Starfield - Bethesda's new space IP: will probably be full of fun and easily trackable bugs

[indigoisviolet]

Oh... so, yeah, we have an answer: I put the 8 hour thing into background playlist, and at around the 40-45min mark there are clips of devs discussing QA strategy. Apparently QA testers replayed The Mine -> Orbital Attack -> Solo Dungeon -> Constellation Watch Door Opening over and over and over again to check if recent code changes had unforeseen consequences, and very little else. It's a miracle they didn't top themselves. Nobody at Bethesda QA was employed to play Starfield from beginning to end, as suspected. QA were deployed more as Mod Stability Checkers rather than gameplay polishers. This also puts that odd "what was your favorite part of Starfield?" dev montage into perspective: they each gushed about the bit of the game they personally worked on, which came across as smugly egotistical, when the reality was more that their mod was the only part of the game they ever personally experienced.

 

[30+GameOvers]

Funny how this meltdown comes right after that 8 hour video comes out. I wonder if Emil watched it?
I read that the mod support for this game is already in trouble as they changed a lot of how it works behind the scenes, making it harder to work around mod-to-mod conflicts for example. The whole reason why Fallout/TES modding scene got off the ground was because the editor came with the game and was EASY TO USE. Starfield already was doomed to have much less engagement than these two, and now it will have even less. I think the conspiracy that Bethesda is mostly aiming to have Creation Club content keeping the game afloat might not be that far fetched

 

[The Doom Slayer]

Anyone who uses the "you can't criticize X because you've never made one" line should be immediately be disregarded.

Shut the fuck up, get off social media and make better games you seething bitch.

 

[Blue Miaplacidus]

Starfield felt like a botched MMO pruned into a Single Player game in a panic.

This was my exact thought as well playing the game. I pirated it, played about 12-15 hours and deleted it as it was incredibly shit and boring. I don't watch youtube/twitch or read reddit or about games in general, I mostly go into everything blind. I've never played another Bethesda game before, not that I know of at least, but everything about Starfield felt like I was in a dead unfinished mmorpg alone. The mission boards, everything being instanced, the missions/quests all feel like it was designed around being an MMORPG live service game. Whatever it is, it should've never been released in the state that it is. It's dogshit, which is a shame because I'm still looking for something that will replace EvE online to satisfy my 'space game' desire.

 

[moocow]

I'm still looking for something that will replace EvE online to satisfy my 'space game' desire.

Look into X4 Foundations (or really any of the entries in the X series, though X4 is the newest and arguably most impressive). It might be something you'd enjoy. Noteworthy differences from Starfield: no loading screens (after loading into the game) and instant, seamless transitions between sectors; loads of different ships and lots of customization; a working economy; ability to design, build and own your own stations (with an absurd level of customization that blows away Starfield's ship builder); warring factions and roaming defense and assault fleets, and more. There's plots too, if you're into that, or you can just do your own thing in the sandbox.

I've easily burned thousands of hours in the X3 games and I'm well over a thousand on X4 at this point as well.

 

[FedPostalService]

Heard joke once: Game writer goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Says life seems harsh and cruel. Says he feels all alone in a threatening world where what lies ahead is vague and uncertain. Doctor says, "Treatment is simple. Great clown developer Emil Pagliarulo is sperging on Twitter. Go and read him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears. Says, "But doctor...I am Emil Pagliarulo.”

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

Allegedly, Bethesda has changed loot so that Pirates and Spacers carry Varun weapons at higher levels now. Some people are claiming they think they've tweaked enemy AI as enemies seem to take more powerful weapons from containers/the ground during combat as well as use more flanking and aggressive maneuvers.

You'd think Bethesda would report these changes in a patch note, though.

 

[30+GameOvers]

What is the point of giving a faction it's own set of unique weapons when every random pirate can just have it at later levels? What made the Institute Laser, Gauss Rifles, Laser Muskets or Handmade Rifles in Fallout 4 unique was that they were mostly found wielded by a certain faction for the most part. This is even worse since it clearly has the branding of the varun. You can claim that this is because the pirates took them off the dead cultists and that shows how badass they are, but come on. Just bring the faction back and make the weapons unique to them, it shouldn't be THAT hard, right?
Speaking of which, are there any weapons that only a certain group uses in this game or is the distribution about as lazy as their designs?

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

Speaking of which, are there any weapons that only a certain group uses in this game or is the distribution about as lazy as their designs?

Spacers = Lasers
Pirates = Ballistic (although they do have their own pirate style ballistics IIRC)
Varun = Particle Beams (Also have their own style Particle Beams)

At least that is how it was before this loot change, if I'm understanding everything.

It sounds like this change may have been made because a vocal group complained that Varun weapons were "too rare", which kind of goes into Starfields whole exploration issue.

Varun weapons *seem* rare, because Varun enemies are primarily encountered outside the core "settled" systems. So basically if you just follow the storyline, or you're just fucking around building ships and doing mission board shit...you won't see them enough to get Varun drops consistently.

I've already seen some Starfield fans complain this ruins the dynamic of how to plan around enemies since now they can just carry whatever the fuck.

 

[Mega Black]

making it harder to work around mod-to-mod conflicts for example

From what I read, keep in mind I'm retarded, the way the new file system works means you'd have to create an individual compatibility patch/mod for every single mod you have deployed or they won't work. So if you had Mod X and Y you'd need Mod Z to be made and installed just to get them to play nice. Then if you wanted to add mod A you'd need Mod B and C for mods X and Y to be compatible with each.

That means running a load order of 150 mods is over. At best you could run maybe five or six but that would also require mod authors to make comp patches for every mod you want installed, or you do it yourself. Most mod authors are already saying Starfield is too boring and not worth the effort. I have the sneaking suspicious the REAL reason they broke Skyrim again was to try and get people to refocus on to Starfield.

Reading the reddit update post it looks like Bethesda is hoping to pull a Cyberpunk and save the game by adding hotly requested features for support. Top of the list was seamless planet exploration and city maps, as well as new traversal methods.

I imagine them making planet travel seamless is going to make a game that already runs terribly even worse.

 

[FedPostalService]

From what I read, keep in mind I'm retarded, the way the new file system works means you'd have to create an individual compatibility patch/mod for every single mod you have deployed or they won't work. So if you had Mod X and Y you'd need Mod Z to be made and installed just to get them to play nice. Then if you wanted to add mod A you'd need Mod B and C for mods X and Y to be compatible with each.

That means running a load order of 150 mods is over. At best you could run maybe five or six but that would also require mod authors to make comp patches for every mod you want installed, or you do it yourself. Most mod authors are already saying Starfield is too boring and not worth the effort. I have the sneaking suspicious the REAL reason they broke Skyrim again was to try and get people to refocus on to Starfield.

Reading the reddit update post it looks like Bethesda is hoping to pull a Cyberpunk and save the game by adding hotly requested features for support. Top of the list was seamless planet exploration and city maps, as well as new traversal methods.

I imagine them making planet travel seamless is going to make a game that already runs terribly even worse.

I’m now at the stage were I just want to watch Bethesda burn. Part of me is hoping that the next Elder Scrolls is garbage and the gaming press starts lecturing us that we just don’t understand how to appreciate loading screens and jank.

 

[Leaf Wage Slave Jr]

I’m now at the stage were I just want to watch Bethesda burn. Part of me is hoping that the next Elder Scrolls is garbage and the gaming press starts lecturing us that we just don’t understand how to appreciate loading screens and jank.

Somewhere at Microsoft, Phil Spencer is probably just thinking “we spent HOW MUCH on these idiots?”. But remember, “Microsoft might make them improve” - yes, that’s actual Cope I’ve seen.

Bethesda’s last game I universally see people liked was Skyrim. This last decade plus has been the studio coasting on it’s name - Fallout 4 was Mid at best, but the combined disasters of the Fallout 76 Launch and Starfield being so shit even modders are abandoning it have likely done some serious damage to the studio’s name.

Unless ES6 is the Home Run to end all Home Run’s, I think Todd and a lot of the other senior staff at Bethesda are on borrowed time. I think Todd retires after ES6, and with how he’s the best hype man this studio has I think they’re fucked the second he announces it.

 

[FedPostalService]

Somewhere at Microsoft, Phil Spencer is probably just thinking “we spent HOW MUCH on these idiots?”. But remember, “Microsoft might make them improve” - yes, that’s actual Cope I’ve seen

I actually thought this! I’m now at the dilating stage of the cope/seethe journey.

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

Somewhere at Microsoft, Phil Spencer is probably just thinking “we spent HOW MUCH on these idiots?”.

I'd make the argument that the IP's they collected through the Zenimax buyout was worth more than Bethesda Games Studios themselves. (Redfall and Starfield were already in production when the buyout happened, so they're not really things done through Microsoft and were probably not key motivators in the purchase)

If only they could be bothered to do anything with them. Maybe they should call up Kirkbride and be like "Hey weirdo, want to make a Redguard sequel?" and just straight up make it a crazy action/adventure game.

I'm sure it'd flop but it couldn't be worse than Starfield.

 

[Sniperwoof]

Apparently breaking everyone's Skyrim mods wasn't enough so in a couple months they're going to do it for FO4 too.

I don't understand why Bethesda is so intent on burning their studio to the ground. Seemingly for no reason other than spite for their fans

 

[Snekposter]

Apparently breaking everyone's Skyrim mods wasn't enough so in a couple months they're going to do it for FO4 too.

I don't understand why Bethesda is so intent on burning their studio to the ground. Seemingly for no reason other than spite for their fans

On the bright side we're going to have plenty of material to laugh at since Bethesda is the gift that keeps on giving in that regard.

 

[Super Hans v2]

If only they could be bothered to do anything with them. Maybe they should call up Kirkbride and be like "Hey weirdo, want to make a Redguard sequel?" and just straight up make it a crazy action/adventure game.

I'm sure it'd flop but it couldn't be worse than Starfield.

Redguard was before Morrowind blew up the popularity, any slop such as Online will sell like hotcakes. But me too, I want Kirkride given a sack of drugs and unshackled. It will make MGS2 look concise and coherent in comparison.

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

Redguard was before Morrowind blew up the popularity

Oh, I know. But apparently Kirkbride has been working on some novel/audio book sequel to Redguard for like 15 years now so I figure that would be the thing that he'd want to work on if given time and resources.

 

[Asian tech support]

Allegedly, Bethesda has changed loot so that Pirates and Spacers carry Varun weapons at higher levels now. Some people are claiming they think they've tweaked enemy AI as enemies seem to take more powerful weapons from containers/the ground during combat as well as use more flanking and aggressive maneuvers.

You'd think Bethesda would report these changes in a patch note, though.

There's a great opportunity for environmental storytelling here but Bethesda won't take it. If pirates/spacers have Varuun weapons, provide evidence that they just raided a House vessal or make it so that a bunch of high ranking crew members are clearly ex-Varuun. Then make it a rare encounter.

 

[SteelPlatedHeart]

I wonder if they’re gonna try and pull off the “paid mods” thing again.