"Starfield Developer Hints at the Benefits of a Smaller Scale"

Former Bethesda employee Bruce Nesmith, who worked on Starfield as a senior systems designer, suggests that the massive size of the game's galaxy may have been too much, with much of the terrain feeling empty. The decision to make Starfield's galaxy so vast was influenced by player expectations around the size of Bethesda's open-world games. Nesmith explains that compromises were made in the development process, resulting in less meaningful exploration and player freedom. Hopefully, Bethesda will apply the lessons learned from Starfield to the upcoming Elder Scrolls VI to create a more focused and engaging experience.