Starfield Playthrough Discussion

[Ryzengang]

I haven't had a chance to play much recently. Had family in town last weekend and it's been a busy week. I'm hoping to get back to my playthrough this weekend. I'm about 15 hours in at this point and just kinda jumping around to random things that interest me.

 

[neogunhero]

Logged off with 26 hours on the save file. Recently I’ve been trying to grind for credits. My method right now is to pick up a job from a mission board that tasks me to kill a gang leader or such, as I know there will be lots of stuff for me to loot there. I travel to the planet, kill everyone, loot all guns, suits and helmets, then fly back to sell everything. I take the Adoring Fan with me as he has tons of carry weight. It’s also a good way to pick up lots of crafting materials. Plus you get paid a little from the job so I find it to be a decent way to make some money easily. I also leveled up a few times just doing this, I’m level 17 right now.

I also took on a mission to survey a whole planet 100%. I haven’t really done much surveying apart from using the scanner to find loot in cramped areas or mine materials. It was a nice change of pace because I haven’t done much planetary exploration so far in this game. I got the hang of fast traveling around to different biomes and looking for all the fauna and flora. It took me a long time to find the very last fauna I needed to 100% the survey, and it wasn’t explained very well that amongst all the kinds of biomes, there is also a sub biome that will show as (Coast) next to the biomes name. It’s obviously on the coast of water, but it’s pretty hard to get that sub-biome type to show up even though you keep clicking on a coast. Eventually I found a giant fish species that was the missing fauna. As for the job, it didn’t pay that well compared to how much work I had to put in. 6000 credits for about 30 minutes of running around this gigantic planet. I could make more money wiping out an enemy territory and looting everyone.

With all my newfound credits I went about modifying the Frontier. I haven’t found a different ship that I like yet, and I kind of regret spending so much on the first ship in the game when I should be getting a new one from my parents soon (from what I’ve read online). However, I increased the engines, shields, grav drive, and crew from 2 to 4 people. I added two new floors, a new cockpit, and colored it all. I don’t think it looks the best but I like how much bigger it is, and I love having more crew with me.

 

[Colif]

World record of Starfield is 49 minutes. Thats a new game, from character creation.

Spoiler

You can get under the map in some areas, and the shops have bags under them full of their stock... and money... easy pickings.

 

[neogunhero]

One thing that I really appreciate about this game:

I really love how they use your photos as loading screens. Bethesda did this with Fallout 76 and it’s AWESOME for anyone who enjoys using photo mode in games. Instead of seeing the same few old screens, take some pretty screenshots! You need to make sure to snap the photo to your archive by pressing Spacebar, and you can go back and delete photos you don’t like. More games that feature photo mode definitely need this feature. It showcases your art, even though just to yourself, it’s great to see the photos you’ve taken because you’re probably not going to spend too much time in the photo archive. When you see a photo you took 40+ game hours earlier on your load screen, it’s like looking back at a distant memory. “I remember going there!!”

 

[ZedClampet]

Starfield mod lets you zip between planets seamlessly

You can fly between planets in outer space with this mod, with no cinematics or loading screens.

www.pcgamer.com

Thought I would put this here. More likely that people actually playing Starfield will see it.

There shouldn't be any real spoilers below at this point. Everyone is farther along than I am:

I started over and am having more fun this time. I must have spent over an hour at that first place where you fight the pirates before going to New Atlantis.

After running around scanning things and collecting resources, I finally went into the building and picked up nearly every damn thing. After talking my way out of the final fight, I turned to teleport back to the ship, but the game wouldn't let me due to being encumbered, so I had to walk back to my ship and almost died due to using more oxygen when drastically over weight.

Now I've been goofing around in New Atlantis. There are a ton of side quests....

 

[neogunhero]

I turned to teleport back to the ship, but the game wouldn't let me due to being encumbered, so I had to walk back to my ship and almost died due to using more oxygen when drastically over weight.

Classic Bethesda move. “You can’t magically teleport because you may be a little too heavy”…

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I want to talk about a chain of side quests in Neon that I found particularly interesting. Total spoilers for this quest line but it’s nothing major, just a slightly charming side story.

Spoiler: Spoiler

There is a gang in the Ebbside district of Neon called the Strikers, and you can join them by completing a side quest called The Audition. They hang out on the top floor of Madam Sauvage’s club, because of a favor the Strikers have done for her she offers them a place to stay, but if they step one foot outside the club, their rival gang the Disciples will get them. They want to end the Disciples once and for all and take over the city.

The gang is full of very well voice acted characters full of charm. The Strikers pride their sense of family and brotherhood, they look out for each other. I really enjoyed talking to each member, learning their backstories and how they got involved with the gang. The leader, Briggs, was the most charming, seeming like a guy who really wants best for his crew and willing to do whatever it takes. His sidekick Vogel was more trigger happy, but funny nonetheless. Hatcher, the merchant, is tough at first, but shows mercy when she learns how much you help the Strikers.

All of the great characters aside, the main quest line has a great premise, but it falls short on delivery. The first mission has you go to a warehouse to steal something from the Disciples. There are a couple enemies inside but nothing too hard. You then return to Briggs. He will either be angry for causing a bloodbath or commend your stealth skills. I choose to shoot everyone. Pretty standard fetch quest.

The second mission has you going around Neon hacking electric billboard to display Strikers propaganda. I think if they would have added a digipick minigame when hacking the modules, it would have been more immersive. Instead you just walk up to the boxes and press E. Pretty lame. The last box has a few enemies but they are so easy they are not a threat at all. I should increase my difficulty maybe.

The last mission has you take out three clusters of Disciples across Neon. Super small groups, super easy, I need more challenge (don’t know why I didn’t just change difficulty to Hard yesterday). After clearing the three hideouts, you meet up with Briggs and co. to enter the final warehouse to kill the last remaining Disciples. I went in guns blazing, and it was insanely easy. The Magshot is INSANE.

Surprise surprise, the whole thing was kinda set up and being monitored by Neon security. They used the Strikers to clear out the Disciples, and as reconciliation kinda, the security chief offers everyone in the Strikers a chance to join the security force. What about me??? That would be cool!! But no, you just talk to Briggs and that’s the end of that. Pretty lame delivery on a great storyline and premise. I really wish there was more to this little gang, but it ends as quickly as it starts. You could finish all three quests in 30 minutes tops. However you do make well over 10k credits by completing them so it is worth it to grind through.

I really wish the gang was more fleshed out, more quests and more drama to the situation. As soon as you join them, they dissolve into security guards. I wonder if I will see them walking the streets in security gear later.

 

[neogunhero]

Todd Howard says Starfield's planetary survival systems were originally 'very punitive' but 'we just nerfed the hell out of it'

Dealing with afflictions and hostile planetary conditions used to be "a pretty complex" system but it was heavily scaled back.

www.pcgamer.com

To me this seems like something they could have retooled into a Survival difficulty like the Fallout and Elder Scrolls games. You find so many different kinds of meds that treat all the ailments this game throws at you, so a survival mode would work perfectly in Starfield. I would definitely try it out once going into NG+.

 

[ZedClampet]

Todd Howard says Starfield's planetary survival systems were originally 'very punitive' but 'we just nerfed the hell out of it'

Dealing with afflictions and hostile planetary conditions used to be "a pretty complex" system but it was heavily scaled back.

www.pcgamer.com

To me this seems like something they could have retooled into a Survival difficulty like the Fallout and Elder Scrolls games. You find so many different kinds of meds that treat all the ailments this game throws at you, so a survival mode would work perfectly in Starfield. I would definitely try it out once going into NG+.

I bet they put it in eventually. I would probably do it. Surviving on planets in No Man's Sky can be pretty complex and no one seemed to mind.

 

[Pifanjr]

Todd Howard says Starfield's planetary survival systems were originally 'very punitive' but 'we just nerfed the hell out of it'

Dealing with afflictions and hostile planetary conditions used to be "a pretty complex" system but it was heavily scaled back.

www.pcgamer.com

To me this seems like something they could have retooled into a Survival difficulty like the Fallout and Elder Scrolls games. You find so many different kinds of meds that treat all the ailments this game throws at you, so a survival mode would work perfectly in Starfield. I would definitely try it out once going into NG+.

With everything I've read about Starfield so far I've completely lost the FOMO of playing it from day 1. Not to say that I think I wouldn't enjoy it if I started playing now, but it seems there's quite a few mechanics that can use some polish.

One of those things is how there's apparently a significant amount of stuff that is locked behind perks which should just be available from the start. Kind of like how Fallout 4 settlement management is a lot more bothersome if you don't have supply lines, but you need the Local Leader perk to use those.

 

[neogunhero]

With everything I've read about Starfield so far I've completely lost the FOMO of playing it from day 1. Not to say that I think I wouldn't enjoy it if I started playing now, but it seems there's quite a few mechanics that can use some polish.

One of those things is how there's apparently a significant amount of stuff that is locked behind perks which should just be available from the start. Kind of like how Fallout 4 settlement management is a lot more bothersome if you don't have supply lines, but you need the Local Leader perk to use those.

You’re right about the skills being locked. I think it’s a massive waste of perk points to have to unlock basic skills that were given to you in other Bethesda games like lock-picking, stealth or pickpocketing. You level up pretty slowly as it is. These seem to be the only three that are like that, but then you also get other annoying perks. For example, you have to unlock basic weapon/spacesuit modification crafting through perk points, and when I say basic I really mean basic. You can make only a very small handful of modifications at level 1 and they barely have any impact. You must level them up to be able to craft better mods for your gear.

In a game that is lauded as being 200+ hours long, it seems like they REALLY want you to get to NG+. I really dislike that because I would love to play the entirety of the game, skills included, on my first playthrough of the game. You barely get XP and leveling is so slow. As you get higher level, of course the amount of XP required increases, making it even more slower. I’m currently 38 hours in, taking my time not doing any major grinding or exploits, and I’m only level 25 or 26. This is pretty slow, and I make sure to sleep every time I can (+10% xp for 24 minutes) and eat xp boosting foods like Shepards Pie (+2% xp for an hour) or Xenoyaki (+2% xp for 30 minutes). This stacks to a total 12% xp boost for only 24 minutes of playtime, and that counter goes down while you are in your Tab menus or in dialogue with someone. It gets kind of annoying having to check so constantly to make sure you xp boost is still active before turning in a quest, even more so annoying when you accidentally turn in a quest without it on. I finished the Freestar Rangers final mission without the xp boost and got something like 150xp which could have been 168xp instead with boosts active. Small, but the boosts go a long way.

I’m really just nitpicking and wish you could level up even if only slightly faster. You can sleep with your spouse to get a 15% boost, so 17% with the food, but that takes a long time to get into romantic relationship with one of the companions. I have barely touched the main missions anyways past where you get the Fus Ro Dah powers.

 

[ZedClampet]

You’re right about the skills being locked. I think it’s a massive waste of perk points to have to unlock basic skills that were given to you in other Bethesda games like lock-picking, stealth or pickpocketing. You level up pretty slowly as it is. These seem to be the only three that are like that, but then you also get other annoying perks. For example, you have to unlock basic weapon/spacesuit modification crafting through perk points, and when I say basic I really mean basic. You can make only a very small handful of modifications at level 1 and they barely have any impact. You must level them up to be able to craft better mods for your gear.

In a game that is lauded as being 200+ hours long, it seems like they REALLY want you to get to NG+. I really dislike that because I would love to play the entirety of the game, skills included, on my first playthrough of the game. You barely get XP and leveling is so slow. As you get higher level, of course the amount of XP required increases, making it even more slower. I’m currently 38 hours in, taking my time not doing any major grinding or exploits, and I’m only level 25 or 26. This is pretty slow, and I make sure to sleep every time I can (+10% xp for 24 minutes) and eat xp boosting foods like Shepards Pie (+2% xp for an hour) or Xenoyaki (+2% xp for 30 minutes). This stacks to a total 12% xp boost for only 24 minutes of playtime, and that counter goes down while you are in your Tab menus or in dialogue with someone. It gets kind of annoying having to check so constantly to make sure you xp boost is still active before turning in a quest, even more so annoying when you accidentally turn in a quest without it on. I finished the Freestar Rangers final mission without the xp boost and got something like 150xp which could have been 168xp instead with boosts active. Small, but the boosts go a long way.

I’m really just nitpicking and wish you could level up even if only slightly faster. You can sleep with your spouse to get a 15% boost, so 17% with the food, but that takes a long time to get into romantic relationship with one of the companions. I have barely touched the main missions anyways past where you get the Fus Ro Dah powers.

You could always install this mod:

Get MAX Level and All Perks

A simple script file modification that will grant you all the perks in the game and set your character's level to 328.

www.nexusmods.com

There is also this mod:

Perk Up - Better Experience

Faster leveling, remove skill challenges, perk tweaks for quality of life.

www.nexusmods.com