Making Starfield with Bethesda’s Todd Howard | The AIAS Game Maker’s Notebook Podcast

Ted Price chats with Todd Howard about Bethesda’s much anticipated spacefaring RPG, Starfield. Together they discuss the early ideas that led to Starfield and what the first year of development looked like; how they go about designing multiple complex game systems; how their extensive experience in open world RPGs helped them prioritize goals and milestones; building lore for an expansive original IP; and how player creativity has far exceeded their expectations. Watch the full episode here or listen on your podcast app of choice: Follow us: Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 1:26 Episode Start 3:35 Expectations for Starfield with fans 9:20 Advice for systems designers 11:46 Experience Transitioning into Microsoft 14:44 Taking Notes from Other Games 17:14 When the Idea of Starfield Was Born 19:43 Developing the “Muscles“ for Making Games 22:46 Designing for Flexibility 24:58 Player Expectations for the RPG Genre 26:48 Complexity and Scope for Recent Games 31:17 How Starfield Lore Was Developed 33:32 What Part of Starfield is Built First 42:18 Challenges in Space Combat 46:24 What to Prioritize in Game Development 51:45 How Testing is Done at Bethesda 57:54 Staying Fulfilled in Game Development 59:18 Todd’s New Perspective After Time Off 1:01:47 Todd’s Thoughts on Leadership 1:04:10 Last Words for Fans and Newcomers