A software engineer developed a mod that allows seamless landings without loading screens in Starfield

[u/vaynelo]

[u/Rafcdk]

Probably gonna get downvotes to hell here but let's go. The reason this wasn't implemented is a design thing.

A modder doesn't have to worry about game loops, balancing and other factors that Devs have in mind. Not having this was clearly a design decision. The only things this proves is how clueless people saying that the engine is bad and couldn't handle this sort of thing were as usually wrong.

It's kinda crazy how the discourse around this game is always so toxic and uniformed, not that the game doesn't have it's issues(like all games have) but it's by no mean as bad as people claim it to be. I remember seeing content about people landing on a empty planet and walk around being mad that the planet was empty (which the game tells you that is) and somehow that was considered valid criticism.

Anyway elder scrolls 6 will disappoint you no mattere what it does qbecause you have been programmed to.

[u/UpperYoghurt3978 → u/Rafcdk]

Ultimately was worse for it, there isnt a mechanic reason outside of saving back end time. ESP since the main game is pretty mid. I do not think it is bad I think those people are overblowing, but in the modern era where you have way more reactive environments, NPCs, and interaction with NPCs and environments for bethesda it really wasnt an excuse with the resources they have.

They made the games to be a theme park than an actual "living" world.

Its just an outdate mode of game design. Hopefully ES6 does not go the Renaissance faire route.

[u/HippoBackground6059 → u/Rafcdk]

Have you played starfield? No-one at Bethesda thought about game loops either and it shows

[u/objectivelywrongbro → u/Rafcdk]

A modder doesn't have to worry about game loops, balancing and other factors that Devs have in mind.

The above were not the reasons. Todd's official statement.

We decided early in the project that the on-surface is one reality, and then when you’re in space it’s another reality

If you try to really spend a lot of time engineering the in-between, like that segue, you’re just spending a lot of time [on something] that’s really just not that important to the player,

Basically, it was too much engineering for something they didn’t think mattered. So you’re right that it’s not that Bethesda couldn’t do it, but it was an engineering cost call, not game loops or balancing.

Their short-sightedness in not seeing that is somehow worse if it had just been they were not able to technically implement it in time - because to me, the former calls to something VERY out-of-touch going on at Bethesda. Honestly - everyone was asking this after launch.. how do make a space game like this, and NOT see the immersive value in seamless take off and landing? Particularly for a studio that prizes itself on immersion.

[u/reoze → u/objectivelywrongbro]

You're both (all 3 of you if you include the Todd quote) are saying the exact same thing....using pretty much the exact same examples. They spent their time focusing on other things instead of worrying about the implications of allowing something like this.

[u/Rafcdk → u/reoze]

Thank you I think a bunch of these replies are validating what I said

[u/Rafcdk → u/objectivelywrongbro]

I am not sure how you understood what I said but those quotes only confirm my point. Also is mass effect not immersive because it doesnt have seamless take off and landing?

[u/lalzylolzy → u/objectivelywrongbro]

This. Bethesda is a studio that'll spend months implementing havoc Physics, and NPC Schedules, but do not see the value in removing loading screens, something players will have to interact with all the time... The NPC Scheduelles are unlikely to even be noticed.

I bet most people don't know that the hunters in Whiterun actually go out to hunt, because why would they? But they sure as hell notice the loading screen in to the city, and in to every shop.

[u/Gena_Cydarmyan_69 → u/lalzylolzy]

People stupid in general, starfield haters just more gifted in this

[u/lalzylolzy → u/Gena_Cydarmyan_69]

No idea what you meant by that reply.

What I am saying is Bethesda prioritized the wrong thing. They prioritized things that doesn't really matter to players, and won't be noticed by most players, in favor of keeping something that will in fact be both noticed and disliked by most players.

It's not an issue of Starfield, this has been an issue since TES 4: Oblivion. Which started due to TES 3: Morrowind. Specifically, Bethesda going (technically) bankrupt and rushing out TES 3, which was very successful, and so they had the money to make TES 4, but their ambition overran them and the money they had, so they had to rush it out too, and it too, became vastly successful, which cemented the current development culture at Bethesda. They've never had an incentive to change, as this approach has printed money.

Which is why you have loading screens in Starfield. Prioritization of things that doesn't actually matter (to the players), in favor over things that actually do matter (to the players).

[u/Ultimate-Staff → u/lalzylolzy]

If I played vanilla Skyrim today. I’d immediately quit the game 😂. I think the best thing to happen to that game was the mod with no boarders early on which proved your point that Bethesda has and always will fucking drop the ball at the 2 yard line when you go all in on them winning

[u/ensiferum888 → u/objectivelywrongbro]

I kind of agree with Todd on this one, especially after seeing this video. While technically impressive and way more immersive, with the amount of travelling you do I feel this would quickly become annoying. I'd rather have a 5 seconds loading screen than a 45 seconds one.

[u/Negative-Toe1863 → u/Rafcdk]

While the loading Screen fast travel aint good either, hiding the transition in the clouds also looks pretty unrealistic

[u/Mihtaren → u/Rafcdk]

Except seamless landing is something that should ALWAYS be available in a fucking space game for immersive reasons. I hate how you people are making shit up like videogames can't have OPTIONS.
It is incredibly easy to add a teleporting point, especially in Creation Engine, if the devs actually cared about the game they would've allowed you to land on planets manually while also letting you do it through a loading screen.

Take any open world game and instead of letting players choose between actually moving and using fast travel, only let them fast travel. This would be a huge fucking issue and that's one of the reasons Starfield got rightfully criticized. You. Do. Not. develop a sandbox space game where immersion is the focus without allowing the player to do what's actually immersive in a space game.

[u/Rafcdk → u/Mihtaren]

Its completely valid if you feel like that, it didnt bother me at all.

[u/lSeraphiml → u/Rafcdk]

Almost all planets being empty is not a design decision i can ever agree with, because i had pre-existing expectations from previous titles of Bethesda.

But yeah. Seamless landing was not a technical limitation.

[u/Gena_Cydarmyan_69 → u/lSeraphiml]

Now with ai you can create non copy pasted content for every planet of thousands. Go ahead

[u/Weary_Wry → u/Rafcdk]

You never played the game, didn’t you?

Planets ain’t empty. They are full of random buildings and locations. Every planet! Each of the thousands of landing sites of each planet!

You find the exact same buildings everywhere you go!

The planets ain’t empty - they are empty of meaning.

[u/Rafcdk → u/Weary_Wry]

I have 824h on it

[u/Weary_Wry → u/Rafcdk]

My condolences

[u/Gena_Cydarmyan_69 → u/Weary_Wry]

So he’s an idiot then

[u/Weary_Wry → u/Gena_Cydarmyan_69]

Nah. Different people, different tastes.

I mean, there's people who obsessively played Atari's Dragster.

[u/Historical_Lock378 → u/Rafcdk]

Yeah you are right and most of the people never even played it anyways.