Member the settlements that need our help? The idea is great. Play your game at your own pace, get a couple procedural quests, those quests just weren't quite there.
Game Discussions Bethesda Softworks Starfield Space RPG
- Thread starter Lngjohnsilver1
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- space rpg
Since this is a Bethesda game, you forgot some important non space based QoL features like:
- Relationships with NPCs (both platonic & romantic). Greatly improve your PC's family life (if you're RPing that sort of back story). Also if PC has romantic follower relationship then they could also experience
- Potential dynasty/family building through NPC marriage and children. Aspirations to build the best combat bounty hunter/faction alliance/pirate/trader fleet in the galaxy? Why not do so by creating a dynasty with the PC's family? Lifelong goal is to be the lone wolf explorer? Why not bring your eldest child or spouse/companion along and train them up in experience? You never know when you're going to need back up as it's a hostile galaxy out there...
- Well designed follower mods like Serena and Lydia (which made travelling/exploring and adventuring Skyrim & Fallout a true joy to play). This game play feature could easily be extended to child and adult NPC SF follower mods to help your PC on their adventures. It's already established that the player can have 2 NPC followers (these were both crew members from the last video reveals). Plus a non human follower (ie the robot). So would expect the modding community to take the follower AI capabilities to the next level based on Fallout/Skyrim experience.
From a dynastic perspective: We don't know what role children will yet play from a game mechanics perspective.
However, the family oriented feature ---while a lot of fun---was extremely limited back in Skyrim. Once you adopted children, they remained just that. So unfortunately had negligible game play impact for the PC outside repetitious, superficial, attention seeking interactions e.g. love bombing their PC parent for gifts/toys, money, even play time. I'd love to see this interaction expanded to more meaningful family relationships and child NPC development. Where children would actually grow into adult NPCs after pasage of several game weeks. Provided that you leave the home for that period of time. It would be interesting if this child/family dynamic could be used to extend the PC's life in game through dynastic purposes. Yes. This is a poor attempt to recrreate a primitive semblance of The Sims dynastic relationship game play. This would provide an immersive way to deal with your PC dying on some remote, hostile, unoccupied planet in the middle of nowhere. Instead of having to restart an earlier save, you'd have option to return home and continue playing as your oldest offspring. Who could investigate what happened to your PC. Or choose not to, and selfishly trail blaze their own path in space.
For example, if your PC died in the game, they could keep playing as their oldest child. Provided the child had passed an age milestone as young adult, was trained like crew members and so experienced enough to fly ships etc.. But Bethesda would likely not bother with developing that level of game play dynamic. So this would likely be a modding community feature.
However, the family oriented feature ---while a lot of fun---was extremely limited back in Skyrim. Once you adopted children, they remained just that. So unfortunately had negligible game play impact for the PC outside repetitious, superficial, attention seeking interactions e.g. love bombing their PC parent for gifts/toys, money, even play time. I'd love to see this interaction expanded to more meaningful family relationships and child NPC development. Where children would actually grow into adult NPCs after pasage of several game weeks. Provided that you leave the home for that period of time. It would be interesting if this child/family dynamic could be used to extend the PC's life in game through dynastic purposes. Yes. This is a poor attempt to recrreate a primitive semblance of The Sims dynastic relationship game play. This would provide an immersive way to deal with your PC dying on some remote, hostile, unoccupied planet in the middle of nowhere. Instead of having to restart an earlier save, you'd have option to return home and continue playing as your oldest offspring. Who could investigate what happened to your PC. Or choose not to, and selfishly trail blaze their own path in space.
For example, if your PC died in the game, they could keep playing as their oldest child. Provided the child had passed an age milestone as young adult, was trained like crew members and so experienced enough to fly ships etc.. But Bethesda would likely not bother with developing that level of game play dynamic. So this would likely be a modding community feature.
TL DR
So SF isn't going to be all about NMS style base building, trade/combat/exploration or even the novel space vehicle crafting feature. A lot of the game play experience will be about the RELATIONSHIPS the player will be establishing with NPCs thorughout the galaxy. This is a feature which has always distinguished Bethesda games from everything in the industry for the last 3 decades. Regardless whether it's the fantasy TES RPG or modern FPS Fallout genres.
IMO if kids and family end up being an integral SF feature, I'd expect a significantly enhanced NPC overhaul once the modding community gets its hands on the game. That's based on positive experiences from Skyrim mods like TMPhoenix's multiple adoption mod (that let you increase the base game number children from 2 to 6). Other excellent immersion mods that let you craft kids toys, clothing and even deadly weapons. Which you could then present them as gifts when the vanilla script causes them to rush up and greet you evey time you returned home. Actually give them useful, functional game play gifts like allowances (which they DID spend to buy things stored in their inventories). Sometimes the kids would even buy your PC gifts as well. And also food, which they did sandbox immersivity eating.
Especially deadly weaponry. Just like that deadly, Jarrin root infused, Daedric enchanted dagger I gifted Sofie back in Skyrim. Which she accidentally stabbed (and coincidentally killed) her sister Lucia with one afternoon while practicing on a target dummy. While genuinely saddened by his loss, my Dark Brotherhood guild master didn't think too deeply of this tragedy. Until he stumbled across Sophie practicing the Black Sacrament in a very remote part of the garden at the family's estate manor one evening...
Oh how that child's soul was irrevocably dark. Such potential. Praise Sithis!
Ah the nostalgic memories. But I digress. Point is relationships, regardless if platonic, romantic, family or otherwise, are really going to make for some incredibly immersive game play. Heck, the modding community at Nexusmods even came up with a global pregnancy mod for female NPCs. Which created randomly pregnant female NPCs and/or their child dependents around Skyrim. This also included pregnant female civilians in the Stormcloak/Imperial garrison populations around the province. That one little detail added an incredible amount of personal detail and immersion for the PC to the Civil War and really all aspects of the game. I'm really hoping we can get to this level of immersive detail with the confirmed ED/NMS exploration/crafting/building/adventuring game play loops.
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Bethesda never got it as good as Bioware. Bethesda is the king of open worlds.
Lydia was a good looking bot that always got in the way of your bowshots. Dog was just a glorified weight capacity enhancement. They never pulled their weight in combat and their stories were very barebones. They were useful but fell very short on the relation thing.
Best thing was gaining some useful perk of them.
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Really, I hated the Bethesda companions in combat. They always went down with a yelp or cry - and going down was the rule - that I could no longer stomach. If you mean that with emotional impact - it's not really what I'm lpoking for.
I played NWN. Not sure if 1 or 2. But it didnt stick out really. What was the good part about it?
Ozric
Volunteer Moderator
Without going too much into it as it's not the topic of the thread
It was, to my knowledge, the first and best true implementation of AD&D rules. The game manual was essentially the Player's Handbook.
The level of customisation for your character's progression is huge so the replayability is massive.
The expansions were amazing. The story of the original campaign, and the companions you can choose from are great in my opinion (though others like it less). But the expansion campaigns are really good.
It came with a toolset built in, so you could create, and share, entire modules, script conversations, set up rewards for quest chains.
But by far the best part of it was the multiplayer, up to 64 (at the beginning) player servers of whatever you want. I spent 5 years playing on and DM'ing a LotR based server, and used the Toolset to create loads of areas in the style from the books. Even though Gamespy folded years ago people still have active NWN servers.
(NWN 2 wasn't as good imo, as they tried to change a bit too much and also it used the new 4th edition rules not 3.5, which weren't as good)
I love Bethesda for, as you say, the open worlds they make. Even if the games are riddled with flaws the worlds that Elder Scrolls and Fallout are set in are breath-taking. But for me in terms of character building, story telling and the relationships you make, Bioware blow them out of the water.
Ah, I always had played that classically with pen and paper.Without going too much into it as it's not the topic of the thread
It was, to my knowledge, the first and best true implementation of AD&D rules. The game manual was essentially the Player's Handbook.
The level of customisation for your character's progression is huge so the replayability is massive.
The expansions were amazing. The story of the original campaign, and the companions you can choose from are great in my opinion (though others like it less). But the expansion campaigns are really good.
It came with a toolset built in, so you could create entire modules, script conversations, set up rewards for quest chains.
But by far the best part of it was the multiplayer, up to 64 (at the beginning) player servers of whatever you want. I spent 5 years playing on and DM'ing a LotR based server, and used the Toolset to create loads of areas in the style from the books. Even though Gamespy folded years ago people still have active NWN servers.
(NWN 2 wasn't as good imo, as they tried to change a bit too much and also it used the new 4th edition rules not 3.5, which weren't as good)
I love Bethesda for, as you say, the open worlds they make. Even if the games are riddled with flaws the worlds that Elder Scrolls and Fallout are set in are breath-taking. But for me in terms of character building, story telling and the relationships you make, Bioware blow them out of the water.
Just a FYI but NWN2 was still 3.5. 4th edition wasn't even released until the following year.Without going too much into it as it's not the topic of the thread
It was, to my knowledge, the first and best true implementation of AD&D rules. The game manual was essentially the Player's Handbook.
The level of customisation for your character's progression is huge so the replayability is massive.
The expansions were amazing. The story of the original campaign, and the companions you can choose from are great in my opinion (though others like it less). But the expansion campaigns are really good.
It came with a toolset built in, so you could create, and share, entire modules, script conversations, set up rewards for quest chains.
But by far the best part of it was the multiplayer, up to 64 (at the beginning) player servers of whatever you want. I spent 5 years playing on and DM'ing a LotR based server, and used the Toolset to create loads of areas in the style from the books. Even though Gamespy folded years ago people still have active NWN servers.
(NWN 2 wasn't as good imo, as they tried to change a bit too much and also it used the new 4th edition rules not 3.5, which weren't as good)
I love Bethesda for, as you say, the open worlds they make. Even if the games are riddled with flaws the worlds that Elder Scrolls and Fallout are set in are breath-taking. But for me in terms of character building, story telling and the relationships you make, Bioware blow them out of the water.
Ozric
Volunteer Moderator
Oh sorry I was half an edition ahead of myself wasn't I. NWN was 3rd edition and NWN2 was 3.5. That makes a lot more sense, thanks
In all honesty I thought the first one was 3.5 as wellOh sorry I was half an edition ahead of myself wasn't I. NWN was 3rd edition and NWN2 was 3.5. That makes a lot more sense, thanks
Neverwinter Nights, was the game that broke MMO's and Survival games for me. That level of immersion when DM's interact with the players in NWN - i always looked but never could find that in MMO's.Without going too much into it as it's not the topic of the thread
It was, to my knowledge, the first and best true implementation of AD&D rules. The game manual was essentially the Player's Handbook.
The level of customisation for your character's progression is huge so the replayability is massive.
The expansions were amazing. The story of the original campaign, and the companions you can choose from are great in my opinion (though others like it less). But the expansion campaigns are really good.
It came with a toolset built in, so you could create, and share, entire modules, script conversations, set up rewards for quest chains.
But by far the best part of it was the multiplayer, up to 64 (at the beginning) player servers of whatever you want. I spent 5 years playing on and DM'ing a LotR based server, and used the Toolset to create loads of areas in the style from the books. Even though Gamespy folded years ago people still have active NWN servers.
(NWN 2 wasn't as good imo, as they tried to change a bit too much and also it used the new 4th edition rules not 3.5, which weren't as good)
I love Bethesda for, as you say, the open worlds they make. Even if the games are riddled with flaws the worlds that Elder Scrolls and Fallout are set in are breath-taking. But for me in terms of character building, story telling and the relationships you make, Bioware blow them out of the water.
I spent most of my time in Anphillia RP mod.
I can see why companies don't make games like NWN anymore. There is simply no money in giving players sooooo much freedom to design their own worlds and stories.
I meant the modded versions. Modded version of Dog was a cute (but deadly) husky skin borrowed from the DG DLC and optimized in 4k UHD. Same for Lydia except she had a MASSIVE overhaul in her AI. Until I ran across one of the best Serena mods on Nexusmods. Which, besides an amazing UHD skin overhaul, raptured Serena's vamp & magicka capabilities to near immortal god mode level.
One test battle and single deadly blood magic spell cast later (which obliterated a near dozen NPCs at some random bandit fort), I had to temp retire Lydia to her housecarl duties. Where she dutifully protected my most favorite manor (the AC3S Lakehouse modded manor) from that lovable but annoying rogue giant. Yes. That same one who had a fetish for crashing my tea & crumpet parties to permanently pinch my bovine livestock. >,<
Forgot to add Mjoll one of the most unique vanilla traveling companions. The modded version I used remains the best I've seen on Nexusmods to date. Second only to the Netherwork's Follower Framework mod which lets you have a body guard posses of up to 10 companion followers. Ever since I installed that mod, my Dovakin TG/DB master has rolled like a BOSS through Skyrim, Elsweyr, and Beyond Burma with Mjoll (his loving WMD tank melee wife), Serena (his ranged magicka support wielding, death ray vamp mage bff), and lovable Husky Dog, his fiercely loyal & secret melee tank backup. And has never bled once or lost a fight since....
Well, modded isn't Bethesda content. We can only judge and compare what comes out of the box because that's the uniform experience.I meant the modded versions. Modded version of Dog was a cute (but deadly) husky skin borrowed from the DG DLC and optimized in 4k UHD. Same for Lydia except she had a MASSIVE overhaul in her AI. Until I ran across one of the best Serena mods on Nexusmods. Which, besides an amazing UHD skin overhaul, raptured Serena's vamp & magicka capabilities to near immortal god mode level.
One test battle and single deadly blood magic spell cast later (which obliterated a near dozen NPCs at some random bandit fort), I had to temp retire Lydia to her housecarl duties. Where she dutifully protected my most favorite manor (the AC3S Lakehouse modded manor) from that lovable but annoying rogue giant. Yes. That same one who had a fetish for crashing my tea & crumpet parties to permanently pinch my bovine livestock. >,<
Forgot to add Mjoll one of the most unique vanilla traveling companions. The modded version I used remains the best I've seen on Nexusmods to date. Second only to the Netherwork's Follower Framework mod which lets you have a body guard posses of up to 10 companion followers. Ever since I installed that mod, my Dovakin TG/DB master has rolled like a BOSS through Skyrim, Elsweyr, and Beyond Burma with Mjoll (his loving WMD tank melee wife), Serena (his ranged magicka support wielding, death ray vamp mage bff), and lovable Husky Dog, his fiercely loyal & secret melee tank backup. And has never bled once or lost a fight since....
I somewhat have to disagree, because mods and mod support is really one of the strong points in favor of Bethesda. There aren't many other games that can be so heavily modded as Skyrim or Fallout 3 and 4. Skyrim with mods like "Frostfall", "Wet&Cold" and "Realistic Needs and Diseases" becomes a totally different and much more immersive experience. I really hope Starfield will have a similar active and capable modding community.
Yes, and I am very happy about that. Made a great game even greater. It is just a very subjective experience because everyone tailors their mods. I never bothered for companion mods e.g. A big chest is nice, curvy hips even better but I have a hard time believing a mod could make a fully voiced character with high emotional quality. That is a tall order I don't expect mods to be capable of, but as always, these people do the craziest stuff.
This amusing mortal tomfoolery is complete noise to the PCMREmployee abuse is certainly rife in Bethesda-land, until one install a mod that makes followers stop blocking doorways...
open cheat console
tcl
pass through to the other side of annoying doorway NPC aka vanilla Lydia
tcl
close cheat console
You're welcome
I would argue most players are less into the follower NPC's physical attributes and more into what capabilities (combat, socialization/relationships etc) that NPC companion can provide to enhance their RP immersion experience. IMHO those pro Caliente body skin overhauls (especially for the female NPC followers) appeared to be very popular with YT streamers the likes of MxR. And especially among the male prepubescent/teen+ RP gamer demographic.
Also amazingly, the quality level of mod companion AI is NOT the dream.txt people are mislead into believing. This was actually accomplished waaay back in 3rd Gen pre HD/UHD universe for Fallout New Vegas with unparalled fan created mods like
Willow.
At over 500K+ unique downloads, this remains the most superior NPC follower companion to date. Which btw, Bethesda has yet to match (i.e. in terms of voice inflection, tone, cadence, emotion etc.) Particularly given the fail that was Bethesda's PC male/female voiceover in FO4. Bethesda's attempt at a voiced protagonist was commendable in FO4. But unlike the FO3 Willow mod, this voiced protag killed any RP immersion a player could experience if the PC didn't have the military vet (male protag) or lawyer (female protag) backstory. For many FO4 fan bois, the actor's voice simply didn't match their player back story. Fan based made Willow mod was insightful enough to avoid this pitfall by restricting voice over to companion. An important design feature which Bethesda totally overlooked when making FO4
https://www.nexusmods.com/newvegas/mods/41779
The Willow companion mod was so popular, that one of the top NV home builder modders included into their home the Underwater Hideout Overhaul. The PC could interact with Willow around this unique home
Underwater Hideout Overhaul
A compilation of addons for the popular Underwater Hideout (Home) mod.
www.nexusmods.com
NV Bounties. Your Boss Randall remains one of the most engaging and charismatic NPCs in the NV wasteland to date
New Vegas Bounties I LE
Pursue high-risk/high-reward bounties in the first installment of the The Someguy Series.
www.nexusmods.com
Current day Enderal which uses Skyrim engine
Not exclusively a follower mod, but still a fan base created masterpiece:
Fallout New Vegas: New California mod (formerly Project Brazil). A professionally designed, fully voiced over fan base mod which is the best fan boi DLC released for FO3 to date:
Fallout - New California
A massive mod that adds an all new story with hours of voiced dialogue, a new world, and multiple branching narrative paths. An Unofficial Prequel to New Vegas, launched from your Main Menu.
www.nexusmods.com
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Courtenay Taylor worked out very fine for me as PC. But I did have the lawyer BG, I think.