Starfield is the first new IP for Bethesda Game Studios in 25 years, promising a story with human exploration at its heart. Philosophy and choice in Starfield guide players on their course in a game where the player’s agency is crucial. Starfield has revealed that it’s more than a game where you join one faction over another, but where you can build settlements and ships, follow a story, or set out to explore what it means for humanity to exist in the stars and discover what’s out there, and what comes next.
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Ship Customization Features in Starfield
The official Starfield Gameplay Reveal trailer showcases many shots of the customization options of the starships that players can build. Some things that can be gleaned are that there are reading outputs for different features that come with each manufactured part of the ship’s build. For example, there are readings for Hull, Shield, Cargo, Crew, Jump Range, Mobility, Top Speed, and Mass for what appears to be the front cockpit of the ship with the control room. Other parts, such as the engine, fuel tanks, landers, and reactors, are listed with corresponding readings relative to the part and the ship manufacturers or corporations in Starfield to choose from that Howard talks about in the trailer.
Ship coloring is provided to players, with the ability to save at least three color profiles. Hue, Saturation, and Brightness can be adjusted along with paint. The complete list of colors, profiles, and other elements are unknown. Additionally, the specs show off different designs of spaceships, some bulkier with larger cargo slots, some sleeker like a racer/fighter, or perhaps a shuttle with less cargo available. If this proves to be the case, players can maybe build multiple ships of varying types to accommodate their current situations.
Potential Races and PvP Modes
It would be interesting to see a Starfield PvP mode for racing ships in contests, in-game sporting events, or arenas, to even at different players’ outposts and settlements. Something of this caliber isn’t impossible, as many No Man’s Sky players build racetrack bases with base parts that accommodate the game’s Exocrafts. Horizon Forbidden West integrated the Gauntlet Races, where you could stun, hit, and trip enemies. This element could be introduced in less aggressive PvP modes, where destruction reigns higher, losing resources to those who defeated other players.
It would make sense that the diversity of how and what players can build in terms of spaceships will lead to many creating unique profiles and designs. For example, it would be fun to see them put to the test for racing and combat against fellow Constellation explorers - or whichever Starfield faction they choose. If even those consequences and choices followed into multiplayer could create numerous different scenarios for role-playing. With varying systems of weapons, engines, shields, and drives that can be built, each faction may have its arsenal range that can’t be obtained anywhere else, leading to more diversified ship makes.
Whatever the outcomes may be for Starfield’s ship design and customization, the fact that it featured a segment worth mentioning in the Gameplay Reveal Trailer, Howard’s love of the concept of building and designing every inch of the players ship, means some content should be focused around the use and purposes of doing just that. Racing and PvP modes would be a great way to encourage players to explore hopefully countless builds to test against their fellow humans in the stars.
Starfield releases in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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