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Lex Fridman Podcast
#342 – Todd Howard: Skyrim, Elder Scrolls 6, Fallout, and Starfield
Nov 29, 2022
02:49:59
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Quick takeaways
- Starfield aims to create a realistic and immersive open-world space RPG with around 100 star systems and a thousand planets for players to explore.
- Bethesda focuses on creating robust systems that allow for player agency, meaningful relationships with NPCs, and immersive experiences through the use of voice actors.
- Starfield combines handcrafted content and procedural planet exploration to provide players with a unique and immersive gaming experience.
- The game development process involves starting with ideas and concepts, prototyping, designing, and meeting deadlines for timely completion.
- Designing compelling quests in games involves balancing handcrafted experiences with player-driven solutions and creating meaningful rewards and strategically placed items and loot.
Deep dives
Building a Realistic and Immersive World
Starfield is an upcoming game by Bethesda that aims to create a realistic and immersive world set in space. The team wanted to explore space and create an open-world role-playing game with a science fiction theme. The game will feature around 100 star systems and a thousand planets available to explore, and the team has put a lot of effort into rendering the planets and creating a sense of awe for players. They want players to have those special moments and feel proud of what they accomplish in the game.
Challenges of Programming Open World Games
Programming open world games poses various challenges, such as handling rendering, physics, interactivity, and AI systems. The team at Bethesda focuses on building robust systems that allow for player agency and interaction. They want to create a world where players can have meaningful relationships with NPCs, experience romance, and feel attached to the characters. Voice actors play a crucial role in bringing these characters to life and adding depth to the experience.
Starfield: Exploring Space and Loneliness
Starfield is a space exploration RPG where players will have the opportunity to explore a vast universe consisting of hundreds of star systems and thousands of planets. The game aims to capture the sense of isolation and wonder associated with space exploration. Players will be able to land on planets, build outposts, and experience the beauty of the cosmos. The team at Bethesda wants to create a mix of handcrafted content and procedural planet exploration to give players a unique and immersive gaming experience.
Game Development Process
The game development process involves starting with ideas and concepts, prototyping and designing the game world, creating a first playable version, and then moving into full production. Deadlines are set to keep the team on track and ensure timely completion of the game.
Creating a Compelling Quest
Designing a compelling quest involves storytelling, interesting choices, and open-ended solutions. The challenge lies in balancing handcrafted experiences with player-driven solutions, creating meaningful rewards, and placing items and loot strategically.
Mobile Game Design
Designing games for mobile platforms requires considerations such as short play sessions, onboarding tutorials, and touch screen interface. The goal is to create an engaging experience that can be enjoyed on the go.
Joining Xbox Team
Joining the Xbox team provided a collaborative and supportive environment. The culture emphasizes player-focused development and enables collaboration with top engineers. The experience has been positive and has allowed for a better focus on creating an exclusive and high-quality game like Starfield.
The Importance of Tangible Gaming Experiences
Todd Howard highlights the sentimental value of physical game boxes and the artwork on them, emphasizing the importance of digital ownership in the gaming community. He discusses the joy that comes from collecting and displaying games, whether physically or digitally, as a way of appreciating the art and design behind them.
The Impact and Significance of Video Games
Todd Howard reflects on the profound impact of video games, mentioning classics like Tetris, Pac-Man, and Super Mario as examples of games that have captivated audiences and brought joy to millions. He discusses how video games offer a sense of accomplishment, pride, and escapism, allowing players to become immersed in unique worlds and experience emotions ranging from excitement to fear. He also shares heartwarming stories of the positive influence video games can have, such as through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Todd Howard is a legendary video game designer at Bethesda Game Studios. He led the development of the Elder Scrolls series and the Fallout series, and an upcoming game Starfield. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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EPISODE LINKS:
Bethesda: https://bethesda.net
Bethesda Game Studios: https://bethesdagamestudios.com
Creation Club: https://creationclub.bethesda.net
PODCAST INFO:
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OUTLINE:
Here’s the timestamps for the episode. On some podcast players you should be able to click the timestamp to jump to that time.
(00:00) – Introduction
(05:53) – Simulation
(07:49) – NPCs
(16:40) – Daggerfall and Arena
(24:53) – Bethesda
(33:18) – Video game graphics
(39:37) – The essence of a video game
(44:25) – Redguard
(49:25) – Creating open worlds
(57:04) – Superintelligent NPCs
(1:01:58) – Starfield
(1:21:40) – The Elder Scrolls 6
(1:41:01) – Fallout
(1:48:09) – Character creation
(1:53:11) – Quests & items
(2:06:57) – Xbox
(2:12:22) – Greatest game of all time
(2:22:38) – Day in the life
(2:30:32) – Advice for young people
(2:34:00) – Fallout TV show
(2:38:32) – Indiana Jones game
(2:44:44) – Meaning of life
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