Luke discusses leaked code hinting at a new “cruise mode” in Starfield that would streamline space travel by allowing faster, more immersive interplanetary journeys, addressing current issues of tedious manual flying. While hopeful about this potential quality-of-life improvement, he remains cautious about the game’s overall future due to its lack of polish and uninspired narrative.
In this video, Luke discusses recent leaks suggesting that Bethesda is working on significant updates to Starfield’s space travel mechanics. After a year of silence following the underwhelming launch of the Shattered Space expansion, some dedicated fans have been combing through thousands of lines of code. They discovered references to a “cruise mode” for ships, which could allow players to travel between planets more smoothly. However, after these findings were shared on Reddit, Bethesda quickly removed the related code from the game, indicating they might be preparing a major update.
Luke explains that the current method of space travel in Starfield is tedious and unrealistic, with players having to manually fly for hours between planets, often resulting in clipping issues and immersion-breaking moments. The leaked code hints at a system where players can set their ship to cruise mode, enabling faster travel between planets with potential random space encounters. This would be a significant quality-of-life improvement, possibly allowing players to engage in activities inside the ship while traveling, rather than being stuck at the controls.
He compares this potential new system to an existing mod called Astro Gate, which simulates seamless space travel by overlaying a transition video during load screens. While not truly seamless, it greatly improves the experience by reducing menu navigation and wait times. Luke speculates that Bethesda’s cruise mode might work similarly, offering a more immersive and streamlined way to navigate the vast star systems without sacrificing realism entirely.
Despite the promising signs, Luke remains cautious about the overall future of Starfield. He criticizes the game for biting off more than it could chew, lacking polish, and failing to deliver on its ambitious promises. He acknowledges that while the updates may improve mechanics like space travel, the game’s repetitive locations and uninspired narrative might still hold it back from becoming a masterpiece. Nevertheless, he expresses hope that Bethesda can turn things around by focusing on meaningful improvements and quality-of-life features.
In conclusion, Luke emphasizes the difference between realism and fun in game design, noting that Starfield struggled to balance the two. The rumored cruise mode could address some of these issues by making interplanetary travel more engaging and less time-consuming. While it may not win over fans of other space exploration games like No Man’s Sky, any improvement is welcome. Luke remains a fan of Bethesda’s work and is optimistic that these updates could mark a positive step forward for Starfield’s development.