Starfieldwill be the first new IP from Bethesda Game Studios in 25 years, and it has become one of the most anticipated games set to launch in 2023. Bethesda director Todd Howard has describedStarfieldas “Skyrimin space,” which is exciting asSkyrim’spopularity continues today - despite launching in 2011. The world ofSkyrimis vast, comprising 15 square miles for players to traverse, but withStarfieldplayers are promised over 1,000 planets to explore, mine, build bases on, and more.
Howard has also commented on the goal of creating arealistic world withStarfield, capturing what technology and life will be like several hundred years in the future. To this end, Howard visited SpaceX and has talked with NASA professionals to encapsulate the natural evolution of technology, avoiding the flashy and exotic tech of other games and media. That’s not to say color and vibrancy won’t be found in the game, but grounding it in natural realism helps with immersion. Going even further, players have noted that characters will be able to bank and take out both mortgages and loans.
RELATED:Starfield: A Complete History of Rumors, Speculation, Reveals, and More
Interstellar Banking in Starfield
ExtensiveStarfieldfootage was shown atSummer Game Fest in June, revealing that players could freely explore hundreds of star systems, customize ships, engage in dogfights, and specialize characters with different skills and professions. In the character-creation menu for background and traits, fans noticed that characters could begin with a starter home - including a tiny house on a peaceful moon, and a 50,000 credit mortgage to the GalBank.
The idea ofbanking isn’t new to Bethesda titles likeStarfield, as a banking system was inThe Elder Scrolls 2: Daggerfall. In that game, players could deposit and withdraw money, purchase homes, and take out loans, with penalties and lousy standing applied to those who defaulted on payments. With Bethesda’s plan to encapsulate realism inStarfield, having an interstellar banking system makes sense, though what role this organization has in the overall story remains a mystery. Sci-fi tales often present dystopian views of money-hungry, conglomerate corporations, and anything is possible with a name like GalBank.
Starfield’s Bases of Operation
If players choose to begin with a tiny home and a mortgage, straits may not be as dire as they sound. While characters would owe a debt from the start, the terms and stipulations of the mortgage have not been revealed yet.Howard has already promised that charactersbegin the game as members of Constellation, a group that aims to explore and understand the Milky Way. With Constellation’s background information being limited, starting with a home may provide an advantage over starting as a free-form explorer.
SinceStarfieldis designed as an RPG, beginning with a starter home can provide players a unique background story. Furthermore, having a home may be akin to having a base of operations whereStarfield’splayers may have resources, inventory, or other game-changing elements. An established base of operations can also provide safety nets for players to fall back on when they inevitably must deal with the different factions within the game.
RELATED:Starfield Analysis Outlines Improvements in Bethesda’s Creation Engine
A Leg-Up on Industrialization in Starfield
A core feature promised forStarfieldis the ability to construct bases on different planets. With over 1,000 options, many rich in resources ranging from standard to rare, players will theoretically have the chance to become industrial titans. Games such asNo Man’s Skyhave shown how large industrial farms can work to mine precious metals, and ifStarfieldfollows in the same vein, an established home at the start can work to a player’s advantage.
The starter home description has only revealed that its location is on a peaceful moon. What minerals that moon contains, its status in the star system, its demand by other factions, and more details have not been defined. Additionally, no information regarding what the starter homes come equipped with has been detailed. If players choose this option, they may very well begin the game with a small farm situated to help begin their industrialization efforts upfront.
Capitalism in Starfield
Since Howard has been adamant thatStarfieldplayershave the agency to choose their own path, achieving various endings, the different professions that exist are bound to be numerous. While explorers, pirates, mercenaries, security, and peace enforcers have been highlighted, it’s reasonable to assume players will have the choice to become wealthy financial capitalists, too.
Otherspacefaring games such asEVE Online,Elite Dangerous, andStellarisallow players to embark on routes for financial dominance. The Gek race ofNo Man’s Skyis known for their wealth and maximizing trade goods, with players able to roleplay as them and follow suit. It’s reasonable to assume these possibilities would extend to a game likeStarfield.With the game’s devotion to realism, the power of wealth and influence would still hold as it does today.
Anticipation for Bethesda’sStarfieldcontinues to mount as 2023 creeps closer. The game promises to be expansive and captivating with a realistic approach to the future of space travel, technology, and politics. Giving players the agency to choose their path toward varied endings, even capable of owning homes and mortgages, taking out loans, and other forms of banking, can provide certain characters an advantage in their explorative journey.
Starfieldreleases in 2023 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Fallout 5 is Yet Another Game Bethesda Has Confirmed Too Soon
