Inside Perspectives: A Former Bethesda Developer Opens Up About Todd Howard

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Starfield's major decisions were primarily directed by Todd Howard, according to former Bethesda developer Bruce Nesmith.

Bruce Nesmith favored a more conventional method of creating worlds by hand, whereas Todd Howard had a grander vision of having "a hundred star systems."

Even though Todd Howard's involvement was limited due to restructuring and decreased availability, his perspectives continued to hold significant value in influencing the studio's creative choices.

During a recent interview, Bruce Nesmith, the former lead designer of Skyrim, reflected on his time at Bethesda and shared that Todd Howard played a pivotal role in making major decisions for Starfield. Despite achieving significant milestones, many players have expressed dissatisfaction with the final version of the game. While features like the ship builder have received praise from the Starfield community, fans have openly criticized the lack of proper space exploration, loading screens, and procedural generation.

Nesmith extensively discussed the development of Starfield in his interview with MinnMax. He highlighted that the game's scope was initially much smaller before his departure. Within the team, a major point of disagreement was the extent to which Bethesda should rely on procedural generation to expand the game's scope. Nesmith favored a more traditional approach, focusing on a smaller number of meticulously crafted worlds to deliver an immersive storytelling experience. On the other hand, Todd Howard envisioned a vast universe with "a hundred star systems" for players to explore. It became clear that these differing visions could not be reconciled.

Bethesda's growth and success in the past two decades have had a significant impact on the company's structure. This rapid expansion became overwhelming for Nesmith, leading him to leave the company and pursue a career as a novelist. Nesmith's involvement with Bethesda ended with the completion of the Starfield project. During this time, Todd Howard's availability had significantly decreased compared to previous titles. Despite the decreased communication, Howard remained the ultimate authority when it came to making creative decisions for Starfield. Nesmith acknowledged this, stating that "All decisions run through Todd. He would hate, hate, hate me for saying that because he doesn't believe it's true. But unfortunately, it is true."

Although Howard originally had reservations about taking on this role, his valuable insights and opinions ultimately shaped the direction of the studio. Nesmith attests that even since Morrowind, Howard has excelled at understanding the perspective of a casual player much better than most of the design team. This ability to see things from "the Average Joe's perspective" has been instrumental in Bethesda's success. To illustrate, Howard openly acknowledged the complexity of Starfield's exploration during its development, with a strong emphasis on environmental hazards. However, the decision to simplify this system may have ultimately been advantageous.

Ultimately, Starfield served as a valuable learning opportunity for Bethesda, and the insights gained from its development will undoubtedly shape the future of the next Elder Scrolls installment. Nesmith emphasized that the magic system seen in Skyrim will undoubtedly make its way into the highly anticipated sequel, albeit with an increased emphasis on more imaginative and dynamic spells.

Starfield

Starfield, developed by Bethesda Game Studios, is an exhilarating sci-fi action role-playing game that offers players the opportunity to engage with various factions, participate in thrilling combat encounters, personalize their main character and spaceship, and embark on a grand exploration of a vast universe comprising more than 100 systems and 1,000 planets. It is available on PC, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S, and was released on September 6, 2023. Developed and published by Bethesda, Starfield promises an immersive gaming experience like no other.

Editor's P/S

As a Gen Z netizen, I have mixed feelings about Todd Howard and his impact on Bethesda. On the one hand, I appreciate his ambition and vision for creating vast and immersive worlds. Starfield's scope is incredibly impressive, and it's clear that Howard has a deep understanding of what makes a great RPG. On the other hand, I'm concerned about the direction that Bethesda is taking under his leadership. The focus on procedural generation and large-scale worlds seems to be coming at the expense of storytelling and character development. I'm worried that future Bethesda games will be more focused on quantity over quality.

I think it's important for Bethesda to find a balance between ambition and restraint. They need to continue to create large and immersive worlds, but they also need to make sure that the stories and characters are compelling. I'm hopeful that they can learn from the criticisms of Starfield and make the necessary changes to ensure that their future games are the best they can be.