In a video, Bethesda boss Todd Howard answers questions about the sci-fi game and shows how conversations work.
Bethesda has had some experiments with dialogue systems. Just think of Oblivion”s infamous mini-game or Fallout 4”s cue-based conversations. Is Starfield venturing into something completely new again, or is the upcoming sci-fi role-playing game going back to a classic system? In a new video, Todd Howard gives the answer.
This is how conversations work in Starfield
First screenshot of the dialogue system: On this screenshot you can see what you can expect in the game when you have a conversation with an NPC. The interface is very reminiscent of the system in Fallout 3 or Skyrim – good news for all those who did not like dialogue in Fallout 4.
You will be listed the different options and phrases you may choose from. If one of them is linked to a specific action, such as attacking your opponent, then that is also clearly written out. So far, so Bethesda-known.
How skills work: Things look a little different with the Persuade skill. In the video, the protagonist tries to talk his way out of a situation. In order to do this, there are several options of varying difficulty available, for which you spend points. According to Todd Howard, this is supposed to feel very organic and not as if persuading is a different dialogue mode than the normal conversations. Bethesda has evolved over the years not just both virtual conversations!
More info: Character traits and fuel
In the video, Howard answers more questions, giving new insight into how Starfield will actually play.
What are “Character Traits”? During creation, you choose up to three special characteristics for your self-created character, which give you certain advantages and disadvantages. You can remove these traits during the game via quests or unspecified “tasks”, so you don”t have to start a completely new character just because something about them annoys you.
How does fuel work? Although Starfield considers itself “Hard Sci-Fi” (i.e. more reality-oriented), you won”t be stranded in the vastness of space if your tank is empty. The fill level merely determines how far you can travel at once. We are sure that appropriate mods for hardcore fans will appear very soon.
Starfield is scheduled for release in 2023, an exact release date is not yet known.
