Starfield: 10 New Details Confirmed from Bethesda

Will Shen and Emil Pagliarulo, developers behind Starfield, recently participated in a Discord session to respond to various questions from gamers about the upcoming Bethesda game. In this Q&A session, the developers provided insights into various aspects of the game. Here are 10 key takeaways that shed light on the forthcoming sci-fi action RPG (This post may contain spoilers):

1. Property and Housing: Players can buy houses or property in different cities, either through purchase or as rewards for completing quests.

“You can purchase a dwelling in all the major cities in the game. And there’s at least one that you get specifically for completing… something.”

2. Character Traits and Parents: Players with the “Kids Stuff” trait will have parents generated based on their character’s appearance. The developers also hinted at special benefits for this trait.

“Just as we did in Fallout 3 with your dad, and in Fallout 4 with your son, in Starfield, if you take the Kid Stuff Trait. your parents are based off of you. No spoilers, but I think fans will really appreciate the actors we got to play those roles.”

3. Starting the Game and Character Backstory: Players new to Bethesda games can dive in without prior experience. Creating a detailed character backstory is optional but encouraged for a more immersive experience.

“We always make our games for fans both old AND new. So you can jump in without ever having played a Bethesda title before. But we like to look at it less as playing a game, and more about living in the universe we created.”

4. Smuggling Cargo: Certain items are considered contraband, and players need to smuggle them past security ships orbiting major settlements. Special ship modules can be used to hide illegal items.

“Certain items are considered “Contraband” and you’ll need to smuggle them past security ships that are in orbit of major settlements.”

5. Crime and Jail: The game features a jail system where players can choose to go to jail, pay fines, or resist arrest. The game explores themes of crime and punishment.

“Yup. The Settled Systems is more like Skyrim than Fallout 4’s Commonwealth in that regard. Ya bancha criminals!”

6. Time Passing and Simulated Gameplay: The game’s simulation only runs when the player is actively playing; time doesn’t progress when offline.

“The sim only runs when you’re actively playing. No sleeping on the job!”

7. Double Agent Gameplay: Players can infiltrate factions, and the Crimson Fleet storyline specifically involves being an undercover agent.

“That is exactly what you can do – infiltrate the Crimson Fleet for UC SysDef! It’s specific to that questline.”

8. Pacifist Gameplay: While not every mission can be completed pacifistically, there are non-lethal options, and speech challenges can influence outcomes.

“I can’t guarantee every mission can be completed in pacifist mode, but we do have a couple of systems that will help.”

9. Religions and Beliefs: The game introduces three new religions: Sanctum Universum, The Enlightened, and House Va’ruun. Each has its unique beliefs.

“IRL religions are part of the Starfield universe, (with folks of all religions and denominations out there) but we don’t really focus on them. Instead, we highlight three new ones specific to the game.”

10. Companions: Players can recruit over 20 named characters as companions, each with distinct backgrounds and skills. Companions have predefined perks and skills that can stack with the player’s.

“Four of them are from Constellation and have the most story and interaction with the player, but all of the named characters have their own backgrounds and can follow you around (and carry your stuff). They (Companions) don’t level up, but they come at different ranks, depending on the companion. Well, we call them Skills in Starfield. And they do stack with yours, when relevant.”

 

You can find the complete Starfield Discord Q&A on Reddit.

Discord Server Q&A Full Transcript
byu/ninjabell inStarfield