How we’re exploring the galaxy of Starfield
Bethesda is known for crafting massive experiences that let you branch out and create your own story. Sure, they have main missions and plenty of side paths to keep you occupied, but the journey of getting there is what's remembered. The reward may not always be what you wanted, but the steps to get there are what continuously brings players back to try new character archetypes, moral decisions, and ways of playing in general. With how big Starfield is being marketed, we thought it'd be fun to do our first collaboration piece to talk about how we're planning on exploring the stars and experiencing Starfield once it lands.
As it may come as a surprise to those reading, as a self-proclaimed lover of all things cozy games, my favorite video game of all time is hands down Skyrim. From playing way back on Xbox 360 in the mid-2010s to playing ESO a routine basis with my husband currently, something about a Bethesda RPG just always gets me hyped. Years ago, when this game was announced, all I could think about was how much fun it was going to be to be able to play Skyrim in space.
It also may not come as a surprise that combat is not one of my fortees in gaming, and I don’t usually attempt to play a “guns blazing” campaign, opting more for Stealth Archer 9/10. Obviously, with Starfield taking place in a futuristic expanse of the universe, it is doubtful that there will be any bow and arrow options for me to choose from with weaponry, but there is one thing that did get my attention, and that would have to be the Cyber Runner background that you can pick at the beginning of character customization.
The Cyber Runner background, at its core, is about stealth. Two of the three traits that come with this background are stealth and theft, my specialties. Countless hours have been spent “sneaking” around Skyrim maps, improving my stealth tree as quickly as I could so as to not have to fight my way out of every quest. With these two traits right off the bat, I have a feeling they will catapult me right to where I want to be. As long as I can find a sniper rifle to my specifications, I should be good as gold.
I know it sounds cliche to want to be a stealthy assassin type in a Bethesda game, but this is one thing the internet (or my husband) will not mock me out of doing. I am so excited to finally see Starfield’s loading screen that I can almost taste it. I hope everyone playing can make the classes of their dreams, and I am beyond excited to see where everyone’s journeys take them.
—Kaitlyn, AndiCandy03 on Xbox. @andianderson03 on X
The process I go through to develop characters in role-playing games is a complicated process. First off, I never roleplay as myself. The thought of playing as myself is not compelling to me. Choices are usually easy to make, and the characters throughout my games get repetitive when I play as myself. So, I usually begin by assigning a trait to my character (friendly, liar, headstrong, etc.) as well as a simple back story to start my roots on who this character will be. In games where I get to choose my gender, I’ll usually play the first 20 minutes of the game as both in order to determine which gender best fits the story and character I want to play.
Bethesda games, on the other hand, have always been different for me. I always find them hard to naturally role-play a character. I’ve never found their systems to be very friendly when helping someone roleplay a character. Skyrim I’ve restarted and formed a new character at least 25 times, while in Oblivion and Fallout 3, my characters really didn’t form who they were until halfway through the game. Fallout 4, on the other hand, was a poorly done example of an avatar roleplaying protagonist.
Despite my meh feelings towards Bethesda games and their approach to role-playing, I do want to give myself a chance to thoroughly enjoy this game. So, I’m taking a new approach to designing a character. Instead of going barebones and allowing the story and the world to naturally shape and define my character, I will instead be treating Starfield like it isn’t a role-playing game but a story with an already established protagonist. I intend to have a fully fleshed-out character that gives me an easy road map to everything that character will say and do. Without further ado, let’s meet Todd Redguard.
Todd Redguard is a driven individual ready to do whatever it takes to see his goals completed. Whether those goals are completed in the cleanest and safest way means little to him. Just if he cements a legacy and makes a load of money doing so. Todd is impatient and will be short with those who impede him, but he will celebrate those who show their worth to his plans and crew. Todd is charismatic but has a horrible tendency to lie in almost any given circumstance. Todd will see that at the end of the day, his name will be remembered by all. Todd had a difficult, reserved past and felt invisible to those around him, but he refuses to let the past define him, and he’ll show everyone who cared nothing about him before that he is a force of change in the universe.
—Avery, Mango1Smoothie on Xbox, can also be found at youtube.com/@uffdagames
With just a few days left, my mind has been jumping all over how I want to approach Starfield. Bethesda really seems to be throwing everything but the kitchen sink into this game. The ability to build and design your own outposts on planets, multiple factions to dive into and learn about, a new skill tree system that pushes you to play into those skills to increase their capabilities, 1000 planets to explore and build settlements and outposts on, shipbuilding, and customization are done in such a way that you can fly almost anything out into space. At a glance, the opportunities truly seem endless; how much Bethesda and the team actually let us run with them and carve our own legacy amongst the stars is yet to be seen.
Whenever I start a new Skyrim, Oblivion, or Fallout playthrough, I always go in with the intention of playing with a new type of weapon class and getting super into the lore everywhere I go. Reading books and talking to everyone I could to do every little side task was the goal, but it often fell apart as my ADHD kicked in and I started wandering in every direction. With Starfield, I want to attempt to actually role-playing a specific type of character, maybe a lone wanderer or bounty hunter who secretly comes from wealth and has numerous connections across the galaxy. Or maybe just play a loveable goofball who gets thrust into the main story. I really want to dive in and play a character who could exist in this world or worlds. Instead of being a jack of all trades, I really want to hone in on one or two aspects of my character.
No matter what, I don't see myself wanting to push my way through the main story at all. I want to explore planets and see what sort of natural storytelling I come across. I want to explore the different factions scattered across the galaxy while avoiding basebuilding and settlements at all costs. The real test will be seeing how long I stick with my choice of roll play before everything falls apart. Shipbuilding is honestly the thing I'm looking forward to the least, purely because of the limitations of my own imagination. I'm sure within hours we're going to see a ton of crazy creations pop up online that people have built, but I'm going to stick to a simple, tried and true vessel called "The Rascadoo," as I always do, and be on my merry way.
—Jaco, amillent on Xbox