I’ve already said my piece about 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Starfield’s 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:rushed opening and how it throws you into the thick of space without much guidance at all. Bethesda should have taken more time to establish who we’re playing as and why the mystery we’re suddenly unfolding matters. Instead, in a matter of minutes we are labelled๊ as the most important person in the universe because we touched a rock, and it feels quite 🉐silly.
What I do love though is the places in which this confusion unfolds. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Fallout 3 and Skyrim let you roam the wilderness before unleashing you upon sprawling cities, often saving big reveals like Rivet City or The Citadel for later in the main qu🅷est as rewards after a playthrough defined by exploration. Starfield wants you to lay down roots much earlier, which in turn makes its locations and characters matter so much more. The Lodge is only a single star in this constellation, but it might be the brightest. It’s an incredibly friendly and deceptively huge hub world filled with a growing cast of characters and changing circumstances. A safety net in a universe that does whatever it can to feel hostile and unknowing.
Constellation is an organisation that planted its roots in New Atlantis decades ago, and has operated with the indefinite goal of furthering humanity’s reach across systems it currently has access to. It feels like an extension of NASA, having offices adorned with vintage furniture and portraits of past members who helped define what humans became after they left Earth behind and reached for the stars. It commissioned the mining dig that brought you here in the first place, with its members treating you with both curiosity and trepidation as you🦂 step through the door seeking answers. After slapping an artefact down on a nearby platform and telling them of your visions, everyone decides to take you seriously and give you a prime spot at the cool kid’s table.
Introductions come thick and fast, and after a few minutes it’s obvious you’re here to stay as keys are placed in your hands and you’re asked to check out your quarters. At first it felt like a hostage situation, but after recruiting a couple of companions and prying into the personal lives of my found family, it was clear all of them are here for distinct reasons, but have found purpose in one another. I&rsquꦇo;m a part of this now, and care so much more about the main quest because Starfield understands that I need to know who I’m fighting alongside and what I’m fighting for before I even bother signing up. Something weird is definitely afoot, but everyone is hospitable enough that I brush aside any lingering doubts.
You’ll be hopping in and out of The Lodge constantly during the main quest to drop off new artefacts and plan your next move, while some companions will temporarily relocate to The Eye orbiting above Jemison later in the game. Little about it feels static or manufactured, with Constellation members having conversations and going about their regular lives in ways that feel almost anti-Bethesda at times. Even when I didn’t have a quest to catch up on, I developed 🅰the habit of dropping into The Lodge to dump my additional loot or chat with fellow adventurers about my new powers or fresh drama going down across the universe. They tend to let you know when new conversations can be had, so I’d always take time to have a natter when the opportunity arose.
Everything you need in terms of crafting stations and similar resources are here too, so The Lodge becomes the first port of call whenever you need something a random planet or other settlement can’t provide. You’re always greeted with open arms, and there’s such a bold attention to detail in every portrait, room, individual, and object that I want to poke around every nook and cranny. I might have missed something, or just want to marvel at the care Bethesda has put into a hub which eclipses anything it has done before. A few secrets remain untouched as well, so who 💖knows how this place will evolve in the hours to come. It’s my home though, and in an RPG as vast and uncompromising as this, a place like th༺at really matters.
