***The Official Starfield Thread*** (As endorsed by TNA)

[mark43]

Are there any people actually playing and enjoying the game?

Or is it all just neckbeards comparing FPS?ery

Very much enjoying it thanks.

 

[HungryHippos]

I'm awaiting tomorrow to unlock the game from the Game Pass version (and sort of hoping that can have mods added!). If it can't, I'll probably put on a fancy hat and my peg-leg.

Will want to try out with some of the tips/mods posted here to give a good starting point so stuff like the lut filter adjustments and DLSS mods.

 

[pooley]

That's true.

My disapointment playing this game is that I have played Elite Dangerous, Skyrim, Fallout 4 etc. I was expecting a mixture of all those games and in some respects it is but I feel that it doesn't really do anything better than those games and in many respects it does it worse.

Elite Dangerous - I knew going in that you can't pilot the ship down to the surface of a planet like Elite but I was hoping to be able to fly my ship between planets and solar systems like Elite's supercruise and hyperspace. Instead it all takes place between a series of loading screens. Elite Dangerous is now 9 years old.

Fallout 4 / Skyrim - Had a massive open world to explore that was only interrupted with loading screens when entering a cave or village etc. When I'm playing Starfield you just feel like you are moving between a series of boxes separated with loading screens. It just doesn't feel good. The quest's I have done so far in Starfield have not been very interesting and I hear it takes hours and hours before they get good. I never felt like that in previous Bethesda games.

It really doesn't help when I have just come of the back of playing Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom which in my opinion is the best game I have ever played in my life. Starfield just pales into insignificance to it in regards to gameplay, art direction, story and game design. Doesn't even come close.

It seems the immersion is not there at all which why I liked Bethesda games of the past..

 

[jonneymendoza]

Better planet tech then another game we cannot mention here!
@TNA @humbug

 

[Removed User 345456]

I'm awaiting tomorrow to unlock the game from the Game Pass version (and sort of hoping that can have mods added!). If it can't, I'll probably put on a fancy hat and my peg-leg.

Will want to try out with some of the tips/mods posted here to give a good starting point so stuff like the lut filter adjustments and DLSS mods.

Did you see my screenshots on the previous page just now? Now that I'm awake more and have setup the new mod thanks to @Neil79 that should give you some kind of idea what the mod can do, even at 100% scaling

 

[Aegis]

It really doesn't help when I have just come of the back of playing Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom which in my opinion is the best game I have ever played in my life. Starfield just pales into insignificance to it in regards to gameplay, art direction, story and game design. Doesn't even come close.

Horses for courses mate - got zero interest in Zelda (or Elite, NMS etc.) but Starfield is easily my GOTY so far - haven't been this invested in a game since Cyberpunk - I'm finding the gunplay fun and challenging, enjoying the space dogfights and loving the variety of the questlines.

It doesn't break any new ground but in my opinion, what it sets out to do, it does extremely well. Easily Bethesda's best game yet (although Fallout New Vegas may still be the best Creation Engine game - the jury's still out on that one). I fully expect to sink a few hundred hours into this

 

[Removed User 345456]

Oh my bad your GPU is only marginally more expensive than an Xbox Series X or PS5.

Having to use DLSS and Frame Generation to get a respectable frame rate on current generation hardware is not ok, specially at 1440p, I could understand and fully support the requirement for 4k (literally 4 x the resolution)

I've since posted screenshots at 100% scaling to show you on the previous page? Did you see them?

I'm by no means saying having to use RT on this is acceptable considering what my GPU can do in everything else btw, just happy despite it's issues I can run it fine with my setup, and in silence/low power draw/cool temps as I by choice frame cap SP games to 60fps as I like my rig to run cool/use no power/in silence for lengthy evening gaming sessions.

I still don't know if your price comment now was genuine or sarcastic though haha!

FWIW though as stated on my post just now, this is THE only game I've had to enable DLSS on to get above 60fps in 1440p ultra... So it's definitely not my gpu's fault when I can literally play any current game natively 1440p ultra at 60 or more, even RE4 Remake with RT on isn't an issue at 1440p native maxed.

 

[Felon]

My disapointment playing this game is that I have played Elite Dangerous, Skyrim, Fallout 4 etc. I was expecting a mixture of all those games and in some respects it is but I feel that it doesn't really do anything better than those games and in many respects it does it worse.

Elite Dangerous - I knew going in that you can't pilot the ship down to the surface of a planet like Elite but I was hoping to be able to fly my ship between planets and solar systems like Elite's supercruise and hyperspace. Instead it all takes place between a series of loading screens. Elite Dangerous is now 9 years old.

I think I put over 1000 hours into Elite dangerous, the last 300 or so of which were Thargoid hunting, the ship flight model, combat and overall "feel" of the ships in Elite, I think is the gold standard - I was never expecting Starfield to have anything like that level of attention to the ships. It would also be far too complex for most people, as the flight, combat and general mechanics of that game is close to a full-fat flight sim.

The problem with Starfield for me, is that in Fallout 4 - you have this large world you can explore on foot, there's just so much to do between going to different areas, it's like an expedition - it's dangerous an interesting to go on a long hike somewhere, you'd always run into something unexpected.

With starfield, that large world you can explore has been replaced by spaceships and basically a system where you click on a starmap to gravjump, rather than trek there like you did in Fallout 4. The problem for me, is that the spaceship side of it, is so utterly rubbish that it just makes jumping between planets a huge chore and it doesn't really add anything, I just wish it wasn't there.

Like you say - why can't we cruise around systems, and seamlessly land and fly around on the surface..

 

[mrk]

Right, I think this is what you all asked for but I am half asleep...
1440p ultra, 100% scaling using the new dlss3.5/FG mod I was linked to just now... 12% sharpness (probably need to play around with this but I've only just installed this mod minutes ago)
@CAT-THE-FIFTH @lovelyhead @Neil79 @Noxia @TNA @mrk @HungryHippos @loftie @MadMossy Opinions please? You happy now haha!

Also, @MadMossy I couldn't tell if you were being sarcastic with the price vs xbox comment? Did you think I had a Ti then?

TBH This is the only game I've actually bothered to use DLSS on tbh - mainly because I thought why not try out some mods as I've never modded a Bethesda game before and wanted to see what was possible from the community on release day etc etc.

Anything else current I can max out in 1440p native no issues, I personally framecap SP games at 60fps and unlock fps for CS:GO as that's all I play online, as I prefer a silent system that sips power and doesn't burn my leg...

I can for example run RE4 Remake with RT on and max'ed 1440p settings at 280-300w total system draw with way above 60fps...

I'm by no means saying having to use RT on this is acceptable considering what my GPU can do in everything else btw, just happy despite it's issues I can run it fine with my setup, and in silence/low power draw/cool temps

I'm getting more into it the more I branch out to other systems and explore. There's no denying that there's a distinct margin line between "oh this is great" and "oh this is terrible" -They seen to tennis ball their way back and forth. It's the curiosity factor for me that is keeping me going back, what quirk will I find on the next planet I land on I mean fast travel on, which NPC will do a ridiculous thing requiring a screenshot or GIF etc

And from a technical perspective, seeing new mods come out each day and trying them out etc is interesting too.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

There’s an incredible amount of variety to some of the quest locations, I’m yet to see a building that feels as copy and paste as they were in Skyrim. People, mainly @mrk, might moan about the textures, but as a broader world what they’ve built is mind blowing. To have played so many hours and have barely touched the game is fantastic. Not perfect, but it’s darn impressive.

I like that your player isn’t voiced, as some of you discussed. V bugged me no end in Cyberpunk, I actually find this more immersive.

Now I’m adept at cruising the menus and shortcutting some aspects, I’m not bothered by them anymore.

 

[Removed User 345456]

I'm getting more into it the more I branch out to other systems and explore. There's no denying that there's a distinct margin line between "oh this is great" and "oh this is terrible" -They seen to tennis ball their way back and forth. It's the curiosity factor for me that is keeping me going back, what quirk will I find on the next planet I land on I mean fast travel on, which NPC will do a ridiculous thing requiring a screenshot or GIF etc

And from a technical perspective, seeing new mods come out each day and trying them out etc is interesting too.

Yeah, being completely honest as I've said before I've never even modded a Bethesda game, so to explain my previous balls up, I'd played the game at a native 52-60fps at 1440p ultra, then simply pasted in the dlss2.0 mod and left the default scaling on, it wasn't till I uploaded it and you guys pointed out the res I thought hmm surely it can do better than that, hence the above redemption screenshots at 100% scaling haha.

So yeah I don't believe my hardware is an issue, as agreed it's just a typical Bethesda game, as I say I can happily run literally any other current game at 1440p ultra natively and easily get above 60fps, I just use a locked 60 for SP games due to silence/low power draw at the wall/not wanting my rig burning my leg I only uncap my fps for CS:GO when I cba to even play it tbh.

 

[HungryHippos]

I've since posted screenshots at 100% scaling to show you on the previous page? Did you see them?

I think so, I do like a good quest to save power but not necessarily to extremes, I have solar so currently in this weather can basically play all day without cost.

But saying that, I do often cap games to lower power usage, and I have my 4090 at 80% power limit so that even in the most demanding game it's about 350W. Playing basic strategy games I'll usually framerate limit to 60.

Playing FPS though usually want more frames and better detail, so DLSS quality if I can.

 

[lovelyhead]

I think I put over 1000 hours into Elite dangerous, the last 300 or so of which were Thargoid hunting, the ship flight model, combat and overall "feel" of the ships in Elite, I think is the gold standard - I was never expecting Starfield to have anything like that level of attention to the ships. It would also be far too complex for most people, as the flight, combat and general mechanics of that game is close to a full-fat flight sim.

The problem with Starfield for me, is that in Fallout 4 - you have this large world you can explore on foot, there's just so much to do between going to different areas, it's like an expedition - it's dangerous an interesting to go on a long hike somewhere, you'd always run into something unexpected.

With starfield, that large world you can explore has been replaced by spaceships and basically a system where you click on a starmap to gravjump, rather than trek there like you did in Fallout 4. The problem for me, is that the spaceship side of it, is so utterly rubbish that it just makes jumping between planets a huge chore and it doesn't really add anything, I just wish it wasn't there.

Like you say - why can't we cruise around systems, and seamlessly land and fly around on the surface..

Absolutely agree.

The fact is Starfield is not really a space game. It is a shooter / RPG with a space aesthetic. The game it is most similar to is the Mass Effect series (although Starfield isn't as good as Mass Effect).

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Absolutely agree.

The fact is Starfield is not really a space game. It is a shooter / RPG with a space aesthetic. The game it is most similar to is the Mass Effect series (although Starfield isn't as good as Mass Effect).

I’ll end up putting far more hours into this than ME.

 

[Removed User 345456]

I think so, I do like a good quest to save power but not necessarily to extremes, I have solar so currently in this weather can basically play all day without cost.

But saying that, I do often cap games to lower power usage, and I have my 4090 at 80% power limit so that even in the most demanding game it's about 350W. Playing basic strategy games I'll usually framerate limit to 60.

Playing FPS though usually want more frames and better detail, so DLSS quality if I can.

I pay a disgusting amount where I live, IIRC 32 or 36p kw/h, I easily play 6 hours EVERY evening and this system was only built recently just for gaming, so I like to get my moneys worth...

Thanks to some cheeky undervolting and a slight underclock on my gpu (it boosts to 350mhz or so more than a ref Nvidia card FYI and can OC to 3 or 3.1ghz and 500mhz on the memory at that game clock - see OCUK's 8Pack's YT review on my Asus Dual 4070 for reference) It works out at 260-300w TOTAL power draw for the pc/31.5" 165hz 1440p monitor/amp+speakers... 300w being with RT on 1440p ultra settings natively in something like Control or RE4 remake... Thus it only costs me about £19 a month to play 186 hours every month...

So to put that into perspective, if I'd gone for the 7900xt or 6950xt I'd considered previously, just those gpu's doing RT (or trying to haha) would be using what my ENTIRE wall draw is including moni/speakers/amp... F that...

As literally in 2 years I'll have basically got this gpu for free, then every year afterwards is around £192 a year free money towards a new gpu/hardware in savings vs the higher draw setup I would have had with a different gpu which would have been wasted on electric at my consumption/daily usage...

All adds up doesn't it. I'm into my cars for example and when I do an engine swap, I'd rather have a 500bhp engine net me X mpg than another engine making the same power use twice the fuel for no gain in performance... (for my chosen 60fps cap in SP games/silence/cool running/low power usage requirements)

 

[montymint]

More ship building tonight, im obsessed with this part of the game at the moment. It's really fun to build a ship and then go inside it and explore all the different compartments, modules etc. Added a science section and captains quarters for that jiggy jiggy time with Sarah.

I can't seem to part with the starting one - I'm such a sentimental old git

 

[Deleted User 234324]

snip

Just checked out the game on my system, same location as you were, higher resolution (3440x1440p)

Same settings as you posted above, no upscaling/FSR2 etc

Ancient CPU (Ryzen 2700X 32GB DDR4 @ 3000, 3200 isn't stable on my X470 motherboard)
AMD 7900XT

Got 50fps in the exact same spot, even running at lower resolution it doesn't change (tried 2560x1440p and 1920x1080p) so I am heavily CPU/Bandwidth limited, GPU use is ~50%.

For what it's worth if I had a newer CPU like the 7800X3D and DDR5 I'd be pushing over 100fps.

 

[mrk]

There’s an incredible amount of variety to some of the quest locations, I’m yet to see a building that feels as copy and paste as they were in Skyrim. People, mainly @mrk, might moan about the textures, but as a broader world what they’ve built is mind blowing. To have played so many hours and have barely touched the game is fantastic. Not perfect, but it’s darn impressive.

I like that your player isn’t voiced, as some of you discussed. V bugged me no end in Cyberpunk, I actually find this more immersive.

Now I’m adept at cruise the menus and shortcutting some aspects, I’m not bothered by them anymore.

We moan about textures for a reason When the performance is so demanding yet the visual presentation doesn't match that demand, questions need to be asked, not ignored - Plus this is a tech forum, not IGN or some such, we discuss everything

I've done this with every game that has questionable or out of place performance/visual issues., just like many of the other members here and on reddit, and in some instances those issues have been resolved after much feed/outcry by the community in some games, so it does help to highlight issues where possible.

Otherwise yeah, it's a varied landscape and interesting to explore and see what lies around each corner at each station ship or outpost.

I've also been playing with two mice to see how the experience differs, MX Master 3 and Endgame XM2we. I have to say the 1000Hz and 1000CPI combo on the XM2 is so nice in a game like this where you can smoothly and slowly walk around and take in a room, then in a split second have a fast paced gunfight for stealing a pen off someone's desk and refusing to play by the rules when the feds come to arrest you - The MX Master 3's 125Hz polling and extra weight just isn't up to the task of having the same feel in such a reactive first person experience as this, which is surprising because there's no RAW mode for mouse input and there's no Reflex, yet the mouse feedback is so responsive on a high performance mouse.

Also using the non-gaming mouse slowly panning the camera you can see the slight screen juddering from the 125Hz polling, with 1000Hz it's judder-free. I've noticed this in Cyberpunk too since receiving the XM2.

So yeah, I highly recommend a high polling rate mouse for these sorts of games, and if your Windows 11 is up to date, then MS's last major patch Tuesday resolved the high Hz mouse stutter issues in games so even more reason to use one now.

 

[mid_gen]

Very much enjoying it thanks.

Most people are just getting on and enjoying the game, nothing to be gained from engaging people getting rage-boners on about framerates.

Runs great, looks great on my 4070. Game is ace. Probably the only game I'm gonna play for the next year

 

[Removed User 345456]

Just checked out the game on my system, same location as you were, higher resolution (3440x1440p)

Same settings as you posted above, no upscaling/FSR2 etc

Ancient CPU (Ryzen 2700X 32GB DDR4 @ 3000, 3200 isn't stable on my X470 motherboard)
AMD 7900XT

Got 50fps in the exact same spot, even running at lower resolution it doesn't change (tried 2560x1440p and 1920x1080p) so I am heavily CPU/Bandwidth limited.

For what it's worth if I had a newer CPU like the 7800X3D and DDR5 I'd be pushing over 100fps.

I get 52-60fps there with Native 1440p mate, so not bad for a 4070/buggy Bethesda game, no? Remember I am underclocked and undervolted too... As I prefer 60fps in SP games capped so my system runs silent/cool/draws FA electric for my length daily 6 hour gaming sessions...

I think in reality you'd be closer to 80fps mate with how this game runs and how other owners with your gpu have experienced... Be interesting to see what FPS you get at 1440p with RT on in RE4 Remake natively maxed out.

To quote what I said just now:

"I pay a disgusting amount where I live, IIRC 32 or 36p kw/h, I easily play 6 hours EVERY evening and this system was only built recently just for gaming, so I like to get my moneys worth...

Thanks to some cheeky undervolting and a slight underclock on my gpu (it boosts to 350mhz or so more than a ref Nvidia card FYI and can OC to 3 or 3.1ghz and 500mhz on the memory at that game clock - see OCUK's 8Pack's YT review on my Asus Dual 4070 for reference) It works out at 260-300w TOTAL power draw for the pc/31.5" 165hz 1440p monitor/amp+speakers... 300w being with RT on 1440p ultra settings natively in something like Control or RE4 remake... Thus it only costs me about £19 a month to play 186 hours every month...

So to put that into perspective, if I'd gone for the 7900xt or 6950xt I'd considered previously, just those gpu's doing RT (or trying to haha) would be using what my ENTIRE wall draw is including moni/speakers/amp... F that...

As literally in 2 years I'll have basically got this gpu for free, then every year afterwards is around £192 a year free money towards a new gpu/hardware in savings vs the higher draw setup I would have had with a different gpu which would have been wasted on electric at my consumption/daily usage...

All adds up doesn't it. I'm into my cars for example and when I do an engine swap, I'd rather have a 500bhp engine net me X mpg than another engine making the same power use twice the fuel for no gain in performance... (for my chosen 60fps cap in SP games/silence/cool running/low power usage requirements)"

After those 2 years the 4070 can go in my SFF 2nd build which it'll easily fit in, and I will have nearly £400 free money from not having a 6950/7900xt in savings on the same usage a year/electric saving.