the Direct at face value, Starfield is looking like a must own game for me. Almost everything from the character creation, base/ship building and item modification, to the combat and exploration, looks like exactly what I want in a BGS game. I don’t buy games day one anymore, but something would have to be very wrong with Starfield to keep me from buying it. I can hardly wait for the reviews!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 12 2023, 06:47 PM

I’m concerned about this as well. My computer is getting pretty old, so I’m curious as to how well it will run Starfield. I’d rather not have to buy an Xbox just to be able to play this game.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 12 2023, 07:03 PM

I wonder if there is some kind of homing bullet thing you can get for your guns?


The gravity differences intrigues me. That should open up some new possibilities for both combat and exploration!


I’m interested in how this will work myself. I’m thinking it will be like a big area around planets (maybe as big as a whole system) that you can fly around in and do stuff and then when you are ready to explore a planet you go to your navigation and tell your ship to land. I expect “jumps” from system to system to be just cutscenes. I’d love to be able to break out my flight stick for this!


The story is looking rather derivative so far. Honestly though, I enjoy Fallout4 and have never finished the main story, so, meh, I guess.


I agree about the character creator. It looks to do a bit more than FO4’s, and I was quite pleased with FO4’s. I’m betting we’ll have to wait for mods to get preset save functions, though.

It’s a cute little callback that they spent a decent amount of effort on. I probably won’t use it, but it’s nice it’s there.


Agreed. Anything that helps make a character more distinguishable from another is great in my book.


I really did not like melee very much in FO4. I’m hoping melee is like it is in FO3, but more advanced.


I can see myself burning so many hours playing around with ship and outpost building.


I’m pretty sure “The Todd” said something like modders were probably going to have a field day with Starfield, or something like that, so I’m expecting mod support. What form that will take, remains to be seen…

Posted by: Grits Jun 12 2023, 07:07 PM

Looks good. I'll try it.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 12 2023, 07:10 PM

Now, some random observations.

1. PC walking around the spaceship in full astronaut suit while companions lounge around in cowboy hats and leather jackets. Hopefully we won’t have to spend all our characters’ time stuck inside one of those bulky ass suits.

2. Facial animations seemed better than in the reveal trailer.

3. They really obsessed over sandwiches in this game.

4. Neon looks like it’s going to be my favorite city. Very cyberpunk.

5. Wild West themed area caught me by surprise. Really strong Firefly vibes there.

Posted by: Renee Jun 13 2023, 03:49 AM

Oh it'll be moddable, it's a Bethesda game! If it's not moddable, there goes the majority of long-term sales. Question is: how accessible will it be to tear into the game? Skyrim is not as easy as earlier games, and I've heard Fallout 4 is even more difficult. I am talking about scripting and quest-making (my faves). But there are other things too, like the third-person camera being off-center.

I really want to fly a spaceship. 🚀 If so, maybe the game lets us fly a little pod at first. Or a small spacecraft, like the little ones they flew in the original Star Wars.

And Rader: What is happening with Val and Mariah and Langston and Sargent Waller??

Posted by: Kane Jun 13 2023, 11:59 AM

I'd imagine you can fly around solar systems at will, especially since it seems like you can visit any of the planets or moons, possible even asteroids.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 13 2023, 01:05 PM

If each system is its own sandbox area… woooboy.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 17 2023, 11:53 PM

@macole - This game is the main reason why I got a new computer, although I needed one anyway. But Bethesda games at least don't need the absolute top-of-the-line specs to run, usually.

@SubRosa - Regarding a few of your observations that particularly jumped out at me.

• Super jumping: That looks immensely satisfying. Acrobatics 100.
• Backgrounds: These have been mentioned before this showcase and I'm really looking forward to them. We haven't had those in a BGS game since Daggerfall. Those and the proc gen feel like a modernized Daggerfall-esque aspects.
• Melee combat: This (and the combat in general) appears to be a major step up from Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Melee has always felt super stiff but this looks pretty fluid so far. I guess we'll see come September.
• Adoring Fan: Agreed, outstanding callback with Craig Sechler back to voice him.

@Kane - Hell yeah.

@TheCheshireKhajiit - I totally get the abstaining from day one purchases. I think that is a generally good policy to have. That said, I'm not sure if I can hold out, lol.

Regarding melee combat, like I said in response to SubRosa, Starfield feels like a major upgrade in this department. I thought Oblivion and Fallout 3 melee combat was too floaty and not punchy at all, while Skyrim and Fallout 4 melee combat was too stiff and immobile. So far, Starfield looks like it has punch AND fluidity. And the combat in general looks VASTLY improved in the Direct compared to the gameplay trailer for Starfield released last year.

@Grits - Oh, I'm definitely getting it. Hopefully everyone else here is as well and we can all share out adventures! Maybe the thread could be called something like "Starfield Sojournings."

@Renee - Haha, sorry. I know you've been waiting for more on Fallout: Florida. Life has been really busy in recent months. But rest assured, I will continue it. While I haven't been able to write anything on it since the last post, I have developed a much clearer picture of how the rest of Part 2 is going to play out.

As for spaceships, I really need to start a list of ship names for me to use when the game comes out.

Posted by: Renee Jun 18 2023, 05:22 PM

Can somebody translate the Daggerfall-speek? I'm not sure what you all are talking about.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 18 2023, 10:25 PM

Ooo has it been said we can name our ships? I missed that little detail somehow! I’m thinking my Fallout character Désirée Devreaux will translate very well to the Starfield universe, and so is probably going to be my first character in SF. That means we already have a ship name picked out!


What in particular are you unsure about?

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 18 2023, 11:11 PM

In Daggerfall's character creation, you can go through background questions that affect your starting character's skill, attributes, and items at the beginning of the game (including the infamous ebony dagger). You also had to take a few advantages and disadvantages as well. Starfield's backgrounds and traits are going to somewhat emulate that, though in SF you don't HAVE to take those traits and even if you do you can get rid of their negative aspects later on.

Daggerfall also featured heavy use of procedural generation. I'm not a tech aficionado by any means, but basically it's a way for generating landscapes, dungeons, etc. through computations instead of directly handcrafting stuff. (Later TES games used proc gen as well but to a much lesser extent.) SF used proc gen for a lot of the planets and some content, but then added a lot of handcrafting on top of it. Proc gen has the benefit of using up much less computer memory, extending content, and creating more content more quickly than handcrafting, though the downside is that it is less creative than handcrafting and more repetitive. But Bethesda's proc gen looks like it is very robust, so we'll how it turns out on this front.


EDIT: By the way, Renee, when I get back to Fallout: Florida, I'm going to start adding "last episode" tidbits to clarify where the story is at. I'm also going to amend some of my earliest posts in the thread to have a table of contents with links to chapter posts, a synopsis of the story thus far (with spoilers for story beats that already happened, naturally), and profiles of the characters. That way, newer readers can get more up-to-speed if they want to get to current events and current readers can refresh their memories more easily.




Remember the part where the sandwich-pilfering lady (one of the highlights of the Direct) talked about naming her ships after animals and one is called the Platypus? And whenever I check out Starfield-related news on its subreddit, the people there talk a lot about what they are going to name their ships. I don't remember if Bethesda specifically highlighted "By the way, you can name your ships," but I assume we will be able to do so.

And they said in the Direct that we can own a fleet! My preliminary list of ship names, which includes but is not limited to names I think are cool, space terms, and references to Elder Scrolls and Fallout:

• Singularity
• F*** Around and Find Out (minus the censoring)
• Event Horizon
• Piper Wright (Fallout's best girl)
• Lydia
• Rip and Tear
• Gaiden Shinji
• Freedom's Call
• Loose Cannon
• Redeemer
• Plan 9 from Outer Space
• Big Iron (cue Marty Robbins)
• Labyrinthian
• SHODAN
• Dark Before Dawn
• Grand and Intoxicating Innocence

Posted by: Renee Jun 19 2023, 01:08 AM

Ohhh I get it, thanks for explaining Rader.

Arena and Morrowind also had the option of questionaire beginnings, but DF took character creation to the greatest extreme.

And yes, Arena had a lot of procedural generation landscapes as well, moreso than Daggerfall. Basically the entire world outside of any town would be generated, but unlike later games you could keep on walking and walking. Unlike the newer games you'd never arrive anywhere except random little villages and dungeons and chapels, etc.

Anyway that's a great idea for planets to be generated, wow. Yeah, because you can't hand-build multiple worlds & planets. That right there is a great reason for me to get Starfield eventually.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 19 2023, 03:21 AM

I do remember that. I just wasn’t sure if that was confirmation that we could type in our own name for ships or if it was just what they called the ships in their headcanon. I don’t recall if they displayed the names they mentioned in game.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Jun 21 2023, 12:17 PM

True. I'm trying to look at pictures of the ships and I can't see names on them, but I can't get a good look for certain. And I listened back to what Jamie Mallory/sandwich lady said about her ship and it's a bit ambiguous as to whether the game gives us the actual function to name them. I don't remember who else talked about naming their ship, though I believe at least one other BGS employee did.

I mean, they have to know everyone will want to name them in-game. I find it hard to imagine that they won't have that function because that would be a glaring oversight . . . which, granted, is far from unprecedented for Bethesda, but this seems like a no-brainer to me. And it is confirmed we can have a fleet of ships, so we need to differentiate them. I guess if worst comes to worst, modders will make it happen, though we really shouldn't have to rely on them for this simple thing. I hope Todd or someone else at BGS clarifies if naming ships is an actual function.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 21 2023, 01:10 PM

I’m hoping that we can name ships, but they could just have a base name for each model of ship and just maintain that name after modification. Hopefully not, but without confirmation we’re just left guessing.

In other news, apparently an SSD is required for PC. My c: drive is an SSD but I’m not sure it will have the room to install the game. Do you all think we could use a USB SSD to play the game?

Also, thought I’d post the system requirements. This came from the game’s page on Steam.

MINIMUM:
OS: Windows 10 version 22H2 (10.0.19045)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, Intel Core i7-6800K
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5700, NVIDIA GeForce 1070 Ti
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 125 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD Required
RECOMMENDED:
OS: Windows 10/11 with updates
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, Intel i5-10600K
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 125 GB available space
Additional Notes: SSD Required

My PC does not currently meet the *minimum* requirements for CPU or GPU.
I guess we’ll see how it goes in September, if all goes well with the reviews and what not.

Posted by: Renee Jun 21 2023, 06:05 PM

Wow, 16 GB of RAM is minimum requirements??? But then 16 is also recommended? That's odd.

My gaming computer is Windows 8.1. My graphics card is also below standard at GTX760. But that's okay. I actually wanted to get an Xbox first. I won't get another gaming computer probably until ES VI is getting released.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 21 2023, 06:24 PM

Yeah, I just watched a https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bBfzizeLD_Y in which the guy said the list might be nonsense. He also pointed out some oddities between the different GPUs and CPUs. Worth a watch I think.

Posted by: Renee Jun 21 2023, 06:29 PM

Thanks, Khajiit.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jun 21 2023, 10:39 PM

Lol, happy to help

Posted by: Burnt Sierra Aug 31 2023, 06:25 PM

And the reviews are coming up now following the embargo. And generally seem to be very, very positive! I think the one that's piqued my interest is one that says "It's the game I wanted Mass Effect to be". That was one thing I always wondered whilst playing the Mass Effect games - I wonder what Bethesda could have done with this. Maybe would have lost some of the (amazing) characters, and the plot probably wouldn't have been as concise and driven, but opened the galaxy up a little bit more so you felt like you were truly exploring.

Posted by: Renee Aug 31 2023, 07:12 PM

Right. I finally began playing Mass Effect in March, and continue with MyShep as we speak. Still doing side quests in the Citadel, instead of going off to explore the universe, which says something. Not that I play ME every day (or even every week) but this shows how much content & dialog there is to keep track of.

Bioware and Beth do it way different, that's for sure. Although I prefer Bethesda's open-ended freedom, it would be interesting if some Bioware's more rigid storytelling could seep in there.

Can you post a link to one of these reviews?

Posted by: Burnt Sierra Aug 31 2023, 07:26 PM

Sure:

https://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-series-x/starfield/critic-reviews

https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/starfield/critic-reviews

Metacritic (for all its faults), is a great place to see all of them

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 31 2023, 09:11 PM

I haven’t had a chance to really look at any reviews yet. Planning on getting comfy after work and checking them out.

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 31 2023, 11:06 PM

Is Starfield going to be releasing soon then? I have not been keeping up on it.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 1 2023, 12:15 AM

September 6th. Preorders get access tonight

Posted by: Burnt Sierra Sep 1 2023, 08:15 AM

Well, a few hours in now, and it's a lot of fun. However, on PC, it runs HOT! Fans sound like an aircraft trying to take off and GPU temp is the highest I've ever seen it on a 3090, running even hotter than Cyberpunk on ultra. And this is NOT on ultra lol.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 1 2023, 08:58 AM

Cool! I am still hip deep in Baldur's Gate, so I probably won't be trying it any time soon. But I'd love to hear more about it.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 1 2023, 12:58 PM

Why is it so demanding? Does it really look that good, or does it seem like it’s not really optimized that well for pc?

Posted by: Burnt Sierra Sep 1 2023, 01:05 PM

Bit of both. It looks really, really good, and I suspect a patch will improve things further (and possibly an update from Nvidea will help further still.) The official (not early access) release date isn't until the 6th, so I wouldn't be surprised by that happening by then. In the meantime, I'm going to fiddle with settings and put away my open-back headphones, and dig out some closed-back noise-cancelling ones!

Posted by: Renee Sep 1 2023, 01:25 PM

Okay, yeh, Metacritic can be pretty brutal. I've seen them trash some games in the past. What I just read seems almost surreal with the praises, right? All those high scores. Granted those are all actual reviewers, not the gamers themselves. It's the gamers who mostly do the bashing & trashing!

I seem to remember the requirements were way through the roof for Starfield, right? My GTX760, once hailed as top-of-the-line for running games like Skyrim, now looks like the equivalent of Play-Doh in a scientist's lab...

I feel like I'm going to be getting this game eventually, for Xbox though. Probably won't get another gaming computer until ES6 is nearing completion (which will be 2025? 2028? ... bleah. )

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 1 2023, 03:01 PM

Oh yeah, the recommended specs were high. I was just curious if the game actually looked good enough to justify the cost of such a setup. After the videos I’ve watched, I’m starting to question if I want to spend the $700+ to upgrade my PC, just to play the game, or just spend whatever the cost of an Xbox Series X is. If I upgrade my pc, it’s still not going to be powerful enough to run the game as it was meant to be ran, but it would be nice to have a more modern build. On the other hand, an Xbox SX is over $200 less.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Sep 1 2023, 11:12 PM

At long last, we get to play Starfield! Well, if you have early access, at least. I have one of the editions with early access (though that wasn't the reason I bought that one) and played a couple hours very late last night. Here are some of my first impressions with the game.

• Even at the beginning, it just feels like a Bethesda game. It's hard to explain, but I'm sure you all know the kind of feeling I'm talking about.
• There's been a lot of talk about Starfield being BGS' most polished release yet, and I sure hope it would be considering the delays. But it really does feel very polished. Again, though, I'm only a couple hours in. Previous Bethesda games' jank mostly didn't really start appearing until you're some time into the game.
• The combat and movement is VASTLY improved. The latest previews of the game showed that, but to actually feel it for myself was cool.
• The ship-fighting is going to take more time to get used to, but I think it will be fun.
• One of the things I was looking for was how fluid the conversations between NPCs were. We all know how janky that could be prior to Fallout 4 with those awkward pauses as the next line of dialogue would be loaded (Fallout 76 really took a step back in this regard after Fallout 4 hugely improved on the issue, which I assume is because of the online component of 76). I'm happy to report that the conversations between NPCs indeed feel fluid, even when they include your character's responses.
• While I'm fine with the UI being more minimalistic aesthetically, it initially feels kind of clunky to navigate. But that could very well change as I get used to it, though UIs have never been a Bethesda strong suit. One neat improvement, though, is when you open the main part of the pause menu (similar to Skyrim's 4 arrows to inventory, map, etc.), which has several "dots" along a circle indicating a submenu. There are pictures near each submenu "dot" that indicate the kind of stuff you'll find there. (The dots don't say what submenu it is until you hover over it.) For example, next to the inventory submenu "dot" may be a picture of your current weapon; the starmap submenu has a picture of the planet you are on. That's if I remember correctly. When I play later tonight, I will confirm.
• I was surprised at the lockpicking minigame (lockpicks are called "digipicks" in Starfield) and how it actually requires some measure of skill. I imagine the character's skill in it will be much more at play with harder locks, but it isn't pathetically simple for the player like in Fallout 3/4/76 or Skyrim. It's sort of hard for me to explain how it works in Starfield, but I'll try.
  [**] There are multiple, for lack of a better term, "checkpoints" you have to clear to open a lock by rotating dashes to align with open points in a circle. You have several of these layouts of dashes where you have to find the correct order to put them in, but you may find one set of dashes works at one point when it should've been used later on. If you find this to be the case, you can undo actions...at the cost of 1 digipick with each undo. The availability of digipicks remains to be seen, but the game has not thrown them at me yet like in previous Bethesda games.
• Voice acting is much better across the board.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 2 2023, 02:05 AM

Thanks for this. It’s good to have first hand impressions from someone we “know”, you know?

What are you playing it on, if you don’t mind me asking.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 2 2023, 02:47 AM

I guess it is time to update my PC. I built it back in 2011 with 16gb of RAM, as that was plenty to play Skyrim, the most demanding game I had. My motherboard has room for another 16gb. So I just went to NewEgg and bought it. It will be a few weeks before it shows up though.

What a difference in price though. I think I spent like $200 for that 16gb of Ram a decade ago. Now it cost me $30.

Granted, it is DDR3, so it is old now. Far from the fastest or furiousest.

Maybe now Fallout 4 and BG3 will load a little too, I hope.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 2 2023, 03:38 AM

My problem is that I need a new CPU and GPU. I could get a new GPU but it will bottleneck with my CPU. And I can’t get a new CPU because my mobo will not accept a newer ones. Oh and I’d need new RAM. So, yeah, I’d basically have to build a new PC minus a few parts that i can actually use in the new build.

Posted by: RaderOfTheLostArk Sep 2 2023, 06:16 AM

Sure thing, I don't mind the question. I'm on an HP 17 Omen Laptop that has an i7-13700HX with 16.0 GB of RAM. Game works like a dream (though I did encounter my first couple of bugs tonight, albeit not at all gamebreaking). Got the computer a couple months ago because I needed something new in general, but of course Starfield factored into the equation. All my laptops have been for both work and gaming (though they haven't always been "gaming" computers), so they have and will continue to see a ton of usage.

I'll never say you should buy a new computer solely to play a new game (unless perhaps you just have that much money to blow that it won't really hurt your pocketbook). I don't care how good the game is; computers are a lot of money. But if you have another good reason or two to buy a new computer, be it desktop or laptop, it makes it a great investment to also include Starfield as a reason. Put it this way: So far, I'm very glad that Starfield was a major factor in me buying a new computer. I'm having a great time with it. And despite being a vet of Bethesda games, this is my first time I've played a Bethesda game at release.




They had 16 GB of RAM in 2011? That would've been mindblowing to me then. My computer has 16 GB of RAM now and it makes a world of difference. My Omen 17 Laptop was certainly not cheap, but it was surprisingly cheaper than I thought it would be even accounting for the fact it was on sale at the time.




Also, just had my first battle in low gravity tonight! That was really neat. I was jumping to one star system so that I could make the jump to the actual star system I needed to get to. But in this intermediate location, I found a neat-looking space station called The Almagest and tried to hail it. (When you are in space, you can hail other ships, space stations, etc. to talk to them) I didn't get an answer even after hailing it a couple more times in case it was just bugging out or something. Clearly, that's suspicious, so I docked and entered the station with my companion, Sarah Morgan, the head of Constellation. We soon found ourselves in a fight with Spacers, who are basically a group of violent scavengers.

Of course, we took them out, and a note on one of them told me about a secret outpost somewhere that other Spacers are trying to break into. I'm hoping to go there in tomorrow's gaming session.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 2 2023, 10:48 AM

The PC I built in 2011 has a motherboard that can take up to 32 GB of Ram. At that time I figured 16 would be more than enough. And then it was. But that was then, and this is now, as the saying goes. I spent about 3k to build that computer. But it has lasted me 12 years so far, so it was a good investment.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 2 2023, 03:13 PM

I’m asking everyone for Amazon gift cards this year. My hope is that I will get a good amount for my bday and Xmas to take a massive chunk out of the cost of upgrading.

Posted by: Kiln Sep 5 2023, 12:25 PM

Well, I jumped on the hype train from the start with this one and have been pretty psyched for this game for a while. I can say for certain that I love this game. I have played for over 30 hours already since getting early access on the Xbox series X. A short breakdown:

Pros:
Polished, for a Bethsoft game. (You guys probably already guessed, sometimes the NPC’s still do weird crap.)
Slightly more fluid shooting than Fallout.
Infinite number of procedurally generated maps.
Crazy detailed ship building mechanics.
Excellent base building mechanics.
Great trait/perk system with unique rewards.
Lots of options for named and generic followers.
No crashes/lockups so far, making this the most stable Bethesda game I’ve ever played on console.

Cons:
The UI seems like a step backwards in numerous ways. You can’t trade items using two windows, you have to switch menus every time you want to buy/sell or add/take anything, which is frustrating because their previous system worked so well.
Worlds aren’t completely open, each area you select is procedurally generated but is a set distance and then you hit the dreaded invisible walls.
Some shooter mechanics seem like a regression. I know this is contradictory but in Fallout you could hide behind and lean over cover by aiming, that is gone here.

Mostly, the negatives are easy to bear. The game is worth it IMO.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 5 2023, 07:54 PM

Awesome, thanks for your impressions!

Posted by: Renee Sep 8 2023, 04:25 PM

Thanks Kiln. Always better to get some reviews folks we know.

The gaming computer I got in 2014 (pre-built) came with 16 gigs! Funny thing is I've never had a game or situation which uses anywhere near this.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 8 2023, 05:01 PM

I made sure to have 16gb in my pc, but that was back in 2015-16

Posted by: Kane Sep 8 2023, 07:58 PM

Starfield is fantastic, if demanding. My PC barely makes the cut, but I got it running pretty smoothly - I definitely plan to buy more RAM though, since I'm at 16gm right now.

And it's fun! Barely scratched the surface though, and I've more or less stuck to the story. Just about to depart from a derelict Luna station in pursuit of a soldier.

After this mission I plan on doing some planetary exploring.

Posted by: Renee Sep 9 2023, 12:06 AM

Like I said, I'll eventually get it for whichever Xbox is latest IF it looks like I'll enjoy the game. Skip all the requirements stuff. Bam.

I find it really interesting they aren't offering this up for Playstation this time. Probably a great idea. Beth is sick of dealing with Playstation and their disagreeable hardware.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 9 2023, 12:10 AM

It’s not being offered to PS because Micro$oft wants it to be exclusive to their machines and pc.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 9 2023, 12:15 AM

They might eventually release it on PS years later. Like how Sony released Horizon Zero Dawn on PC 5 years after they did on Playstation. When it is no longer selling big on the original platform, and they have a sequel coming out, companies often start looking for ways to squeeze every last penny out of their products.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 9 2023, 12:24 AM

Perhaps, but I’d like to point out that with your Horizon example, Sony still didn’t port it to XBox.

Posted by: Renee Sep 9 2023, 12:56 AM

Hmm, I don't know about that, Khajiit. I just think Beth is sick of dealing with Playstation. It's always the platform which has the most problems, because its architecture is not as close as Microsoft's.

It is possible Starfield'll get ported over by some other company later on. 4J ported Oblivion for instance (pretty sure it was 4J studios, I always forget), which ran the game better than it did on Xbox 360, all except the Vampire Cure quest.

Posted by: Kiln Sep 9 2023, 04:18 AM

My guess? It may be available much later on other systems. Microsoft paid big money to bet on Bethesda and ultimately, Starfield. I think most of the reason for the game being exclusive is because Microsoft legitimately believes that Bethsoft games will sell well enough to justify the cost of purchasing the company. That doesn’t mean that eventually they won’t release it on other systems like No Man’s Sky but I’ll bet that if it ever comes out on other systems, it’ll be much later on.

Posted by: Kiln Sep 10 2023, 04:37 AM

After more than two straight days of game time I experienced my first (very) major bug. My ship disappeared randomly and left me stranded, forcing me to reload my game. The ship was still gone. I couldn’t fast travel either. Ended up going indoors, fast traveling to a shipyard, and changing modules on my ship so it would reappear.

While the ship was invisible/missing the game locked up numerous times when trying to travel. Very frustrating because aside from that it has been pretty stable.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 11 2023, 02:57 AM

Oof! That’s a bad one!

Posted by: Kiln Sep 16 2023, 04:35 PM

Well, I’m glad to say that there aren’t a huge number of bugs so far aside from usual slightly comical happenings that Beth games are known for.

Once at Paradiso there was a guy clipping into the floor with only his head and shoulders visible. His generic sigh that normally would seem dismissive was hilarious because it was almost like he was sighing about being trapped in the floor in typical Bethsoft fashion.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 17 2023, 01:12 PM

Lol

Posted by: Renee Sep 17 2023, 07:08 PM

Does the spaceship actually travel in real-time? Or is it like Mass Effect; essentially fast-travel?

Posted by: Kiln Sep 17 2023, 07:12 PM

Sadly, it is exclusively fast travel between planets . You can land on an infinite number of (large) procedurally generated zones but there are invisible borders.

As far as exploration goes, No Man’s Sky has it beat for seamless experience and base building. As far as equipment/story/factions/style points though, Starfield hands down.

Posted by: Renee Sep 17 2023, 07:25 PM

DANGIT!!! I really want to fly a spaceship!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1BWsrDWR5s. Take that Bethesda, that's from 1983!

I mean, is there any space-battling at all? Like X-wings versus Tie Fighters?

Posted by: Kiln Sep 17 2023, 07:56 PM

Yeah there�€™s space battles, the ships are heavily modular (many good upgrades are locked behind skills) and you can target specific parts of enemy ships to disable them. I think the most fun way is to hit the engines and board them though. Shooting your way through the corridors of larger ships after taking out their wingmates is pretty satisfying.

You can buy, upgrade, capture, and keep quite a few ships.

Personally I think the game is pretty great.

Posted by: Kane Sep 22 2023, 03:10 PM

I had to switch to Xbox, lol. My PC needs some upgrades.

Posted by: Renee Sep 22 2023, 10:33 PM

That's what I'm sayin', Kane. I'll get it for Xbox as well, if it looks like I'll enjoy the game. And then hopefully, ES6 will still be on the current console generation and not the next one.

I'm kinda thinking I should finish the Mass Effect series first, though.

Posted by: Kane Oct 20 2023, 12:14 PM

This game is amazing and it's going to take me forever to finish the main quest. I can't stop myself from surveying every planet or moon I land on. I've barely scratched the surface of outpost building, but I have been tinkering more with Starship construction. My next goal is to look for a hab piece with a workshop.

The ships are basically mobile bases, so outposts can wait, lol.

Posted by: Renee Oct 20 2023, 03:54 PM

Nice!

Posted by: Acadian Oct 20 2023, 04:13 PM

Glad you're enjoying Starfield, Kane!

Posted by: macole Oct 20 2023, 04:41 PM

It's the "take me forever to finish" that has me worried.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Oct 20 2023, 05:11 PM

It’ll take me forever just to get my pc good enough to run it, so I guess I’m going to miss out on this one for quite a while.

Posted by: Kane Oct 23 2023, 07:34 PM

That's probably just a Kane thing. I have a full time job and a three year old, so play time is limited. I also have been taking long breaks every so often during the main quest to explore worlds, do side quests, and check out factions.

I also am always on the hunt for resources to improve my gear or upgrade ships.

Posted by: Kane Nov 28 2023, 08:16 PM

I think I'm getting closed to the end of the main quest and venturing into the Unity. I'm curious to see what a new universe has in store for Indira!

I love designing ships but haven't gotten super invested in it yet (ship building is expensive). I have a couple ships I liberated from Pirates, and one or two from quests. So far I've only made one from scratch - I wanted something small, and compared to most ships in the game it's basically a very well armed shuttle with a grav jump range of 30 light years. Perfect for going from mission to mission, but useless for resource gathering (cargo space is minute). I'll post some pictures of the two ships I bounce between.


I did experience one nasty bug, but it really only affected stuff I probably wouldn't use again. You can get a penthouse apartment in New Atlantis by completing one of the faction quest lines, and I had begun to decorate it an store/display belongings there. But New Atlantis gets attacked during the main quest, and apparently the entire city is reset afterwards, including the Penthouse (I think it affects it because the Penthouse doesn't have it's own worldspace). Annoying, but after a few minutes of frustration, I figured it was stuff I'd never use again anyway.

Outposts continue to be something I'm not super interested in, especially since ships can basically be mobile bases. I think when I unlock some of the perks for outposts, I'll take a closer look at it. Finding a good planet to set up a home on is a feat in and of itself. Too many options!

Posted by: Kane Dec 4 2023, 08:50 PM

Indira has completed the main quest and traveled through the Unity (huge spoilers in the next part)

Posted by: Renee Dec 5 2023, 01:39 AM

Okay, so you got the game in September and it took you three months. That sounds pretty decent, Kane. Because I'm sure you did other things (side missions, etc.) as well as crafting your perfect space ship. 🚀 Would you say you rushed through the Main mission(s) or took your time?

Another question: Does this game borrow any ideas from Starcraft (assuming you ever played that game).

Posted by: Kane Dec 5 2023, 02:04 AM

I also made a new character and started over before the third act, so there was technically two runs in there. But I did not rush. At. All. In fact I took my sweet time - I can't help but survey each planet/moon I landed on and it can take an hour or two just to do that. I also played a couple faction questlines and did plenty of side and misc quests


The main quest is plenty long and there are four other major factions. Plenty to do! And the main quest doesn't rush you, which is a nice change of pace. You can kick it off, and then tell Constellation you've got some personal things to do and skive off into the galaxy.


And there a a ton of misc and radiant quests.


I've not played Starcraft - isn't it an RTS series?

Posted by: Renee Dec 5 2023, 03:19 AM

Ah, so you rolled a second! How come you hardly post any character pictures? Kidding. If I (when I...) get Starfield I'll definitely dazzle y'all with my guys & gals.

That's good. Yeh, I'd find myself not rushing either.

I guess SF could be considered RTS. I never played it myself, but a friend of mine loves Starfield. In that game we also build our own spacecraft though, that much I know. Why I asked.

Posted by: SubRosa Dec 5 2023, 10:32 AM

Posted by: Kane Dec 5 2023, 01:29 PM

I had to switch to Xbox (PC couldn't cut it) and it's a cumbersome to get screenshots off of it.



There are more spoilers behind the second spoiler box below, major to gameplay and the story.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 17 2024, 05:10 PM

So Santa Claws got Khajiit an Xbox Series X as a bit of an after Christmas present! I signed up for the GamePass thing to try out Starfield, so I’ll be posting more impressions after I spend a bit more time with it.

Posted by: Renee Jan 17 2024, 05:20 PM

Santa Claws!

Wanna see some pics, for sure.

Posted by: SubRosa Jan 17 2024, 09:48 PM

Cool, I am looking forward to hearing more about it.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 18 2024, 04:00 AM

Ok, so I’m rolling a version of my Fallout character, Désirée Devreaux. I picked the “Space Scoundrel” for her background, which gives her 3 starting skills: pistol certification, piloting, and persuasion. She would much rather have a rifle certification (it shouldn’t be hard to grab it very soon though), but otherwise the background suits her to a tee!

Had a pretty funny incident occur while wandering around New Atlantis (basically Starfield’s Imperial City). Dez was walking around at night seeing the sites and noticed a coffee mug laying on the ground in a shop. She walked over and picked it up (using the “grab” function, not sending it to her inventory) and set it down on the shop’s counter. The shopkeeper flipped out and called the law on us! Got a 27 credit bounty which I would have lived with, but something else happened around that same time that I wasn’t happy about so I reloaded a save from before picking up the cup.

This game has a climb mechanic! If there is a ledge or crate that is just a bit too high for you to jump onto, your character will grab the edge and pull themselves up as long as it’s not too high! I thought that was neat for a BGS game.

Posted by: SubRosa Jan 18 2024, 06:03 AM

So it is just like every other Bethesda game when it comes to touching an option in a shop. The merchants go insane and instantly call the cops on you.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 18 2024, 11:26 AM

Do they freak out in other BGS games for using the physics engine to move items? I’ve either never noticed this since Oblivion came out, or just forgot.

Posted by: SubRosa Jan 18 2024, 09:31 PM

I learned from Oblivion not to try, or even get anywhere near things like countertops for fear of accidentally nudging an item laying on top of them.

Posted by: Renee Jan 19 2024, 12:19 AM

Nice! Too bad Lopov's not around. Lopov means Scoundrel in his language.

Wow, a CLIMBING mechanic, very cool. Daggerfall fans will be pleased, I bet. Wonder if we can scale certain walls, Lara Croft style...

Edit; Yes the Grab function counts as stealing if the object belongs to someone else, or another faction.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 19 2024, 02:40 AM

Maybe calling it “climbing” was a bit generous. It’s more like your character will grab a ledge that you jump at then pull themselves up. No wall climbing, at least, not that I’ve seen.

Posted by: Renee Jan 19 2024, 05:54 PM

Still, that's a start. Better than walking in place!

Posted by: Turija Jan 19 2024, 06:46 PM

After reading some debate online about the RPG aspects of this game, I will be interested to hear people's experiences. From what I read, it sounds like the story elements don't change depending on how the player completes quests, so from a story point of view, player decisions don't matter too much. But I have also read that from a game mechanics perspective they did a good job with skills and traits (aka attributes) and the game supports a wide variety of play styles and the ability to create diverse characters with varying strengths and weaknesses that approach problems quite differently. That sounds quite interesting to me.

The minimum specs are somewhat concerning. My current PC is i5 9600k with a GTX 1070ti, 16 GB of RAM and a 1 terabyte SSD. But reading the posted minimum specs, it sounds like that might not quite be enough to get decent performance since I have a fast i5 but not an i7 and everything else is just minimum spec? I got the i5 because prior Bethesda games never used more cores so there was no point in an i7. I have read Starfield is a CPU rather than a GPU intensive game. Is Bethesda finally making games that use multiple cores/hyperthreading?

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 20 2024, 02:32 AM

I’ve heard and read that people with fairly high end rigs weren’t getting the performance expected for the game citing low framerates while running at graphics settings their machines should be able to handle no sweat. This makes me wonder if the game just wasn’t well optimized for PC’s. And of course, it may just be people trying to find a reason to join in crapping on Starfield just because it’s trendy. *shrugs*

In any case, spending $1000+ to build a new computer that would last me another 7-8 years just wasn’t an option right now, so I opted on getting an Xbox Series X as a compromise. Signed up for the Gamepass thing for $16, and immediately installed Starfield. I’m enjoying it so far. Is it groundbreaking? Not really, but I feel it does improve on the usual BGS formula, by a good margin.

Posted by: Kane Jan 22 2024, 04:33 PM

One of us! One of us!

I'm still neck deep in the game, too, and on my third character. I'm really enjoying the Kid Stuff trait - it's fun to visit your parents when you are in New Atlantis.

Captain James recently used his accumulated credits from helping various factions to design a proper (and big) exploration ship to probe the furthest reaches. I sank at least $300k credits into it, but it's got everything one needs to explore - and there are no ladders!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 25 2024, 04:20 AM

So Kane, what is a resource that is good to have plentiful access to in the early game?

Posted by: Kane Jan 25 2024, 01:08 PM

Pop an outpost down somewhere that you can extract Helium-3 and Aluminum. Just having an outpost extracting He-3 gives your grav jump range a boost. Aluminum is essential to more outpost construction. (Kurtz is a good option for this, since it's orbiting Jemison.) Try to land in a zone that has both elements together and you should be able to find an outpost spot where they intersect.

Just like in Fallout 4, you're going to need adhesive for most weapon and spacesuit mods. Sealant and adaptive frames are another good one to buy up. Being a resource hog in general helps a lot.

When you get more crafting skills unlocked, you'll be on the lookout for Tungsten and Titanium. I always seem to be short on those two.

Posted by: Kane Jan 25 2024, 01:24 PM

And if you want a nice ship with a 2k+ cargo space, (faction spoiler ahead)

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 25 2024, 02:13 PM

Thanks for the info! Saturn’s moon Titan is a good place to find titanium, if you didn’t already know.

Posted by: Kane Jan 25 2024, 03:55 PM

And Pluto has Tungsten. I haven't been back for a while to do some mining - probably why I keep running out, lol. I was just on Titan, too. My latest ship is all Nova Galactic parts.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 25 2024, 05:18 PM

I have another question. Any tips for the persuasion system? Like how to know what options would have a greater effect on a given character, etc. In Dez’s game, I feel like I’ve just been getting lucky when I pick an option that works.

Posted by: Kane Jan 26 2024, 01:04 PM

Persuasion is tricky and more often than not I just hope for a skill check. Taking bribery and intimidation perks can help I think, but I've not yet invested in them. Interestingly enough, I've noticed that the dialogue options change, too. My newest character just did a MQ mission on Neon and the options to persuade an enemy agent were completely different from the ones I picked last time.

It's nice, in a way. Makes the game not be repetitive every time and encourages you to pick more skills. I probably would have by now if I didn't have so many in Science and Tech!

Also, if you feel like doing some corporate espionage (more faction spoilers)

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 26 2024, 01:49 PM

I too have noticed that the options can change. I guess having it be kinda iffy at first is to be expected for just starting off.

The company you mentioned in the spoiler warning is going to be right up my cyber runner character’s alley!

Posted by: Kane Jan 26 2024, 05:38 PM

It's a fun, stealth oriented questline. A nice departure from the usual style of BGS quests.
Also, pro tip if you haven't already discovered it (took me a while): holdong down the aim button with the cutter focuses the beam and lets you mine more quickly.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 29 2024, 03:34 AM

Dez is currently on a mission to find something called a coralline (sp?) landmass in the Indum system. She’s got Sarah with her because we are also going to be hitting the Sol system for a lead on an artifact.

Funny thing, when we got to one of the planets in that system there was an ongoing scrap between some random spacers (or maybe they were pirates?) and the Freestar Collective. We engaged the spacers but for some reason the FC forces were hostile to us after destroying the last of them. I guess maybe one of my shots went astray and hit one of them? I reloaded a save to see if I could do the fight again but nothing spawned when I arrived back at the planet/moon.

Posted by: Kane Jan 29 2024, 01:26 PM

Love doing survey missions like that!

Yeah, that happens to me sometimes, too. It just happened to me last night when I tried to help in a fight between SysDef and pirates. 'Course my ship has 6x particle cannons, so there are a lot more chances to miss the target!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 29 2024, 02:01 PM

Hmmm, particle cannon. Reminds me of the Particle Projection Cannon (PPC) from the BATTLETECH franchise. What is the particle cannon in Starfield?

Posted by: Renee Jan 29 2024, 04:25 PM

So it sounds like Speech has become ... I don't know the word. Improved? In-depth? (from Skyrim) Especially if it's not always the same approach that's needed, eh?

Posted by: Kane Jan 29 2024, 05:14 PM

Arguably the best option for ship weapons. Particle weapons do the same amount of damage to shields and hulls, so you can have one weapon type in lieu of lasers and ballistics. My ships are typically A Class reactors, which is all you need for the Vanguard Obliterators (need to join UC Vanguard to get them, though). And I usually attach some missile launchers for that "fire torpedoes!" feel.



It's more reminiscent of New Vegas and way more in-depth than Skyrim or Fallout 4. Persuasion mini-game, skill checks, even traits can influence it. And sometimes there are even options to let your follower weigh in instead.

Posted by: Kane Jan 29 2024, 05:53 PM

Something that drives me nuts though is that we lose digipicks on successful attempts. That is going to be the first thing I mod out.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 29 2024, 07:27 PM

I get why it’s like that, but yeah, it’s a bit annoying.

I took the “targeting systems” perk for Dez recently. We’ve only been able utilize it once since picking it, and we ended up destroying the ship we were fighting in the end. Any tips for disabling ships?

Posted by: Kane Jan 29 2024, 11:55 PM

EM weapons to disable the engines. Leaves them adrift so that you can board.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 30 2024, 02:32 AM

Oh ok. The game talked like I could do it with missles.

Posted by: Kane Jan 30 2024, 01:22 PM

I only managed to disable engines without EM weapons one time. I think you have to get the engine health to less than 10% work.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 30 2024, 01:59 PM

Ok I’ll keep working on it.

Dez is still in the Indum system looking for this flippin Corralline Landmass…

Posted by: Kane Jan 30 2024, 04:13 PM

Yeah, those can take a while when you have to hunt through the system. I'm currently perking into Astrophysics for that chance to learn a trait when you scan a moon or planet.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 30 2024, 04:30 PM

That would be helpful, lol

Posted by: Kane Jan 30 2024, 05:50 PM

First rank is only 10%, so it's definitely an investment. I think the highest it gets is 40%, which would be way more helpful, lol.

I sort of wish you could see POIs like that from orbit after you scan. Then landing wouldn't be such a crapshoot. But I suppose that would negate the exploration aspect of it.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 30 2024, 06:13 PM

That would definitely be helpful.

Speaking of landing, if you build an outpost away from where you land in an area, can your ship start landing closer to your outpost?

Posted by: Kane Jan 31 2024, 01:05 PM

Yes, you can also build landing pads. There is even a big landing pad you can build that has a shipbuilder terminal. It has a lot of different ship modules, too.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 31 2024, 02:39 PM

Neat! I’m thinking we need a sort of “depot” outpost near Jemison to store resources and such. I have read that the Lodge has unlimited storage in the basement, but there are no such containers in my game. *shrugs*

Posted by: Kane Jan 31 2024, 02:52 PM

The safe in your Lodge room is also unlimited. I thought it strange that they brought back limited storage containers after so many years.

My Kurtz outpost was my supply depot until I could build a ship big enough that it didn't matter, lol. I had a small hab to craft in, aluminum and he-3 extractors and a pile of storage containers. Now my deep space ship has 2400 cargo which I haven't even come close to filling.

Posted by: Renee Jan 31 2024, 05:42 PM

Are there mods on Xbox? Even so, I'm assuming there isn't a way to manage them, or create stuff which is outside the normal assets. Which is fine. Be nice to have some sort of limit to modding on consoles, therefore there's still a reason to get the game on PC.

Posted by: Kane Jan 31 2024, 06:39 PM

There probably will be once the Creation Kit 2 releases. All the mods out now are textures, config files, or stuff made in xEdit. There won't be any script extenders though.

Edit: script extenders for Xbox that is. SFSE is already out on PC.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Jan 31 2024, 06:49 PM

I just hope they don’t do away with offering the free unofficial mods in favor of the newest incarnation of Creation Club. It was nice having free mods you could download for Skyrim and Fallout4 on consoles.

Posted by: Renee Jan 31 2024, 07:05 PM

Nah, I don't see free modding ever going away, even for consoles. That worry has come up time and time again. I think long ago Bethesda initially stated that paid Creation Club would be the way of the future (when console modding for Skyrim first began in 2013 or '14) but the outcry from the community was deafening. As I recall, the idea of sole paid mods was then dropped.

Correct me if I'm wrong!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Feb 1 2024, 12:08 AM

Wish I could say you are right, but they just keep coming back to this business model of monetizing what is essentially mods while marketing it as “DLC”. When free mods interfere too much in making money off of Creation (or whatever they are calling it these days), I bet you Micro$oft will crack down on it. Actually, now that I think about it, hiring the mod authors to work on these projects could be used as a way to stop them from producing free mods if in the future such a crackdown were to occur. Maybe I’m just being a bit of a conspiracy nut, but now that BGS is owned my Micro$oft, nothing would really surprise me.

Posted by: SubRosa Feb 1 2024, 01:32 AM

I guess the question then is has Microsoft already done that with another franchise? I don't really know. I am not up on what games/companies that they own. Aside from Flight Simulator of course.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Feb 1 2024, 11:45 AM

Not that I know of, but then no other game company’s games are so intrinsically bound to modding like BGS games are. With BGS games, some people would argue that mods are a huge part of the appeal of those games, and, in my opinion, the fact that BGS has tried to monetize mods repeatedly throughout their existence proves that they think modding is an important aspect of their games as well. The only thing I can see holding the money hounds back, is that more negative PR for a company that, for whatever reason, can’t seem to do anything right in the press these days, would be highly undesirable.


Sorry, I probably sound like a lunatic. Lol

Posted by: Renee Feb 3 2024, 06:08 AM

A fur-covered lunatic! Kidding.

Nah, I don't see paid mods becoming a thing, at least not as a widespread across-the-board measure which ALL modders need to deal with. There's just too much work involved, making sure every persons' mods won't ruin the millions of variables, all the potential conflicts and other issues all our individual modified games could present.

Who would be in charge of making sure all this stuff works, most of which is Unofficial, and can potentially ruin a player's gamesave if they're not careful. Again this has come up in the past. Bethesda can't do it. They're too busy with the next game, which Microsoft (if they're smart) will just let them continue with. So I do not see Beth saying "You gotta pay for ALL mods, starting NOW" while not thoroughly testing each one.

Wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft tries to make such a thing happen, though. At least for Xbox. If so, MS doesn't understand Bethesda's business model. And I predict that if MS tries to implement such nonsense that they'll be forced to rescind their decision.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Feb 3 2024, 04:07 PM

I really hope you are right, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they do something like this.
Anyway, I’ve taken us waaay off topic with this. Sorry ‘bout that.

I need to figure out how to get some screenshots for y’all!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Feb 4 2024, 04:50 AM

Dez got a new toy! She started a non-faction related side quest by killing a Spacer somewhere and ended up with a new ship that was just left sitting around in an underground hangar!! Tomorrow I’ll check it out in greater detail.

Posted by: Kane Feb 4 2024, 01:42 PM

I know exactly what you mean, lol. That mission is a great way to get an early upgrade from the Frontier.

Archimedes V-a is my new favorite place for a late game outpost. Beautiful temperate moon that closely orbits a gas giant for those incredible views. Gravity is less than earths, mild temps, good magnetosphere, breathable air, and lovely biomes. I even found a coastal location that reminds me of a scottish moor.

Stunning moon in a level 75 system, lol.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Feb 4 2024, 02:55 PM

That sounds awesome. Have you found any Dagobah like planets?

Posted by: Kane Feb 4 2024, 03:22 PM

Nah, most swamp or wetland biomes I've found aren't that intricate. There are some wonderfully dense deciduous forests out there though.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Feb 4 2024, 03:28 PM

Yeah the planet where Dez got that new ship is beautiful, with its snow and coniferous trees.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Feb 7 2024, 08:35 PM

Just got to Neon. Place has vibes. I love it!