Bethesda’s sci-fi open-world Starfield has changed a lot since the early days of development, particularly in terms of space travel and the star map. Originally, traveling through space in Starfield was a much more complex and demanding process.
A post shared by a data miner on Reddit now shows an early version of the star map that reveals what dangers awaited you in space – and which is even better received by many fans than the final version.
Original ideas versus final implementation
This is what space travel in Starfield could have been like: In the original version, players would have to deal with fuel shortages and potential dangers such as dangerous solar radiation and micrometeorites. These could have led to “minor damage to the hull” or even to a “catastrophic stop.”
Another interesting feature was the display of “jump data,” which showed how long a trip lasts and how much fuel is used. Additionally, there were filter options in the star map that could highlight trade routes and dangers.
Link to Reddit content
Many fans are excited about this early version of the star map and are currently regretting that Bethesda removed these more complex elements. The comments on Reddit show that many players would have clearly preferred the original, clearer UI design:
I kind of prefer the look of this one. The user interface is much clearer and you can see everything. On Xbox I felt like I was always looking for a needle in a haystack to find a planet I’ve already been to.
Invested_Glory on Reddit
God, they had so many great things that they cut out of the game
pingpy on Reddit
Our Starfield expert Peter would also have been happy about the more straightforward design of the old star map, because for him the final version is an imposition – but it’s best to see for yourself what he has to say about the star and environment maps:
3:48
The map in Starfield is one of the worst I’ve ever seen
It remains to be seen whether the modding community will perhaps bring elements of the original concept into play when the modding tools are officially released this year. The fact that Bethesda would once again lend a hand here would at least be highly uncharacteristic of the developer.
What do you prefer? Do you like the prettier but more confusing star map from the release version of Starfield? Or would you have preferred the earlier version? Let us know in the comments!