In a recent interview on the Kinda Funny Xcast, Todd Howard, the game director of Starfield, shed light on the game’s procedurally generated planets and the presence of handcrafted locations within them. Howard acknowledged the initial struggles faced by Bethesda in implementing the procedurally generated worlds. However, he assured fans that the development team had finally found a way to make it work.
Howard explained that while it would be impossible to handcraft an entire planet, Bethesda took a different approach. They handcrafted individual locations and strategically placed main cities and other significant points of interest on the planets, ensuring they were not left to chance. The team wanted to strike a balance between the procedural generation and curated experiences for players.
When players land on a planet, they will encounter a suite of handcrafted locations specifically placed for exploration. Howard revealed that approximately 10% of the planets will have life on them, providing opportunities for unique encounters and interactions. Additionally, Bethesda carefully considered the planet’s characteristics, such as whether it falls within the habitable “goldilocks zone” or possesses valuable resources, to enhance the exploration experience.
The game director expressed the desire to create a sense of awe and discovery, referencing a quote by Buzz Aldrin about “magnificent desolation.” Howard emphasised the importance of players finding something that feels special and unique, something that others may never come across in their play-through. The team worked diligently to strike a balance between generating enough content for exploration without making it feel overly gamey or repetitive.
Throughout the development process, Bethesda remained conscious of players’ concerns about procedural generation. They fine-tuned the system, ensuring that each planet had its own identity and offered exciting possibilities for exploration. By handcrafting key locations, they aimed to provide a sense of purpose and avoid an excess of generic elements like abandoned bases or towers.
Starfield, the highly anticipated space RPG from Bethesda, is scheduled for release on September 6, 2023, for PC and Xbox Series X/S. With its combination of procedural generation and handcrafted locations, the game promises to offer a captivating and diverse universe for players to explore. Fans can look forward to embarking on thrilling adventures across a multitude of unique planets, each with its own surprises waiting to be discovered.