Starfield's 'Generation Ship': Unveiling Epic Story Elements and Jaw-Dropping Twists!

Starfield is finally on the horizon after a long wait. Bethesda showcased the game in their Starfield Direct, offering fans a comprehensive look at its various elements such as the story, factions, weapons, combat, companions, skill trees, character customization, planets, base building, ship design, space flight, and more.

During the event, Bethesda presented an intriguing scene featuring the player character encountering an unexpected starship crew who appeared surprised to encounter other humans in space. This encounter is particularly interesting because it showcases a generation ship, which could hold significant importance in the context of Starfield.

Starfield's Slow Space Travelers

In settings where faster-than-light travel is unavailable, it can take several decades to centuries for a ship to travel between star systems. In science fiction, there are two common solutions to this problem. One is to put the colonists in cryogenic stasis, as seen in the SM Flores from Square Enix's Outriders. The other solution is a generation ship, which is a self-sufficient spacecraft where multiple generations of colonists are born and live during the journey to their destination.

While it is not certain if this is the case with the ship that players will encounter in Starfield, it appears to be so based on a brief ten-second segment shown during the Spaceflight section of the nearly hour-long Starfield Direct video. Fans who want a recap can find the relevant section at the 29:20 mark of the video. At the very least, the crew of the ECS Constant has been in space for a significant amount of time, during which the entire human interstellar civilization has developed without their knowledge. Without a clear timeline of Starfield's universe, it is difficult to give an exact number, but it is likely that a century or two has passed.

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Instances of this trope can be found in the backstory of the Homeworld series of RTS games, Bungie's original Marathon from 1994, and abandoned wrecks in Elite Dangerous. However, such examples are not the norm in science fiction and are particularly uncommon in games. This is why it is so thrilling that Bethesda chose to include one in Starfield.

The concept of the rest of humanity surpassing this generation ship is also intriguing. It is highly plausible considering the century or more of technological progress and offers great potential for storytelling. Peculiarities could have developed within the isolated society over such an extended period of time. Additionally, the presence of Starfield's Gravity Drives suggests the possibility that another group of colonists may have reached the Constant's destination first, leading to conflict between the two factions.

This ship offers an exciting opportunity to explore Starfield's backstory. While Mars holds significant importance as a mining world for the United Colonies, Earth appears deserted. If the Constant was the initial vessel to depart Earth, its occupants might have fascinating insights into what the planet was like just before humanity abandoned it. Even if the destination remains uninhabited, there must have been something remarkable about it to make the expedition worthwhile.

However, it's essential to keep in mind that this colony ship is merely a side quest, comparable to a village in Skyrim or a small town in Fallout 4. Therefore, while it can be a memorable encounter, Starfield players should not set unrealistic expectations. Nevertheless, the concept has great potential for developers to capitalize on, and it will be intriguing to observe the studio's direction. After all, Bethesda likely included the ship in the Direct because they want players to seek it out.

Starfield launches for PC and Xbox Series X/S on September 6th, 2023.