Fallout 4 had all the hype in the world. Until people got into it and realized it was a lot of space between everything important. It's been a hallmark Bethesda issue they make a massive world underpopulated with actual designed elements and leave it to the random events and the players' decisions to fill the dead air. It's honestly part of why New Vegas is so beloved - there isn't just hollow land you're meant to traverse to earn something new to do.
Everything about the Starfield information is making me concerned that that issue is going to be made worse by this game and not better. Systems full of empty space.
At the same time, it's the design philosophy that makes the game so mod-friendly. There isn't much worry about interfering with vanilla content if you put your mod in one of the empty areas. Not Starfield not only gonna have empty areas, they'll have empty planets. Empty systems.
Bethesda games are always bound by your ability to find your own fun, and your willingness to mess with the mechanics of the game to do so. Most fun I ever had in vanilla Skyrim was using its glitchy nature to Fus Ro Yeet aggressive wildlife into low orbit.
There will definitely be fun like that to be had here.
I just worry there won't be as much tight, well-designed, hand-crafted stuff that makes me feel like this game really took as long of a development time as it did for a reason. I don't want 1000 planets of procedural generation and a chest hidden somewhere on there with 2 sweet rolls and a space helmet that woulda been trash at level 1. I want a few planets that actually had care put into their creation and rewards worth going through the effort for. Bethesda hasn't been good at that since fukking Oblivion if we are being honest here.
I hope it's a return to form.
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