Summary

  • Starfield's ship builder was originally based on an outpost resource system, but it was cut due to feature creep.
  • Ship parts in Starfield can be obtained with credits, making ship customization popular with players.

A recent interview with former Bethesda designer, Bruce Nesmith, revealed that Starfield was originally meant to have a completely different ship-building system – one that relied on outpost resources instead of credits. While Starfield has endured its fair share of criticism, its ship builder received universal praise from the gaming community, as it allowed players the freedom to both make original concepts and recreate famous vessels from established franchises.

The ship builder in Starfield was designed to be modular, and though not every ship part is available in every port, they can all be obtained if the player's pockets are deep enough. Earning credits in Starfield is much easier than gathering resources, which are primarily used in constructing outposts and crafting equipment or mods. However, at one point during its development, the ship builder and the outpost system were much more closely intertwined.

Starfield Shattered Space DLC
Starfield's Shattered Space Hopefully Sets One Precedent for Future DLC

Starfield's Shattered Space DLC already seems to be setting a precedent for the game's future, should it have plans to release even more DLC later on.

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As revealed by Bruce Nesmith in a recent interview with Kiwi Talkz, one of the major features in Starfield that ended up on the cutting floor concerned its ship builder mechanic. Instead of purchasing parts directly from the ship manufacturers in Starfield, players would have been compelled to engage with the outpost system more thoroughly. “We wanted a complete set of being able to mine materials, send them to a factory on another world that would then build space-ship modules that you could build your own spaceships with.”

Former Starfield Designer Discusses Cut Ship Building Feature

Nesmith went on to say that the team at Bethesda initially wanted to build Starfield's entire economy using this system as the foundation, but ultimately, it ended up contributing to feature creep, and the developers had to pull it out of the game. Considering how players found gathering rare resources in Starfield tedious, this may have ended up being a correct decision on Bethesda's part. Convenience has ultimately been a huge reason why the ship builder became so popular with Starfield players.

While a Starfield mod could bring back the original ship building system, it would likely face a challenge in how to make the process of establishing a network of interstellar factories engaging. Outposts in Starfield are an optional feature, and an argument could be made that the ship builder isn't a mandatory mechanic either. Starfield players have engaged with these features precisely because they're fun, rather than forced. Though it remains to be seen how Bethesda's post-launch support will continue, the upcoming Shattered Space expansion is set to be the team's biggest attempt at addressing player feedback.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Starfield Tag Page Cover Art
10 /10

Starfield
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Action
RPG
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Systems
PC-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 85 /100 Critics Rec: 83%
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Released
September 6, 2023
ESRB
M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence
Developer(s)
Bethesda
Publisher(s)
Bethesda
Engine
proprietary engine
Cross-Platform Play
no multiplayer
Cross Save
no
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

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.

Steam Deck Compatibility
yes
Genre(s)
Action, RPG
How Long To Beat
20 Hours
X|S Optimized
Yes
File Size Xbox Series
101 GB (September 2023)