Starfield's design director says that player trust accrued over the rebuilding of Fallout 76 carried over to the new game.
17.08.2023 - 13:43 / gadgets.ndtv.com / Emil Pagliarulo / Will Shen / Xbox And
Starfield has finally gone gold ahead of its release next month, indicating that main development on the game has ended and that it's ready to hit store shelves soon. As such, developer Bethesda has confirmed preload details for its expansive space-set RPG, with Xbox Series S/X receiving early treatment on August 17. Meanwhile, PC players on Steam can begin pre-installing the game in anticipation, starting August 30. Additionally, the game will be available to play for free to those who're subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, though access for them will begin on launch day i.e., September 6.
Leading up to the release, lead game designer Emil Pagliarulo and lead quest designer Will Shen also held a Q&A session on Starfield's Discord server (via ResetEra), revealing some interesting details such as the inclusion of a jail system. Just like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, performing sketchy acts such as smuggling contraband can get you in trouble with law enforcement of the galaxy. Upon being caught, you'll be presented with two main options to deal with the situation: you can either pay the required fine when apprehended or get thrown into jail. And of course, there is the third alternative, which is to blast your way through them and go on the run. Those looking for smooth sailing, however, can invest in spaceship parts and modules that help conceal those illegal items, as you get past security.
Prepare for launch.#Starfield has gone gold! Preloads begin tomorrow for @Xbox X|S and Windows PC and August 30 for Steam. pic.twitter.com/LC8xJnI8WN
The items themselves have a set price in Starfield's universe but can be sold for a profit if you have the right skills unlocked. That money can then be spent on property located in major cities or you can complete specific quests that grant homes as a reward. An interview from last year revealed that Bethesda is heavily leaning on character customisation in this game — to the extent that picking up the ‘Kid Stuff' trait makes it so your in-game parents resemble your appearance. The developers weren't entirely clear in what capacity parents would be involved in Starfield, but noted that the feature is quite similar to Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. Another feature derived from Fallout is the Persuasion system, which can be used to avoid confrontations by smooth talking your way through, albeit Bethesda confirmed that a full pacifist playthrough isn't ‘totally feasible.'
Just like previous Bethesda RPGs, Starfield presents companions who would tag along for the ride — in this case, over 20, all of whom are named and have unique backstories. The Q&A also confirmed that while real-world religions are present within the game's universe, the focus is mostly on the three fictional
Starfield's design director says that player trust accrued over the rebuilding of Fallout 76 carried over to the new game.
Emil Pagliarulo, the lead designer of Bethesda’s upcoming mega-RPG Starfield, recently revealed that the developers had a Jesuit priest-in-training advise them when creating the game’s religions. Shane Liesegang, the up-and-coming priest in question, actually served as a former writer for Bethesda who specifically worked on both Skyrim and Fallout 4. That former connection combined with Liesegang’s studies helped the team at Bethesda make one of Starfield’s original religions as authentic and believable as possible.
Bethesda consulted a former Skyrim and Fallout 4 writer, who's since become a Catholic priest in training, to help build out the RPG's two in-game religions.
We’re closing in on the final days until Starfield finally arrives. By now, you’ve probably read everything about the game (maybe even filled in your own unofficial character planner). However, did you know that the game was originally going to have a voiced protagonist?
Going from Skyrim to Fallout 4 and then subsequently Starfield proved a challenge for some of Bethesda’s writers.
Bethesda Game Studios once considered giving the playable character in Starfield a voice. In fact, they got so far as to hire a voice actor. But ultimately, they decided not to go ahead with the idea.
Bethesda games have long had silent protagonists, even counting Skyrim's Dragonborn who goes from silently muttering sentences to Fus Ro Dah-ing companions off cliffs. Fallout 4 changed that with two voice options which, along with a watered-down dialogue wheel that never laid out exactly what you were going to say, drew backlash. Starfield took note.
Starfield lead designer Emil Pagliarulo has revealed that developer Bethesda almost decided to give its protagonist a voice. Pagliarulo spoke about the game featuring a silent protagonist in an interview with Polygon leading up to the release of the sci-fi RPG.
The biggest difference between Starfield and Fallout 4 is Bethesda's decision go with a silent protagonist this time around. But that wasn't always the case.
In the five years since Bethesda Softworks first announced Starfield, much of the conversation has been focused on the endless possibilities that await players within the game’s web of planets and choices. There’s complex character and personality creation, a spectrum of geography all tricked out with the latest lighting and physics technology, customizable spaceships and space teams from highly dimensional NPCs, and loads of other bells and whistles to take advantage of the current generation of consoles.
Starfield has a New Game+ mode, ensuring you can keep playing Bethesda's enormous sci-fi RPG even after you eventually roll credits.
This is a quick public service announcement to warn you that Starfield has leaked.