“It was a complicated system for players to understand”: Todd Howard Admits 1 Major Mechanic in Starfield Was ‘Nerfed the hell out of’

Starfield, Bethesda’s latest space RPG, originally featured a more punishing planetary exploration system that was toned down before release.

According to Todd Howard, the company’s director, the complexity of the system was beyond what the average player found manageable, prompting the team to “nerf the hell out of it.“

With the old system, players would have had to manage resistance to various atmospheric effects like radiation and thermal damage, requiring different spacesuits for different environments. So why did it get nerfed? Did the devs not believe in the players?

Todd Howard Revealed That Starfield Was Almost a Lot Harder

In an interview on the AIAS Game Maker’s Notebook Podcast, Howard discussed the decision to simplify the environmental damage mechanics. Initially, Starfield required players to manage their suits’ resistance to different atmospheric effects such as radiation and extreme temperatures.

Howard admitted this system was “very punitive,” stating:

What we did at the end of the day, and it was a complicated system for players to understand, is, we just nerfed the hell out of it.

The initial concept for the game’s planetary exploration involved players using multiple spacesuits tailored to specific environmental hazards. For example, one suit might protect against high radiation, while another would be necessary for cold planets. 

Howard mentioned that despite the significant scaling back, the environmental system still plays a role, albeit a minor one. The system is now “more in flavor” rather than central to gameplay. He acknowledged that it might be something they revisit in the future, perhaps in the form of a hardcore or survival mode. 

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This approach would cater to players looking for a more challenging experience while keeping the base game accessible. The studio has previously added survival modes to their games post-launch, as seen with Fallout 4, suggesting a similar update could be possible for Starfield.

Starfield Has Been a Success Despite Complaints and Cut Features

Howard also discussed the importance of prioritization in game development, using the example of Starfield’s environmental damage system. He explained that not all complex systems need to be eliminated but can instead be taken “out of the spotlight.“

Particularly gunplay. The minute-to-minute experience in your hand, we really need to dial this in better and better. We’re really happy where that ended up.

This approach allowed them to focus on other crucial aspects, such as the game’s gunplay, which Howard emphasized as a critical component.

Interestingly, he also mentioned that the idea for the space adventurer had been brewing since 2013, around the time Fallout 4 was in development. This long gestation period allowed the team to experiment with various mechanics and ideas before settling on the final design.

Despite these changes, the game has been a major success for Bethesda, achieving the largest launch in the studio’s history. It shows that the decision to simplify some mechanics did not harm its appeal. But it also highlights a potential gap in the market for more challenging and complex games. 

Would you have wanted a harder time exploring planets in Starfield? Let us know in the comments!