Bethesda's Starfield

[raydude]

Thanks to coop and BH for trying to help me understand time.
I'm still confused but thats more of a me understanding issue then a ypu explaining issue. BHs in particular seemed pretty detailed.
I'll just have to keep rereading it and hope it wventually clicks.

If you think about local time in terms of how a pre-starflight person growing up on that planet would tell time then it starts to make more sense. On earth we defined a solar day as the time it took for the sun to repeat one cycle of reaching the highest point in the sky. We define that as 24 earth hours. Mercury takes 59 earth days to make one rotation. A civilization on Mercury would define one cycle of the sun reaching the highest point in the sky as their 1 day, even though to us it's 59 earth days. In order to fit a Mercury day into a 24 hour time clock we define 1 Mercury hour as 1/24 of a Mercury day, or 59/24 = 2.458 Earth days.

It makes sense for extractors to use UT time because they are machines and they don't care about planet rotation. If it takes one UT hour to produce 1 copper, then it takes 24 UT hours to make 24 copper, regardless of planet rotation. But YOUR character's wait time depends on rotation, i.e. local time, so you waiting 1 hour on Mercury = 2.458 earth days of extractor production whereever that extractor happens to be.

Personally I think it would make more sense for your character to always go by the UT clock. You are a space-faring person, so you don't care what the local time is; 8 UT hours of rest is 8 UT hours of rest whereever your bed is. It's like the folks on a submarine where they set their clocks and work shifts to GMT no matter what time zone they are in. The only time a space-faring person would care about the local time is when they have to deal with local business or meet someone.

Realistically I think vendors would also use UT. If GalBank is the universal banking system it would make sense for GalBank to use UT. Which means they would use UT billing cycles and hence vendors get credit per UT day. As for stock, let's say it takes 8 UT hours for a supply ship to get from New Atlantis to Akila. That's 8 UT hours regardless of how fast or slow either planet spins, which means the fastest a vendor could restock is 8 UT hours. And then there's the issue of daily wages. Imagine being a worker on Mercury paid $10/day versus a worker on Earth paid $10/day. You'd leave Mercury real quick.

[Max Peck]

Home sweet home on Bessel III-b.

[Blackhawk]

For the record: No. No, you cannot stand on top of an NPC ship and ride it into orbit. You fall through the hull about halfway up.

[Blackhawk]

One mechanic I've come to hate is the whole "suit protection" system. Not only is it absurd that a space suit lets you choke after a few minutes of dust, but the only way to recharge it is to go somewhere safe, indoors, and oxygenated. How the holy hellballs are you supposed to explore a planet when you can't get more that a short distance from shelter?

[Blackhawk]

Did anybody else notice the mountains on Mars? Like this one:

(Spoilers don't go much past, "Mars exists" with a couple of shots of it.)

Spoiler:

Anything interesting there?

Let's climb on top and see if there's anything worth seeing.

Spoiler:

Nothing?

Ok, I'm going to toggle the free camera and get higher.

Spoiler:

Ring a bell?

Hint:

Spoiler:

[Isgrimnur]

There’s a shrine to it inside the habitat on the surface.

[Blackhawk]

There’s a shrine to it inside the habitat on the surface.

I know. I recognized the name when I landed, so after I was done inside, I pulled up maps and went looking. It's not obvious where it's actually at (although once you're in the right area, it's visible, but not obvious, on the ground map.)

[raydude]

On the topic of stealing ships, I am around 80+ hours in and just now getting to this part. I think this was posted earlier on by folks, but for those that have not been following all these pages, this is my approach that seems to work if you like to steal ships but don't necessarily want to permanently move your crew/cargo from your current ship (A) to the newly acquired ship (B) right away (e.g. have your "prize" crew take ship B back to your virtual hangar).

(1) eliminate the crew of ship B by your favorite means or find the key in the ignition if for some reason no one is present;

(2) sit in the cockpit seat of ship B;

(3) open your inventory/character wheel and open the ships submenu;

(4) you should now see this newly acquired ship B (along with your existing ship A) and can scroll through them;

(5) using the key in the lower right corner, select ship B as your home ship;

(6) using the key in the lower right corner go ahead and register ship B now (I have found it is cheaper to do this right away vs later);

(7) don't freak out when all of your crew/companions start talking behind you and your cargo from ship A is now transferred to this one (you will not lose any even if it is over the maximum hold space of ship B);

(8) as long as ship A is in the immediate "loaded area" of the planet you can typically run back to it now even if it is several km away;

(9) sit in the cockpit of ship A and repeat step #5 above; and

(10) now you should have your crew and cargo back to ship A, and if you check your ship roster your prize crew brought ship B back to your virtual hangar while you ran back to ship A (technically it is probably still sitting where you left it, but at least this is how I like to think about it).

OMG, thank you for this! I finally captured my first ship in a fight against some Spacers. I didn't want to mess up the capture and I didn't want to take the Spacer ship into combat against another set of Spacer ships (part of the mission was to fight them at another location). So I followed the steps for the first one I captured, then went to the next encounter and did it again for the other Spacer ship I boarded. When I went to Akila I visited the Ships Technician and could see them both.

[Blackhawk]

That sounds like a good system, except that I've found two ships so far with the keys in the ignition (or, rather, in the nefarious pilot's pocket), and each time, as soon as I set foot inside, the ship automatically appeared in space above the planet.

[Unagi]

Can anyone talk about Helium-3 and Fuel and Grav Drives, and what and where it's used or needed? I've seen hints of it's use, but I'm so 'untraveled' that I don't know if I've really ever needed it? used it?

[Madmarcus]

It's all fluff. The drives are supposed to use Helium-3 in the lore but by the game mechanics you don't need to worry about it. Intrasystem travel doesn't use enough to matter and you instantly refill your tanks behind the scenes whenever you jump into a new system.

[Max Peck]

Fuel use for the grav drive is abstract. The capacity of your fuel tanks impacts your ship's maximum jump distance, but they magically refill after every jump.

[Unagi]

Ahh, Okay thank you.

So, I think it still plays a role in Outpost somewhere?, like keeping transport ships fueled maybe?... or maybe just in Power production.

[Daehawk]

I left a post on that ship builder guy's last video asking if he can do a Eagle ship from Space 1999. That would be cool.

[coopasonic]

Ahh, Okay thank you.

So, I think it still plays a role in Outpost somewhere?, like keeping transport ships fueled maybe?... or maybe just in Power production.

Inter-system cargo links require He-3. Those are for automated transport of material between systems and generally not necessary unless you are building a massive factory chain for some special purpose.

[Blackhawk]

I left a post on that ship builder guy's last video asking if he can do a Eagle ship from Space 1999. That would be cool.

That should be very, very doable. The aesthetic is similar. And the ship is popular. In fact, off all of the classic sci-fi beyond Star Trek/Wars, that's one of the few ships you ever see quite a bit. I was looking at model spaceships a while back (I'd love to find some original BSG or Babylon 5 ships, but they just aren't out there except in custom-built, $300 form), and I other than Trek, Wars, and some 50s style stuff, Space 1999 represented almost the entire market.

[Max Peck]

Ahh, Okay thank you.

So, I think it still plays a role in Outpost somewhere?, like keeping transport ships fueled maybe?... or maybe just in Power production.

There is a type of outpost power generator that uses Helium-3 for fuel. I'm not sure if there is anything else that consumes it.

[Blackhawk]

It goes in the weather balloons used to scout worlds for invasion.

[Max Peck]

Ahh, Okay thank you.

So, I think it still plays a role in Outpost somewhere?, like keeping transport ships fueled maybe?... or maybe just in Power production.

Inter-system cargo links require He-3. Those are for automated transport of material between systems and generally not necessary unless you are building a massive factory chain for some special purpose.

Good to know. I haven't built it out yet, but one of my outpost projects is to set up a Helium-3 resource gathering outpost and ship it back to my main base, then use that supply to fuel power generators to replace my current motley collection of solar generators and wind turbines.

[jztemple2]

[jztemple2]

With my 125 hours in on the game, I'll share a tip that I've been using. Sometimes you'll have multiple Skills where you are trying to rank up and so need to accumulate things like pickpocketing or destroying ships. I've started keeping a hand-written list to remind me of these as I cruise around doing missions and surveying, etc. It helps to remember that, for instance, if I'm waiting for something to occur, I can always do a little pickpocketing

If you're on Steam I recommend using Steam Notes. Shift-Tab to bring up the interface in-game, write your note, and Shift-Tab to dismiss. That's how I took notes on all the safes and locked doors in Fallout 4 when I was not at the right level to unlock them.

Good gosh I didn't even know that was a thing . I'll give it a try, thanks!

Using Steam Notes works very well

[Blackhawk]

It's not quite as convenient (I have to alt-tab or use my second monitor), but I've used OneNote for that kind of note-taking for years. It's more organized, it's available on multiple devices, and it's easier to add notes that aren't game-specific. It also lets me embed links, screenshots, use color coding, and so on. I've got separate notes for every game where it matters, notes on which games I've abandoned and why, a 'to play' list that is like a curated backlog, notes on servers, notes on my hardware, and dozens of others, all accessible wherever I am. And it's free.

Spoiler tags are just to keep the clutter down.

I don't have many Starfield notes yet, but here's a page for my slowly-but-surely Fallout 3/New Vegas combined game. It's my character build notes, and you can see the pages for quest notes, mod notes, etc down the left side:

Spoiler:

Here's a page showing a drop down with some of the games I've moved to 'inactive' status, ready to be moved back if/when I play them again (the page showing is a character build for 7 Days to Die):

Spoiler:

And here's one with my 'to play list.

Spoiler:

I have a similar notebook for everyday life (including plans, budgets, recipes, meeting notes, shows I want to watch (or that are off-season), to-do lists, and I even keep my shopping list there - I can type it in at home with check boxes, then access it from my phone at the store.

I also have full notebooks for miniature painting/terrain (notes, recipes, techniques, a log of how I painted some pieces, reference images, etc.), boardgames, RPGs, GMing, GM improv, specific RPGs (D&D, Pathfinder, Torg Eternity, etc), adventures for some systems (I actually run the adventure directly from the notebook - I put it in as an outline, add my own notes, and screenshot relevant sections, stat blocks, and tables.)

I first started using OneNote for RPGs, then expanded it to everything else I do. I think it was this guys videos that convinced me:

Spoiler:

[Blackhawk]

And I just noticed today, for the first time, that you can set your suit and helmet to auto-hide where appropriate (its at the bottom of their respective inventory categories, if you're as blind as I am.)

[Alefroth]

This may be obvious, but I think I just realized O2 depletion due to encumbrance is dependent on the gravity.

[jztemple2]

It's not quite as convenient (I have to alt-tab or use my second monitor), but I've used OneNote for that kind of note-taking for years. It's more organized, it's available on multiple devices, and it's easier to add notes that aren't game-specific. It also lets me embed links, screenshots, use color coding, and so on. I've got separate notes for every game where it matters, notes on which games I've abandoned and why, a 'to play' list that is like a curated backlog, notes on servers, notes on my hardware, and dozens of others, all accessible wherever I am. And it's free.

I've used OneNote for gaming as well, although for ephemeral data taking plain old scratch paper is good enough. I have a poor memory so if it isn't sitting on my screen and I have to alt-tab back and forth I tend to forget stuff

Question about NG+.... when you start your new NG+ playthough, are you able to change your background? I don't remember if this was mentioned.

[Blackhawk]

I've used OneNote for gaming as well, although for ephemeral data taking plain old scratch paper is good enough. I have a poor memory so if it isn't sitting on my screen and I have to alt-tab back and forth I tend to forget stuff

That's why I used to use a second PC for it, and why I now use a second monitor. But I do use paper as well, but mostly for quick planning/sketches/notes for something I need to grab - that sort of information that's used once and then meaningless (in other words, anything you'd 'jot down' rather than take notes on.) And Starfield isn't the type of game to require that kind of thing very often, while something like Planet Zoo or Satisfactory saw me going through multiple pages.

Also, I'm glad I didn't order the premium edition - I discovered today that the digital art book isn't even a file - it's an encrypted app with all of the art locked inside. You can only use the built-in viewer. Digital art books are a cheap enough excuse for a bonus, but to lock it inside an app that's eventually going to stop working? Blech.

On the other hand, it's a Unity app, so at least they'll be charged over and over anytime anyone installs the game in perpetuity.

[jztemple2]

So I watched the below video on outposts, specifically adding manufacturing plus raising flora and fauna. I guess my question is, once I make a bunch of stuff, what do I do with all of it? Haul it to some cities or space station with a Trade Authority or other vendor and just sell it? For most of the lower level stuff that's not going to get me much dough. I know there are several activities where certain locations contract with me for a one time shipment of resources but that's just the one time each. I'm just wondering if there's some way to automate the selling of the stuff.

Also, I would love it if I had the option to leave all the crap that's in the hold of my current ship when I change to a new ship. That way I could have my daily driver that has all my resources, but I could also have a dedicated cargo hauler. But I don't think that's currently possible.

[Max Peck]

Conclusive evidence that Starfield is No Man's Skyrim rather than Fallout in Space:

[coopasonic]

Question about NG+.... when you start your new NG+ playthough, are you able to change your background? I don't remember if this was mentioned.

No. There is no character creation or adjustment to NG+, same character minus all of your possessions.

[Blackhawk]

Well, um... that's interesting.

All of that special DLC skin that you can only get with the preorder/certain edtions? I was just poking around in the files, and guess what? Everybody got them. They're already installed, they're just not enabled. The only difference between the versions is whether the four files are listed in the .ini file that tells the game which files to load. Add a couple of filenames to your StarfieldCustom.ini, and both skin packs (Constellation and Old Mars) are activated.

[Unagi]

Conclusive evidence that Starfield is No Man's Skyrim rather than Fallout in Space:

I need help with this one.

[Unagi]

I'm just wondering if there's some way to automated the selling of the stuff.

I believe the answer is simply, No.

[Max Peck]

Conclusive evidence that Starfield is No Man's Skyrim rather than Fallout in Space:

I need help with this one.

The active status effect is shown as an enchantment. The Elder Scrolls games have enchantments, Fallout does not. We see that sort of thing reflected in console commands (e.g. references to spells), but this is right out in the open, in the user interface.

[Max Peck]

So I watched the below video on outposts, specifically adding manufacturing plus raising flora and fauna. I guess my question is, once I make a bunch of stuff, what do I do with all of it? Haul it to some cities or space station with a Trade Authority or other vendor and just sell it? For most of the lower level stuff that's not going to get me much dough. I know there are several activities where certain locations contract with me for a one time shipment of resources but that's just the one time each. I'm just wondering if there's some way to automated the selling of the stuff.

Also, I would love it if I had the option to leave all the crap that's in the hold of my current ship when I change to a new ship. That way I could have my daily driver that has all my resources, but I could also have a dedicated cargo hauler. But I don't think that's currently possible.

I think the main point of outposts seems to be to harvest resources and manufacture components that will allow you to make better outposts, in pursuit of the goal of building your own Barbie Dream House at some point. I'm hoping it's all worth the effort when I can eventually operate a first-rate adhesive farm.

My current solution for emptying out my ship's cargo hold was to build a massive array of storage containers of all possible types at my main base and just warehouse everything that I don't need to carry around with me.

[Unagi]

Conclusive evidence that Starfield is No Man's Skyrim rather than Fallout in Space:

I need help with this one.

The active status effect is shown as an enchantment. The Elder Scrolls games have enchantments, Fallout does not. We see that sort of thing reflected in console commands (e.g. references to spells), but this is right out in the open, in the user interface.

Thank you. I just glossed over that. I totally got it back with the discussion on the 'dispel' commands though.

[Unagi]

My current solution for emptying out my ship's cargo hold was to build a massive array of storage containers of all possible types at my main base and just warehouse everything that I don't need to carry around with me.

I need to get around to doing something like this. I still am making periodic encumbered walks back to the lodge to unload gobs of things over to my safe-of-holding. It's getting a little... OCD.

[Blackhawk]

Under the hood of this (and Fallout), all effects (say, radiation in Fallout) all food buffs, most special abilities, and many bonuses are actually spells. For example, to get rid of the 'bad air quality' bug, the console command is, "player.removespell 00163FE7". Starfield is, deep down inside, an Oblivion mod.

[Max Peck]

Under the hood of this (and Fallout), all effects (say, radiation in Fallout) all food buffs, most special abilities, and many bonuses are actually spells. For example, to get rid of the 'bad air quality' bug, the console command is, "player.removespell 00163FE7". Starfield is, deep down inside, an Oblivion mod.

Yeah, but it's extra special when it actually leaks out into the user interface.

[Blackhawk]

Absolutely.

Just wait until someone mods all of Fallout onto one planet, and Tamriel onto another. FallRimField.

[Unagi]

It's unrelated really, but, Fast Travel to the Lodge shouldn't just take you right outside the door to the Lodge. Why make me load New Atlantis just to walk 20 feet to the door and then load the Lodge each time?