Summary
After what felt like an eternity,Starfieldhas finally hit store shelves, and so far, it seems to have not disappointed. The game is filled to the brim with that classic Bethesda RPG charm, while its brand-new backdrop is a sight to behold. Not only doesStarfieldhave almost everything that RPG fans could want, but Bethesda’s use of procedural generation has helped create one of the most expansive sci-fi galaxies around.
Starfieldwhisks players away on a brand-new sci-fi adventure through a massive universe of explorable planets. There are allegedlyover 1000 planets inStarfieldto explore with each one including hand-crafted elements waiting to be discovered. That sounds like a lot of work, and it likely was, but it was made a bit easier using procedural generation. This helped create a vast universe that is well worth exploring, and that is somethingThe Elder Scrolls 6will want to tap into.
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Starfield’s Procedural Generation Could Give The Elder Scrolls 6 An Expansive World
Starfield’s procedural generation let Bethesda create a massive universe of planets that it could fill with all sorts of goodies. The tool helped the studio build out the terrain of these planets as well as the sectors themselves. It then proceeded to place hand-crafted elements on these planets so that players would actually want to explore them. The exact extent of its use has not been revealed, but players can definitely see its influence as theytraverseStarfield’s impressive universe.
While it is amazing what Bethesda was able to pull off with procedural generation, it is par for the course for the studio. It has been using the technology for many of its RPGs to help build out those worlds and content before it filled them with all the important bits.BothSkyrimandFallout 4had a form of procedural generation, and it is also used across the gaming industry. It has actually become relatively standard within the industry by now. However,Starfield’s universe seems to take it to an entirely new level.
If Bethesda can create a universe of over 1000 planets in 2023, then there is no telling what it will be able to accomplish withThe Elder Scrolls 6. That game is years away, so technology will likely change drastically before its release. More powerful technology can lead to even stronger procedural generation, which could helpThe Elder Scrolls 6break tradition. The game needs to be one of the biggest fantasy games around once it is released. That means it needs a massive open world filled with unique elements, and procedural generation is how Bethesda can accomplish that.
UnlikeStarfield,The Elder Scrolls 6will not be set in space. Because of that, the game will not need a massive universe of planets to explore. Its open world can be more centrally located on Tamriel, which should mean that Bethesda has a bit more power to play with as it will only have to focus on one world. This could mean that the regionThe Elder Scrolls 6is set in feels life-sized, the game features multiple regions, orall Tamriel regionsare present. Whatever form its world comes in, it will likely be the biggest one the studio has ever crafted.
Not much is known aboutThe Elder Scrolls 6yet as it is still very early in its development cycle. Now thatStarfieldis out, Bethesda will likely focus on developing this next chapter, and players will just have to wait and see what the studio does with the technology it has at its disposal. And until then, they will just have to continue traversing the stars ofStarfieldif they want more of the Bethesda RPG experience.
Starfieldis available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S
