Since Starfield boasts so many great features, its DLC has many ideas to use as starting points for expansion. Of course, it would be stellar to see DLC go beyond upgrading what already exists in the game, adding completely new experiences for players to enjoy. Still, many of the best game mechanics are born from iteration, sometimes from within the same package. Judging from Bethesda’s approach to its recent titles, it’s safe to say that Starfield will be receiving official support for quite a long time, and there’s one feature in particular that would greatly benefit from the DLC spotlight.
Starfield’s scope is so wide-reaching, with features like outpost building, resource harvesting, crew management, and many more, that it would feel like an oversight if one of these areas wasn’t overhauled at some point. Outpost building has come a long way from its beginnings in Fallout 4, so it stands to reason Bethesda will be interested in further developing a new feature before the next major iteration in a future game. However, Starfield has one mechanic that can’t really be implemented in the studio’s upcoming titles like The Elder Scrolls 6 and Fallout 5, making it perfect for a DLC focus: shipbuilding.
Starfield Should Get A Shipbuilding DLC
Starfield’s shipbuilding feature is the perfect candidate to get its own DLC pack. It is one of the most popular aspects of the game, drawing an overwhelming amount of engagement from players. The community has made some incredible ship designs, ranging from dedicated replicas of iconic ships, like Mass Effect’s Normandy or Firefly’s Serenity, to absolutely hilarious depictions of Thomas the Tank Engine and Shrek. Moreover, it allows players to engage more deeply in the role-playing aspect of Starfield, which is an absolute delight.
Bethesda has developed a brilliant mechanic that allows players to create almost any spacecraft they can imagine. Even with the basic materials currently available, the possibilities are near limitless on what can be designed. Despite all the fantastic things that can be accomplished with the shipbuilder, it is still lacking in some critical areas. This will undoubtedly be addressed in any sequel to Starfield, but there’s no telling how long it will be until that happens, if at all. It stands to reason that DLC is the best avenue to see improvement. Fortunately, Bethesda has a track record of releasing expansions focusing on mechanics like player customization.
Fallout & Skyrim Each Had Player-Home DLC
Both Skyrim and Fallout 4 received DLC dedicated to expanding features around player-created homes. The Hearthfire DLC for Skyrim added the option for players to purchase land to design their homestead, decorating the space with standard furnishings found in the base game, armor and weapon racks, and more. This came with the ability to hire servants to tend to tasks around the homestead. While this DLC didn’t dramatically change Skyrim’s gameplay, it granted players the opportunity to add more of a personal touch to the game world, something that Fallout 4 would take to the next level.
Fallout 4 featured three DLC packs that significantly expanded the new settlement-building mechanic. The Wasteland Workshop, Contraptions Workshop, and Vault-Tec Workshop content packs added a tremendous amount of gameplay functionality and personalization opportunities to the game. These enhancements found their way into Fallout 76 and eventually into the outpost-builder in Starfield. This is the best example of how Bethesda has iterated on systems within the same game to great success, something Starfield can do with a dedicated ship customization DLC.
How DLC Could Expand Starfield’s Shipbuilder
Starfield DLC focusing on shipbuilding can help resolve a few glaring issues with the feature. One of the biggest frustrations comes from the inability to customize the interior of a ship. There’s no way to tell what the interior of a hab module looks like from the shipbuilding menu, which creates several headaches, like having to manually board the ship to see what a Deimos living quarters look like compared to the Stroud-Eklund version. An extension of this is the problem of not being fully in control of the connection points between habs, which leads to connecting ladders being randomly placed at confusing points inside the ship.
Another confusing issue with Starfield’s shipbuilding is a lack of gameplay functionality with many of the hab modules. Cargo hall modules don’t actually increase the ship’s cargo capacity. Brig modules don’t let players capture bounties to turn in to the authorities. Ideally, these modules allow players to build the perfect spaceship, but it ultimately makes no gameplay difference, reducing these parts to mere cosmetic items. These issues stand to be improved in future Starfield expansions, but whether or not that will happen is still unclear.
Will Starfield Ever Get DLC Focused On Ship Customization?
It remains to be seen if Starfield will ever receive a DLC pack dedicated to expanding ship customization. One expansion has already been officially confirmed, titled Shattered Space. Although, this seems like it will be more of a story-focused DLC rather than a feature update. Fallout 4, Bethesda’s last major single-player release, received three story DLCs in addition to the workshop packs, alternating between the two types of content. Perhaps Starfield will follow a similar release schedule.
However, apart from Shattered Space and indications that the studio plans to keep the game going for as long as Skyrim has been around, the exact future of Starfield’s DLCs is not yet confirmed. Additions and enhancements to shipbuilding may be a task that the modding community will take up; similar situations have occurred in the past.
Starfield DLC doesn’t need to look far for ideas, as the base game has plenty of features that serve as perfect starting points for expansions. Bethesda has been known to craft content updates and DLC packs that build upon what was in the launch versions of its games, so it makes sense for Starfield to do the same. Shipbuilding is the feature most deserving of this kind of attention, if only based on its massive popularity within the player base. An official roadmap for Starfield post-launch content has yet to be announced, but shipbuilding DLC seems like a no-brainer.
Starfield
- Platform(s):
- PC, Xbox Series X/S
- Released:
- 2023-09-06
- Developer(s):
- Bethesda Game Studios
- Publisher(s):
- Bethesda Softworks
- Genre(s):
- Open-World, RPG, Sci-Fi
- ESRB:
- M
- Summary:
- Bethesda Game Studios presents Starfield – the first original IP from the studio in twenty-five-plus years. Set in the year 2310, the United Colonies and Freestar Collective are observing a shaky truce after a war set 20 years prior. The player will customize their character as a member of a space exploration team called Constellation while navigating The Settled Systems and the conflicts between the warring factions. According to Bethesda, players can explore over 100 systems and 1000 planets to find resources and build their ships, living out their own sci-fi journeys.
