Starfield: May Update

Bethesda Softworks

1 May 202405:33

Summary

TLDRBethesda Game Studios' community director, Jess Finster, discusses the upcoming Update 4 for Starfield. The update will introduce a revamped surface map with enhanced detail, making navigation easier. Players can expect new gameplay options, including adjustments to vendor credit capacity, carry weight, and combat difficulty, with the addition of an 'Extreme' difficulty setting. Ship customization is expanded with a new decorate mode for the interior, and empty habs for a blank slate approach. Post-campaign, players can enjoy New Game Plus with the ability to re-spec traits and change appearances. The update also caters to Xbox Series X players with performance and visual settings, and includes quality of life improvements such as toggling dialogue cameras and enhanced inventory management. The team is also working on a first land vehicle, more quests, and the 'Shattered Space' expansion, with the 'Creations' beta toolkit being shared with verified Creators.

Takeaways

🌟 **New Aesthetic for Surface Maps**: Bethesda Game Studios has revamped the surface maps to include more detail on terrain, trees, rocks, and structures, making navigation easier.
🏙️ **Improved City Navigation**: Update 4 introduces clearer markers for shops, boutiques, and restaurants, enhancing the ability to get around cities.
🎮 **Customizable Gameplay Options**: Players can now adjust the capacity of vendor credits, carry weight, and combat difficulty to tailor their experience.
💰 **Vendor Credits and XP Balancing**: Balancing gameplay options will impact how players earn experience points (XP).
🔥 **Introduction of 'Extreme' Difficulty**: A new difficulty level above 'Very Hard' that presents a significant challenge, especially for higher-level characters.
🚀 **Ship Customization Enhancements**: A new 'decorate mode' allows players to customize the interior layout of their ships, including furniture and decorations.
🛠️ **Blank Slate for Habs**: New empty habs are introduced, providing players with a blank canvas to design the interior of their ships from scratch.
➕ **New Game Plus Features**: Players can re-spec their traits and change their appearance for a fresh experience after completing the campaign.
🎮 **Platform-Specific Optimizations**: Xbox Series X players will receive settings to prioritize performance or visuals, with options for 60 FPS and VRR support.
📺 **Quality of Life Improvements**: Updates include the ability to toggle off dialog cameras for a more immersive experience and improved usability for Container and Barter menus.
🚗 **First Land Vehicle in Development**: The team is working on a first land vehicle for players to drive on planets.
🌌 **'Shattered Space' Expansion and 'Creations'**: Ongoing work on quests and a significant expansion, along with the beta toolkit for verified Creators for user-generated content.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the upcoming Update 4 for Starfield?
-Update 4 for Starfield focuses on enhancing the game experience with new features such as improved surface maps with more utility and detail, gameplay options for tuning player experience, ship customization, and an 'Extreme' difficulty level.
How will the new surface maps in Update 4 improve the player's ability to navigate?
-The new surface maps will include detailed terrain, trees, rocks, and structures in the loading zone, making it easier for players to navigate the game environment.
What gameplay options are being added with Update 4 to allow players to customize their experience?
-Update 4 introduces adjustments to vendor credit capacity, carry weight, and difficulty effects, allowing players to tune the game's difficulty in aspects like Space Combat and Gun Combat.
What new feature is being introduced for ship customization in Update 4?
-A new 'decorate mode' is being added, enabling players to fully furnish and customize the interior layout of their ships, including placing furniture and decorations.
What does the 'Extreme' difficulty level in Update 4 entail?
-The 'Extreme' difficulty level is positioned above 'Very Hard' and is designed to challenge higher-level characters, requiring more attention and strategic gameplay.
What is the significance of the 'New Game Plus' feature being added in Update 4?
-The 'New Game Plus' feature allows players who have completed the campaign to replay the game with the option to re-spec their traits, change their alien DNA, and customize their appearance.
How does Update 4 cater to Xbox Series X players?
-Update 4 provides settings for Xbox Series X players to prioritize between performance or visual quality, with the option to target a 60 FPS frame rate and choose between VRR 40 or VRR 60 for TVs that support Variable Refresh Rate.
What 'Quality of Life' updates are included in Update 4?
-Quality of Life updates in Update 4 include the ability to toggle dialog cameras off for a more immersive experience, and improvements to the Container and Barter menus with added tabs for easier navigation.
What new content is Tim, from Bethesda Game Studios, working on for Starfield?
-Tim and the team are working on the first land vehicle for players to drive on planets, more quests, and the 'Shattered Space' expansion.
What is the current status of the 'Creations' feature for Starfield?
-The 'Creations' feature has a beta toolkit that has been sent out to verified Creators, with more information expected to be shared soon.
When is Update 4 expected to be available for Starfield players on all platforms?
-Update 4 is available on Steam Beta and is expected to be released on all platforms later in the month of the transcript's date.
How does the new aesthetic for surface maps in Update 4 enhance the player's experience?
-The new aesthetic for surface maps provides more detail and utility, including terrain features, structures, and navigation markers for shops and other points of interest, making it easier for players to get around and immerse themselves in the game world.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Starfield Update 4 Features and Enhancements

Jess Finster, community director at Bethesda, discusses the upcoming Update 4 for Starfield with the development team. Key points include a revamped and more detailed surface map for easier navigation, improved city navigation with shop markers, and new gameplay options for players to customize their experience, including vendor credit capacity and carry weight adjustments. A new 'Extreme' difficulty level is introduced for a greater challenge. Ship customization is expanded to include the interior, with a new decorate mode and blank habs for a clean slate. New Game Plus features are added, allowing players to re-spec traits and change their appearance. Xbox Series X players get performance or visual prioritization settings, and quality of life updates include toggling off dialog cameras and improved container and barter menus. The team also teases the development of the first land vehicle and the 'Shattered Space' expansion, with the 'Creations' beta toolkit sent to verified Creators.

05:04

📅 Update 4 Release Schedule and Closing Remarks

The conversation concludes with Tim thanking Jess for the discussion and providing a release schedule for Update 4. The update is available on Steam Beta and is set to be released on all platforms later in the month. Jess thanks the viewers for their time and feedback, reminding everyone to look forward to the new features and enhancements in the upcoming update, and encouraging them to join in the Starfield universe.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Update 4

Update 4 refers to the fourth major update to the game Starfield developed by Bethesda Game Studios. It is the central focus of the video, as the developers discuss the new features and improvements that players can expect from this update. The update is portrayed as a significant enhancement to the gaming experience, addressing player feedback and introducing new gameplay elements.

💡Surface Maps

Surface Maps are in-game tools that provide players with a visual representation of the terrain and other geographical features. In the context of the video, the developers have revamped these maps to offer more utility and detail, making it easier for players to navigate the game world. The new aesthetic includes clearer depictions of terrain, trees, rocks, and structures, which contributes to an improved sense of immersion and exploration.

💡Gameplay Options

Gameplay Options are customizable settings within a game that allow players to tailor their experience to their preferences. In the video, Joe discusses how Update 4 introduces adjustments to vendor credit capacity, carry weight, and difficulty settings. These options enable players to fine-tune their gameplay to be more or less challenging, depending on their playstyle, and also affect how they earn experience points.

💡Extreme Difficulty

Extreme Difficulty is a new level of challenge added in Update 4, positioned above the 'Very Hard' difficulty setting. It is designed to provide a heightened level of difficulty for players, particularly those who are higher level and seeking an even greater challenge. This concept is introduced to cater to players who want a more demanding experience and to keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.

💡Ship Customization

Ship Customization is a feature that allows players to personalize their in-game spacecraft. The video highlights that the developers are expanding customization options to include the interior of ships, with a new 'decorate mode' that mirrors the functionality of 'Outpost Mode'. This addition is significant as it allows players to further express their creativity and individuality within the game.

💡New Game Plus

New Game Plus is a game mode that allows players to start a new playthrough after completing the main campaign, while retaining certain elements from their previous playthrough, such as character progression. In the context of the video, Joe mentions that Update 4 will allow players to re-spec their traits and change their appearance, enhancing the replayability of the game and providing a 'second life' to the player's character.

💡Xbox Series X

Xbox Series X is Microsoft's gaming console that represents the latest generation of Xbox. The video mentions that the Update 4 will focus on providing enhancements for players using this console, including the ability to prioritize between performance and visual settings. For players with TVs that support Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), they will have the option to choose between VRR 40 or VRR 60, which can lead to a smoother gaming experience.

💡Quality of Life Updates

Quality of Life Updates refer to improvements made to a game that enhance the overall player experience without necessarily adding new gameplay elements. In the video, Istvan discusses several such updates, including the ability to toggle off dialog cameras for a more immersive experience and improvements to the Container and Barter menus to make inventory management more user-friendly.

💡Land Vehicle

A Land Vehicle is a type of in-game transportation that allows players to traverse planets on the ground. Tim, in the video, reveals that the team is working on introducing the first land vehicle to Starfield, which will expand the player's exploration options and add a new dimension to gameplay.

💡Shattered Space Expansion

The Shattered Space Expansion is an upcoming content addition to Starfield that is mentioned in the video as being in development. It is expected to bring new quests and further expand the game's universe, contributing to the game's longevity and player engagement.

💡Creations

Creations in the context of the video refers to user-generated content within the game, facilitated by a beta toolkit provided to verified Creators. This feature is aimed at fostering a community of players who can contribute their own content, adding variety and depth to the game. It represents an ongoing effort by the developers to involve the community in the game's development and evolution.

Highlights

Update 4 for Starfield is on the horizon with new features and improvements.

Surface maps have been redesigned for better utility and detail, including terrain, trees, rocks, and structures.

Navigation within cities has been improved with visible markers for shops, boutiques, and restaurants.

Update 4 introduces gameplay options allowing players to adjust vendor credit capacity, carry weight, and difficulty settings.

Players can now customize the difficulty of Space Combat and Gun Combat to suit their preferences.

A new 'Extreme' difficulty level has been added, offering a significant challenge for higher level characters.

Ship customization has been expanded to include the interior layout, with a new decorate mode and empty habs for a blank slate.

New Game Plus allows players to re-spec their traits and change their appearance after completing the campaign.

Xbox Series X players will receive settings to prioritize performance or visuals, with options for 60 FPS and VRR support.

Quality of Life updates include the ability to toggle dialog cameras off for a more immersive experience.

Container and Barter menus have been improved for better usability and inventory management.

The team is working on the first land vehicle for players to drive on planets.

More quests and the massive 'Shattered Space' expansion are in development.

The 'Creations' beta toolkit has been sent to verified Creators, with more information expected soon.

The update is available on Steam Beta and will roll out to all platforms later this month.

Community feedback is appreciated and has been instrumental in shaping the upcoming update.