Yes, it's a role-playing game.

[Zhorge]

There seems to be a pervasive myth that there is a lack of 'quality role-playing' in Bethesda games. The problem I see is that many people don't play these games role-playing games but play them as looter-shooters because they do not take the time to understand the environmental story-telling.

Bethesda a master in the concept. The fact that people don't bother pay attention to the environmentally created stories doesn't mean Bethesda failed in their world-building or story-telling. The fact that so many gamers have fallen into the dopamine-fix, looter-shooter trap, once again, doesn't mean it's not an RPG.

Bethesda is a master at environmental storytelling. And rather spend all of my precious gaming time trying word it just right, I'll point you to someone who did. She uses Fallout 4, another Bethesda game that was routinely trashed as 'lacking' story-wise.

Bethesda Softworks Environmental Storytelling

The Elder Scrolls and Fallout are two of Bethesda Softworks’ most popular franchises. They are both heavily reliant on what may be referred to as “the melancholy of lost civilizations,” thus this is definitely not a coincidence. There aren’t many people left because they’re mostly all dead (to tell the story). The local settings in which they lived and died are therefore used to render the stories to be notified by those whose lives ended over a long time:

• In a bathtub filled with empty gin bottles, a skeleton is lying down.
  
• A lone chair has a colorful party hat, and a decrepit cake sits in the middle of a circle of toys.
  
• One arm is draped across a chest that is imprisoned by a dried-up body.
  
• A pistol with one round missing is resting in the lap of a skeleton, who is slumped over a chair outside a bunker’s door.
  
• Two giggling girls are seen in faded photos in a ragged flipbook.
  
• There are plungers attached to every flat surface in the room.
  
• On a bed, two skeletons are lying with their hands together.
  
• Cheeses of every kind are placed in rows on shelves in a hidden area. Instead of a cheese wheel, there is a tarnished penny on one shelf.

You see what I mean. Behind each room’s door in the game world could be the final moments of a person who previously lived there, frozen in time, whose conclusion (as shown by the last things that mattered to them) reveals a little more about that environment.

https://pixune.com/blog/environmental-storytelling-in-games/

That's what most of the people who complained missed about Fallout 4's story. It wasn't spoon fed to them like second-rate, spoon-fed, lead you buy the nose linear-story, faux-choice CRPGs. There was more than 'just quests' involved.

Those environmental stories were there. They were everywhere and showed the tragedy and pain and failing and death of those who survived the nuclear war. And they went right past huge numbers of people.

Starfield is no different. And, like with Fallout 4, we have the same complaints by people who play it like a looter shooter because they expect the modern, second-rate 'tell, don't show' story telling that has ruined much of modern entertainment.

[dot]

The next time I see a pissed corner in the street I will appreciate the amount of opportunity that that stain gives me to express my self, my individuality and to react according to my background... Thanks OP

[Cutlass Jack]

I do like the environmental storytelling. Especially when the environment reflects a choice I made in a quest to finish the story...

Like that time...
I sold those totally not cursed boots to someone instead of disposing of them properly and went back to check on him later...

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3033535931

[Beef Razor]

Agreed to a degree... but Fallout 4s story was ass.

[Mike]

Yeah, it blows my mind that people can argue that, a game that has TONS of role-playing features and different gameplay opportunities, somehow lacks RPG elements.

People are so use to CRPGs where the Role-playing is mainly in the dialog or linear story RPGs, that when an RPG actually gives them complete gameplay freedom, they don't know how to use their imagination to make their own unique gameplay experience.

I just responded to a thread where the OP said the game lacked RPGs elements and then you find out the person 100% the entire game in one playthrough like it was a Ubisoft collect a-thon lol. That player CHOOSE to ignore all RPG elements and play it a certain way, which was their choice but that does not mean every player will approach it that way.

When you create you character in an RPG you set boundaries and give them ROLES, and within them roles there are things they will do and things they won't do. So, in reality if your actually using the gameplay systems/mechanics to ROLE-PLAY then you most likely will not accept and do every single quest/job in existence.

For example my military/soldier character is morally good so he will not be completing Shady missions/jobs/contracts for others, or stealing for a quick buck, but if I was playing a thief/stealth character you bet I would accept and to the more shady stuff available to me.

If the dev give the player the choice the REJECT opportunities then you are able to make many many choices that will effect your gameplay experience. So yes, Starfield is in-fact a very in-depth RPG because there is player CHOICE at every turn and this choice is not forced as all of the tools are given to the player to do a they will.

[Herald of Fire]

Originally posted by Mike:

If the dev give the player the choice the REJECT opportunities then you are able to make many many choices that will effect your gameplay experience. So yes, Starfield is in-fact a very in-depth RPG because there is player CHOICE at every turn and this choice is not forced as all of the tools are given to the player to do a they will.

Did I choose to join constellation? No, it was forced. DId I choose to get fired from my mining job? No, some dude showed up told my I had a vision (despite never mentioning visions at all during dialogue options) and to go see constellation.

You talk about player agency and choice, but there are so very many examples in this game of player's not being given a choice. Even the few choices we get are very black and white. There's very little nuance, very little real decision making and the few choices we do make have a negligible impact.

When events are going to play out the same way regardless of what 'choice' I made, it breaks the illusion of choice. Skyrim at least gave me that illusion. Do I choose the guy who wanted to execute me, or the guy who's offering me freedom? Didn't matter that they lead to virtually the same outcome, the illusion was there and a choice was made. Starfield has none of that in the early game.

[Jim Zero]

"Starfield is no different"
Yeah when you use the same old engine that'll happen.
Personally I think this game lacks the charm of the older Fallout games, RPG or not.

[Killzone]

I've not been able to play the role I want in this game.

[Mike]

Originally posted by Herald of Fire:

Originally posted by Mike:

If the dev give the player the choice the REJECT opportunities then you are able to make many many choices that will effect your gameplay experience. So yes, Starfield is in-fact a very in-depth RPG because there is player CHOICE at every turn and this choice is not forced as all of the tools are given to the player to do a they will.

Did I choose to join constellation? No, it was forced. DId I choose to get fired from my mining job? No, some dude showed up told my I had a vision (despite never mentioning visions at all during dialogue options) and to go see constellation.

You talk about player agency and choice, but there are so very many examples in this game of player's not being given a choice. Even the few choices we get are very black and white. There's very little nuance, very little real decision making and the few choices we do make have a negligible impact.

When events are going to play out the same way regardless of what 'choice' I made, it breaks the illusion of choice. Skyrim at least gave me that illusion. Do I choose the guy who wanted to execute me, or the guy who's offering me freedom? Didn't matter that they lead to virtually the same outcome, the illusion was there and a choice was made. Starfield has none of that in the early game.

Ok let me ask you is Fallout NV an RPG? If your answer is yes, which I assume it will be let me ask you this.

Did you choose to get shot in the head by Benny and be left for dead? Did you choose to wake up in Goodsrpings? Did you choose to have to make you way to New Vegas to progress the main story? No, so then by you logic New Vegas is also not an RPG because your origin (starting point) is unchangeable.

So if you say Starfield is not an RPG by YOUR OWN logic then New Vegas is also not an RPG lol.

You argument is weak and very flawed. Its obvious every Bethesda RPG has an origin of your character, Just like literally EVERY popular CRPG on the market, so saying the games lacks choice because it has an intro section is very disingenuous. Especially when we all know once you get out to New Atlantis you literally let loose to do as you will, and you can 100% ignore constellation from the very beginning.

Maybe try a better argument ;)

[nomadpad]

Originally posted by dot:

The next time I see a pissed corner in the street I will appreciate the amount of opportunity that that stain gives me to express my self, my individuality and to react according to my background... Thanks OP

some of you are on some other type shi.... XD

[Cutlass Jack]

Originally posted by Herald of Fire:

Did I choose to join constellation? No, it was forced. DId I choose to get fired from my mining job? No, some dude showed up told my I had a vision (despite never mentioning visions at all during dialogue options) and to go see constellation.

You weren't forced to join Constellation. You were only told to go to Constellation and make a delivery. You can at that time hold off on joining and go do whatever you want in the galaxy.

I did just that on my playthrough. Left the lodge, visited my parents, took other jobs. You aren't really under any obligation to do the main storyline. Just like in Skyrim I completely ignored the whole 'dragonborn' thing I wanted nothing to do with.

[Zackerie]

it's a roleplaying game in a sense of you have to do the one thing bethesda wants you to do, or do nothing at all.

[Mike]

Originally posted by zackerie:

it's a roleplaying game in a sense of you have to do the one thing bethesda wants you to do, or do nothing at all.

Anyway you can actual go into detail rather then make an ambiguous statement with very little validity?

[Zackerie]

Originally posted by Mike:

Originally posted by Herald of Fire:

Did I choose to join constellation? No, it was forced. DId I choose to get fired from my mining job? No, some dude showed up told my I had a vision (despite never mentioning visions at all during dialogue options) and to go see constellation.

You talk about player agency and choice, but there are so very many examples in this game of player's not being given a choice. Even the few choices we get are very black and white. There's very little nuance, very little real decision making and the few choices we do make have a negligible impact.

When events are going to play out the same way regardless of what 'choice' I made, it breaks the illusion of choice. Skyrim at least gave me that illusion. Do I choose the guy who wanted to execute me, or the guy who's offering me freedom? Didn't matter that they lead to virtually the same outcome, the illusion was there and a choice was made. Starfield has none of that in the early game.

Ok let me ask you is Fallout NV an RPG? If your answer is yes, which I assume it will be let me ask you this.

Did you choose to get shot in the head by Benny and be left for dead? Did you choose to wake up in Goodsrpings? Did you choose to have to make you way to New Vegas to progress the main story? No, so then by you logic New Vegas is also not an RPG because your origin (starting point) is unchangeable.

So if you say Starfield is not an RPG by YOUR OWN logic then New Vegas is also not an RPG lol.

You argument is weak and very flawed. Its obvious every Bethesda RPG has an origin of your character, Just like literally EVERY popular CRPG on the market, so saying the games lacks choice because it has an intro section is very disingenuous. Especially when we all know once you get out to New Atlantis you literally let loose to do as you will, and you can 100% ignore constellation from the very beginning.

Maybe try a better argument ;)

In New Vegas you would at least be able to kill all the board members for paradiso instead of only doing what they want you to do. You can't roleplay the sort of person that will kill people who talk about turning others into slaves.

[Zackerie]

Originally posted by Mike:

Originally posted by zackerie:

it's a roleplaying game in a sense of you have to do the one thing bethesda wants you to do, or do nothing at all.

Anyway you can actual go into detail rather then make an ambiguous statement with very little validity?

paradiso only has options that benefit the corporation because you aren't allowed to kill people bethesda doesn't want you to.

[Zackerie]

more npcs are essential than not. where's the ruthless judge dredd RP?