Genre Tag NASA-Punk

[Chastus]

i saw on Wikipedia that the Game has as Genre Action role-playing and NASA-Punk and was wondering what that means is that a new Genre and does Steam have these type of tag too ?

[Erwin Smith]

NASA-Punk was coined as the aesthetic they had in mind when designing their world. A lot of their designs seem to be inspired by our (USA) actual space programs and designs - I'm sure that includes other countries as well, seeing as its a whole galaxy in the game, but I don't know for sure. I don't think Steam will have this specific tag, I could be wrong, but I've never heard of it before this game.

[Defective Dopamine Pez Dispenser]

Tags are user-generated. Before release, Bethesda was referring to the game's aesthetic and style as "NASA-Punk," e.g. think cyberpunk or steampunk, but inspired by the 1960's and 70's NASA space program vibe.

I don't personally actually think the game feels very much like that myself. I'm most reminded of Morrowind, actually lol. Just, a human, future, space-based Morrowind. (Though, I can sometimes see it in the ship interiors.) But that's why the term NASA-Punk is applied as a tag.

[Iratus Machina]

I prefer to use the more proper term, "hard sci-fi". So far, this is seeming kinda far off from science fantasy stuff like Star Wars or Flash Gordon.

[Mišmil]

Originally posted by Iratus Machina:

I prefer to use the more proper term, "hard sci-fi".

Yeah bro, nothing says hard sci-fi like star shouting your enemies and making them floaty.

[Iratus Machina]

Originally posted by Mišmil:

Originally posted by Iratus Machina:

I prefer to use the more proper term, "hard sci-fi".

Yeah bro, nothing says hard sci-fi like star shouting your enemies and making them floaty.

Still haven't reached the space magic part of the game, so I can't comment yet.

[Neoyoshi]

It's kinda of another way of describing 'Lo-Fi Space tech' -something that was seen a lot in Ridley Scott's Alien and also more-so in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

NASA-Punk sounds better then 'Space-Punk' as that might imply too much neon-y punk that is more closer to Cyberpunk.

[herbstwerk]

Originally posted by Iratus Machina:

I prefer to use the more proper term, "hard sci-fi". So far, this is seeming kinda far off from science fantasy stuff like Star Wars or Flash Gordon.

Eh... Starfield isn't very hard though, FTL alone is enough to exclude it.

[Iratus Machina]

So the consensus thus far is Starfield isn't really hard sci-fi, yet I'm not seeing laser swords and spacesuit-less planetary exploration kinda stuff in science fantasy aside from getting space magic late game as the Direct already spoilered. There an in-between category by any chance?

Edit: Then again, as an example, Akira gets mentioned as a cyberpunk classic often even though there's psychic powers and no computer hacking the genre is usually associated with, so there's always these genre examples with their exceptions it seems.

[Krelian]

Yeah, I think it’s kinda like ”tacticool”, NASA(-ish) ship/suit etc. design and NASA inspired interiors/equipment but maybe/prolly somewhat exaggerated for extra ”awe/coolness” effect. I think they nailed it pretty well.

[Mad Max]

Soft Scifi: Star Wars, Dune, Cowboy Bebop

Hard Scifi: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, The Expanse

[Iratus Machina]

Originally posted by Mad Max:

Soft Scifi: Star Wars, Dune, Cowboy Bebop

Hard Scifi: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, The Expanse

Hmm, so maybe Starfield leans more towards soft sci-fi because of late game space magic?

[Gwynhara]

It's not hard sci fi, as has been pointed out. Not just the spoiler stuff, but also the travel -- it's far too warpish for hard sci fi.

In terms of the aesthetic, the overall look is "retro future", I think -- in other words, what the past thought the future would look like. What the 1980s thought a sci fi future would look like, in terms of being decidedly lower tech than what we would extrapolate today.

Interfaces for computers are an example of this -- they're laughable for 300 years in the future, and only make sense as a projection of a sci fi vision from an earlier era. Kind of retro-future chic.

This doesn't work very well for me, really, because it strikes me as really laughable, kind of the opposite of hard sci fi given we are talking about 300 years into the future and have instant interstellar travel and so on. It comes off as campy to me. It doesn't ruin the game, but the aesthetic is kinda meh overall for me.