Summary
Bethesda Game Studios wanted to allow players to craft ship parts inStarfield, a mechanic that would have worked alongside an entire resource management system but was scrapped due to constraints. The 1.14.68 update forStarfieldwas recently rolled out, delivering performance and stability improvements as well as implementing various other tweaks.
Starfieldis the latest RPG from Bethesda, known largely for itspopularFalloutandElder Scrollstitles. The 2023 game introduced additional mechanics that were relevant to its sci-fi setting, such as interplanetary travel and, most recently, a working land vehicle. A retired Bethesda employee now claims that the company had hoped to add even more features to its latest release, but was ultimately unable to do so.
In an interview on the Kiwi Talks podcast, Bruce Nesmith, a former game systems designer at Bethesda, explained that players may have been able to craft ship parts inStarfieldusing natural resources. He explained that this mechanic would have worked alongside a fleshed-out management system that automatically transferred and processed materials across worlds. However, Bethesda was unable to make such a feature work sufficiently with its limited art and programming schedules.
In the same interview with Kiwi Talks, Nesmith, who also worked on big hits likeFallout 4andThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, said that it would benearly impossible forThe Elder Scrolls 6to meet the expectations of fans. According to the retired developer, the next entry in Bethesda’s beloved fantasy franchise would quickly be compared to the rest of the company’s titles. Many consider the games inThe Elder ScrollsandFalloutfranchises to be among the best open-world RPGs of all time, making the bar incredibly difficult to meet.
While Bethesda never followed through with the mechanic that would have allowed players to craft ship parts inStarfield, there is a free mod that adds similar functionality to the game. Nexus Mods user rbddc12’s aptly namedCraftable Ship Parts modutilizes theIndustrial Workbench inStarfieldand a few handy materials, namely the Crimping Tool, Pipe Wrench, Ratcher, and Vice Grip.
The first DLC forStarfield,Shattered Space, is set to be released on September 30. This horror-themed expansion will feature a new story set in the world of Va’ruun’kai, the home ofStarfield’s theocratic House Va’ruun faction.Shattered Spacewill also provide players with new equipment, enemies, and materials.
Starfield
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Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
