Xbox Starfield

[Gothamsknight]

Oblivion is one of the most nostalgic games for me. I remember back in 2004, game informer had the big oblivion reveal in the magazine and man I was blown away by the graphical upgrades. The game itself was just incredible and it's still one of my favorite games of all time. I totally get why it's dated to others by modern standards though. It's one of those things where if you experienced it at the time, it's much more impctful. Super hyped for the remaster!

 

[Iceman]

Not just them. PC Gamer's review is far from glowing as well:
Starfield review
75/100

Basically, Bethesda can't keep polishing the same old package anymore. I hate to say it, but...

Now do the smart thing and devote all the time you were planning on spending on Starfield now instead on Baldur's Gate III. It will look so purdy on that gaming PC of yours.

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but Baldur's Gate III says to this...

Sorry, somehow missed this before. Haha, I'm super-busy right now so haven't got time for long games just yet but I will be playing both when I can set aside a few hundred hours, probably have to wait a few months. BG3 looks like one of the best RPGs ever, so happy for the studio. Feels like I need to upgrade my card before I get onto it.

 

[Iceman]

Well, I bit the bullet and ordered the XBox Series X just so I could play this game. I need to experience it. Glad to hear that some of you really like it; I’ll definitely be posting my thoughts once I start playing it.

Also, a new report revealed that Bethesda is planning remasters of Oblivion and Fallout 3: Oblivion Remaster, Fallout 3 Remaster, and More Leaked From Microsoft Document - IGN

Sounds great to me. I’ve tried playing Oblivion and F3 on my PS4 and both look like trash now. But a remaster of those games could be great.

Congrats! Hope you enjoy the game and console.

That's great news about Oblivion and Fallout 3. They are both very dated visually now (I didn't even love the visuals back then lol) and could do with a fresh coat of paint and a performance/resolution boost. That would be the excuse I need to replay them.

 

[DKDetective]

Sorry, somehow missed this before. Haha, I'm super-busy right now so haven't got time for long games just yet but I will be playing both when I can set aside a few hundred hours, probably have to wait a few months. BG3 looks like one of the best RPGs ever, so happy for the studio. Feels like I need to upgrade my card before I get onto it.

Not necessarily, DLSS 3.5 and other new AI-based tech that Nvidia is currently rolling out is backwards compatible to your RTX 2000 series card and massively improves performance:
I've tested Nvidia's latest ray tracing magic in Cyberpunk 2077 and it's a no-brainer: at worst it's just better-looking, at best it's that and a whole lot more performance

 

[Iceman]

Not necessarily, DLSS 3.5 and other new AI-based tech that Nvidia is currently rolling out is backwards compatible to your RTX 2000 series card and massively improves performance:
I've tested Nvidia's latest ray tracing magic in Cyberpunk 2077 and it's a no-brainer: at worst it's just better-looking, at best it's that and a whole lot more performance

Oh great info there, thanks. Will I get these benefits automatically or would I have to sign up somewhere to get them installed?

Edit: Oh just realised the second part is a link - will read that, cheers.

 

[DKDetective]

Oh great info there, thanks. Will I get these benefits automatically or would I have to sign up somewhere to get them installed?

Edit: Oh just realised the second part is a link - will read that, cheers.

Yeah, the new site upgrade doesn't make links super clear it seems. @Lily Adler fix this!

Basically, as I understand it, these are all features that are a part of Nvidia's drivers. You just have to make sure you turn on DLSS 3.5 in games that support it. The PC Gamer journalist went from 59FPS to 109FPS by turning DLSS 3.5 on.

 

[Iceman]

Yeah, the new site upgrade doesn't make links super clear it seems. @Lily Adler fix this!

Basically, as I understand it, these are all features that are a part of Nvidia's drivers. You just have to make sure you turn on DLSS 3.5 in games that support it. The PC Gamer journalist went from 59FPS to 109FPS by turning DLSS 3.5 on.

Can't wait to try this on a game that utilises it.

That's a huge increase! Top visuals while easing the load for the card sounds absolute win win.

I love reading about tech advances for game visuals/performance, thanks.

 

[Lily Adler]

Yeah, the new site upgrade doesn't make links super clear it seems. @Lily Adler fix this!

Basically, as I understand it, these are all features that are a part of Nvidia's drivers. You just have to make sure you turn on DLSS 3.5 in games that support it. The PC Gamer journalist went from 59FPS to 109FPS by turning DLSS 3.5 on.

Boy, you know color scheme and layout are out of my domain.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

This is officially my favorite Bethesda game even with its warts. The more time you put in, the better the experience gets, but if I fall through the surface of Mars one more goddamned time, I'm gonna punch Todd Howard in his ****ing balls. You have been doing this for decades now. Figure out how basic meshes work and collision detection please.

 

[Gee]

Sorry, somehow missed this before. Haha, I'm super-busy right now so haven't got time for long games just yet but I will be playing both when I can set aside a few hundred hours, probably have to wait a few months. BG3 looks like one of the best RPGs ever, so happy for the studio. Feels like I need to upgrade my card before I get onto it.

Eh, if my old GTX 1070 can play BG3 at 1440p then your RTX 2080 can handle it at 1080p.

You can also enable AMD FSR, which is already available in the game, to gain some framerates (that's what I did). Okay, enough derailing this thread; back to Starfield!

Nexus Mods boots Starfield mod that removed pronoun options

The PC modding site stood by its decision

www.polygon.com

Good on Nexus Mods! They did the same thing with an anti-LGBT mod for Spider-Man.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Congrats! Hope you enjoy the game and console.

That's great news about Oblivion and Fallout 3. They are both very dated visually now (I didn't even love the visuals back then lol) and could do with a fresh coat of paint and a performance/resolution boost. That would be the excuse I need to replay them.

Thanks! Yeah, a remastered Oblivion would tide me over nicely until Elder Scrolls 6 comes out 100 years from now lol. I wonder if they also plan to remaster Morrowind and FO: New Vegas. Though maybe they want to steer clear of that altogether since hardcore fans of those games tend to be so uptight and annoying that they would probably complain about any updates Bethesda would make, lol.

 

[Iceman]

Thanks! Yeah, a remastered Oblivion would tide me over nicely until Elder Scrolls 6 comes out 100 years from now lol. I wonder if they also plan to remaster Morrowind and FO: New Vegas. Though maybe they want to steer clear of that altogether since hardcore fans of those games tend to be so uptight and annoying that they would probably complain about any updates Bethesda would make, lol.

I'd definitely take remasters of those - haven't even played Morrowind before. Even better would have been another brand new Fallout game from Obsidian.

 

[Iceman]

Eh, if my old GTX 1070 can play BG3 at 1440p then your RTX 2080 can handle it at 1080p.

You can also enable AMD FSR, which is already available in the game, to gain some framerates (that's what I did). Okay, enough derailing this thread; back to Starfield!

Nexus Mods boots Starfield mod that removed pronoun options

The PC modding site stood by its decision

www.polygon.com

Good on Nexus Mods! They did the same thing with an anti-LGBT mod for Spider-Man.

I plan to upgrade the card once my finances are sorted out and I have time to play regularly most days - anticipating at some point next year. Unfortunately I didn't get a whole lot of use out of my old card, just happened to buy it at a time when I got too busy to play.

Oh good to know.

Can't believe people go that far to create crap like that. Waste of abilities/time.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

. I wonder if they also plan to remaster Morrowind and FO: New Vegas. Though maybe they want to steer clear of that altogether since hardcore fans of those games tend to be so uptight and annoying that they would probably complain about any updates Bethesda would make, lol.

I don't care what they do with Morrowind, but with New Vegas, there's no reason for BGS to even touch that game considering Bethesda and Obsidian are under one roof now. Let Obsidian remaster their own game.

 

[Iceman]

I don't care what they do with Morrowind, but with New Vegas, there's no reason for BGS to even touch that game considering Bethesda and Obsidian are under one roof now. Let Obsidian remaster their own game.

I'd assume that would be the plan. Doubt Bethesda would even necessarily want to remaster NV themselves. That one's probably my favourite Fallout too. I hope Morrowind is on the cards after Oblivion is out. I guess that one would need to be a full on remake (unless all of them turn out to be remakes rather than remasters).

 

[Iceman]

This is officially my favorite Bethesda game even with its warts. The more time you put in, the better the experience gets, but if I fall through the surface of Mars one more goddamned time, I'm gonna punch Todd Howard in his ****ing balls. You have been doing this for decades now. Figure out how basic meshes work and collision detection please.

Getting anywhere near a 7/10 for you yet?

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Getting anywhere near a 7/10 for you yet?

It's sitting firmly at a 7 with the technical issues it has. If Bethesda fixes these problems, I'd bump it to an 8 but they're not going to overhaul the UI or the space combat so thats probably where its going to stay with me but from a writing, characterization, world building standpoint, this is better than they've ever been. I actually know things about the characters outside of their titles or jobs.
The one criticism I don't really understand being thrown at this now that I've spent substantial time with it is how it allegedly feels soulless and empty. A: It's a space game, so parts of it are supposed to feel that way and B the settlements feel far more fleshed out than anything found in Oblivion or Skyrim. I was quite surprised.
I do think weight limits need to go away though. In better RPGs and table top games, it exists to balance things out but Bethesda's games are so broken from a systems and design standpoint, why they keep bothering with this particular design choice makes very little sense.

 

[Iceman]

The mods have already started! Pretty basic for now but will be interesting to see where they are in a few years if they get as crazy as Skyrim.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

At 150 hours and few updates later, I give it a solid 8. I haven't fallen through anymore level geometry since the updates. The characters are solid and combat is really fun and exploration really engaging too. As an open universe shooter with RPG elements, they did better than anticipated. My biggest complaint currently, is choices don't really matter. You can side with every faction, do every quest. I miss the days when games weren't afraid to lock you out of content based on your decisions. **** a faction over and you don't get to work for them. Not a hard concept. I ****ed over politicians, the Trade Authority, the Crimson Fleet, etc and no consequences for it.

 

[Gee]

At 150 hours and few updates later, I give it a solid 8. I haven't fallen through anymore level geometry since the updates. The characters are solid and combat is really fun and exploration really engaging too. As an open universe shooter with RPG elements, they did better than anticipated. My biggest complaint currently, is choices don't really matter. You can side with every faction, do every quest. I miss the days when games weren't afraid to lock you out of content based on your decisions. **** a faction over and you don't get to work for them. Not a hard concept. I ****ed over politicians, the Trade Authority, the Crimson Fleet, etc and no consequences for it.

Why am I not surprised?

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Why am I not surprised?

What kills me is it feels Bethesda has completely forgotten how the concept of reactivity works. This is something they used to know how to do. I recall when the Walking Dead game was huge there was stink online about making choices in games actually matter. This was a problem thar was solved by going as far back as the CRPGs of the 80s. You change the options and content available to the player based on their builds and choices. The amount of double crossing I've done would not go unnoticed in a game like Wasteland, Planescape: Torment and Arcanum. If you play as a Malkavian Vampire the Masquerade Bloodlines, it completely changes the game. I want more of that in modern games.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I have to say, I’m loving this game. It’s hard to stop playing it and while some things are a bit maddening (ship combat is infuriating at times and it’s really annoying when you land on a planet where you need your suit and the game just puts you outside the ship without it), I’m having a blast devouring this universe. Skyrim will probably always be my favorite Bethesda game but this one outdoes it in a lot of areas. Obviously the graphics are better but also, I really like the NPCs in this game. Sarah and the Constellation crew are all great and other characters you meet along the way like Hadrian are really interesting and have cool backstories. I have to laugh a bit because Bethesda can’t help but rely on some of their old tropes; you essentially ruin around collecting dragon shouts as part of the main quest line. But I don’t even mind.

I still haven’t finished the main quest and it might be a little while until I do; I’m not entirely sure who the Institute… err… I mean the Starborn are, though I have my theories. I am close to the end of the Terrormorph quest line though and that one has probably been my favorite so far. There are a lot of really cool ideas there. I have a feeling the last leg of this quest is going to be hell though.

Anyway, all I can say is, I’m glad I shelled out the money for an xBox because this game has not disappointed. The bugs are there, although maybe I’m lucky in that I haven’t experienced that many of them aside from the occasional conversation with someone whose back is turned, lol.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Starfield's lead quest designer leaves Bethesda to join other RPG veterans making a new open-world game

Something Wicked Games snatches another veteran for their horror-RPG

www.gamesradar.com

This a bummer for Bethesda. This game has my favorite quests of any Bethesda release.

 

[Iceman]

Starfield's lead quest designer leaves Bethesda to join other RPG veterans making a new open-world game

Something Wicked Games snatches another veteran for their horror-RPG

www.gamesradar.com

This a bummer for Bethesda. This game has my favorite quests of any Bethesda release.

That's a shame.

"former BioWare, Bethesda, and Obsidian staff employed at the new studio" - I need to check out that new studio though!

 

[Deck Rickard]

That's a shame.

"former BioWare, Bethesda, and Obsidian staff employed at the new studio" - I need to check out that new studio though!

Yeah, Wyrdsong sound like it will be an amazing game based on the talent involved. I’m very excited to see what that studio comes up with. That said, it had me worried about Elder Scrolls 6. I absolutely NEED that game to be good because I’ll probably have died of old age by the time Elder Scrolls 7 comes out lol.