Lex Fridman on first playing Elder Scrolls: I was struck by the immensity of the world | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Daggerfall's massive and open world, with its dense villages and towns, served as a touchstone for the development of Starfield, which incorporates generated content outside of handcrafted quests. Comparisons are drawn between Daggerfall and Arena in terms of world scale and gameplay experiences.

Key Insights

• 😮 Daggerfall's vast and open world impressed players with its immense possibilities and sense of exploration.
• ❓ The density of villages and towns in Daggerfall contributed to its expansive feel.
• 💐 Starfield draws inspiration from Daggerfall, incorporating a similar gameplay flow outside the city through generated content.
• 🤗 Arena, despite being open-world, lacked the same depth and vastness of Daggerfall.
• ❓ Daggerfall's character system introduced more complexity with skills and character development options.
• 🚒 The transition from a two-and-a-half-dimensional engine in Arena to a fully 3D experience in Daggerfall enhanced the immersion.
• 🤗 The influence of Daggerfall on Starfield highlights Bethesda's commitment to creating expansive and engaging open-world RPG experiences.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: How does Daggerfall compare to Arena in terms of open-world gameplay?

While both Daggerfall and Arena feature open-world gameplay, Daggerfall feels more expansive due to its density of villages and towns. Arena covers all provinces but lacks the same level of depth in terms of world exploration.

Q: What makes Daggerfall's character system unique compared to Arena?

Daggerfall introduces a more extensive character system with skills, advantages, and disadvantages, offering players more options for character development. Arena, on the other hand, follows a more classic RPG formula with an XP-based system.

Q: How did Daggerfall influence the development of Starfield?

Daggerfall served as a touchstone for Starfield, inspiring the inclusion of generated content outside of handcrafted quests. Starfield aims to provide a similar sense of exploration and limitless possibilities when venturing outside the city.

Q: What was the visual difference between Daggerfall and Arena?

While both games allowed players to venture outside the city, Daggerfall offered a full 3D experience, allowing players to look up at the sky. Arena, on the other hand, had a more limited, two-and-a-half-dimensional Doom-style engine.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Daggerfall offers an immense and open world, providing players with a sense of limitless possibilities and a different gameplay experience compared to handcrafted quests.

• The density of villages and towns in Daggerfall contributes to its expansive feel, despite focusing on a specific area.

• Starfield, influenced by Daggerfall, introduces a similar gameplay flow outside the city, generating content in a different way than previous Bethesda games.