The newest original IP to come from Bethesda, Starfield, has already caused quite a stir, and it hasn't even been released yet. With its delay into 2023, fans' expectations and the levels of hype surrounding Starfield have reached astronomical levels, and the developer has been trying to keep interest piqued with plenty of looks at gameplay and behind-the-scenes details since the first trailer launched in 2021. Thanks to newly revealed information about how the dialogue options will work in the game that highlighted Starfield's complexity and innovative features, gamers are even more intrigued.
Bethesda has introduced new conversational systems in some of its previous titles to ensure that there aren't just straightforward exchanges that fail to fully grab a player's attention, and it looks like Starfield will be taking this a step further. With similar elements to games in the Fallout and Elder Scrolls series, Starfield will be combining a few tried and tested features with its own unique ingredients to hopefully provide a more engaging, comprehensive, and creative dialogue system.
How Starfield's Dialogue System Will Work
Starfield is already a highly anticipated release, and there has been a large spotlight trained on it ever since Bethesda started being more open about its upcoming RPG. Among the rumors, speculations, and fan hopes, Bethesda has slowly been unveiling more and more of the game with developer discussions that have delved deeper into aspects of Starfield alongside trailers and concept art. It's been clear from the start that Starfield is an incredibly ambitious title, not just in terms of its size but also because of the features it will be introducing like spaceflight, base building, and even its complex dialogue systems.
Some RPGs adopt a more simplistic dialogue selection tool that lets players pick the way their character responds but don't include much beyond that. Starfield looks to be stepping up this approach significantly according to a recently released video that showed Bethesda's Community Director Jess Finster in conversation with Todd Howard. In addition to discussing the inspirations behind the game and its disputed status as 'Hard' sci-fi, the video detailed Starfield's new approach to dialogue.
Todd Howard spoke about the speech checks and alluded to the ways a player's character build could affect this, which was something that hasn't been fully detailed before. Bethesda games have explored many different dialogue systems in the past, and players were definitely curious to see if and how these would come into play in Starfield. The upcoming game will take a "classic" Bethesda approach to conversations where players can choose what they say and see how the NPC reacts, but it will also have a persuasion system in place as well.
Players will have points they can spend in order to persuade another character, with different dialogue options corresponding to different point totals. This won't be a separate mini game-style setup per se, but should fit seamlessly into the regular dialogue sections. Players will need to think carefully about how they manage their points and when and where to spend them depending on their goals and how hard they want to push to achieve something. Building a charismatic character that's fully equipped to get what they want might come in handy, and could be something gamers consider when creating their Starfield protagonist.
The Importance Of Socializing In Starfield
Bethesda's RPGs usually place a lot of importance on conversations between different characters, with dialogue providing key story context, quest details, and characterizations. In large games like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Fallout 4, NPCs can be few and far between, so interactions are pivotal and what they have to say once players dive deep enough can be monumental for the game's story. Players already know that Starfield will have twice as much dialogue as Skyrim, which hints at the range as well as the importance of conversations within the upcoming sci-fi title.
The developer has also detailed how players will largely be in charge of creating their own stories as they explore Starfield's vast space setting, so getting to know their companions and other characters and building the narrative through dialogue will be key. With players able to persuade and convince NPCs throughout conversations with a carefully managed points system, Starfield brings charisma and skill to interactions and makes sure that players won't be able to skip or button-mash their way through dialogue sections. Not only does this place importance on what is being said, but also on how players manage and approach conversations as well.
How Starfield's Dialogue Will Affect Characterization
Many players are interested in how Starfield is going to bring role-playing into its gameplay, and to what extent they'll be able to fully customize their characters. While gamers haven't been able to get hands-on with it just yet, it does seem as if Starfield is providing players with lots of ways to get creative and craft a unique protagonist. From an in-depth character creator to options for their origin story, Starfield lets players determine how and where they start their experience. With factions that gamers will be able to align themselves with and decisions to make, how they play the game and who they choose to help along the way will also shape their character.
While gamers will be able to individualize their protagonist through their looks, skills, traits, and affiliations, there will still be ways to engage in role-playing through how they interact with other characters too. In other RPGs like BioWare's Mass Effect and Dragon Age series, protagonists can convey certain personalities based on their dialogue responses as well as their decisions. While the options in these games tend to be a bit more clear-cut like Mass Effect's Paragon or Renegade choices, Starfield is going for a more complex approach to fully convey the game's dedication to leveling up on previous RPG formats and presenting players with something completely new.
Starfield launches on PC and Xbox Series X/S in 2023.