Can loading screens be removed?

[bortas]

Some of the loading screens in the game seem to be completely unnecessary... there are areas that can be reached by jumping down etc. without loading screen, which require to go through one on the regular path for whatever reason.

These can probably be easily removed by modders or maybe even in some official future update.

But what about all the other loading screens between areas? Could most of them possibly be removed in the future, or is it impossible due to limitations of the game eninge?

[Bored Peon]

Just because you can jump off your patio in New Atlantis and land in the city below does not mean load screens can be skipped.

More importantly, why would you want to wander around the game world with all the assets loaded? That is what load screens are for, loading and unloading assets and managing scripts.

[lord goatle the wise]

absolutely

u just gotta right click and uninstall the game then play something that wasn't designed by invalids

[GoldInfinit7]

I don't know if they are using DirectStorage, but if they aren't, then that is how they would be able to. Because I believe it is a technological limitation.

Furthermore, I also believe that Starfield is being unreasonably singled out for loading screens, because most other games also have loading screens especially when fast traveling.

[TsampaD]

unfortunately personally i don't think they will be able to fix their biggest problem which just happens so regularly and in a bad way.

I have written that the repetitive loading screen is something that simply cannot be fixed, it is simply difficult at least in this game title.

[Skumboni]

The best way to avoid loading screens is just to stay in the area you are in. Have fun with that.

[lunsmann]

Some of the elevator rides could be animated. Especially in NA. There are entire large POI out there that do not have a single loading screen at all. One of them has a huge door you open with a lever switch, walk in, open the next huge door with a lever switch, keep walking. Choose to ride the large open elevator or climb the tall set of stairs up at least 6 stories. There are loads of locked doors, but explore and find a way past them. All throughout, multiple levels and rooms. No loading screens at all. It's obvious different teams worked on the POI's, and they did not communicate very well.

Now this is me a rabid fan of the game saying this. BGS could have done better all through the game. It's still a lot of fun - 600 hours and NG +10 fun.

Can mods fix this? Yet to be seen. But BGS certainly can update some of the POI buildings to eliminate unnecessary loading screens where possible. That would be nice.

Another cool way to eliminate some loading screens is to hide them behind animations (optional tick box) such as entering and leaving your ship, going in and out of orbit around planets and moons, when fast travelling between planets and moons while in a star system. And of course a longer animation for grav jumps - to make them feel more "real".

[Jarsonne]

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

Just because you can jump off your patio in New Atlantis and land in the city below does not mean load screens can be skipped.

You need explain why as it's a typical smealess move, and jetpack jump up give other examples.

The point for NA is to quote that the seamless move will be slower than the load, still the tram is a serious crap.

I think it's a bit late now to target the problem fully because of NA design.

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

More importantly, why would you want to wander around the game world with all the assets loaded? That is what load screens are for, loading and unloading assets and managing scripts.

What? It's all the point of seamless, constant pre load and unload so it's seamless.

Again, it's possible that for NA it's too late without serious redo of the town, too open areas, but still. And at least The Well, Neon, Akila City, The Key, more, make no sense or a seamless engine half broken.

Still in a seamless spirit, not meaning it's really possible with the engine:
- Shops: With doors that open and close automatically (but NPC wandering continue use a simplified scheduling). When player moves close enough start pre load, is far enough start ubload, door auto close so unload is possible.
- Elevators: Many case with elevator at external of building and with glass walls, so with a seamless move and during it load building inside. Then add an option with load an faster.
- Tram: The city map isn't well suited, so it's dead for outdoot tram with seamless travels and option for quicj travel load. But still, there's a clear screw up here, and it includes all those goal pointers leading to a tram despite the smealess move is no was that far.
- Ship exit and enter unable to be managed with seamless despite you see outside, feels so dumb even if it has justification.

I live with it, but the current state of Starfield on loads is looking as an absurdity for towns and POIs. For space, the travels make no sense so ok for loads.

[Bored Peon]

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

More importantly, why would you want to wander around the game world with all the assets loaded? That is what load screens are for, loading and unloading assets and managing scripts.

What? It's all the point of seamless, constant pre load and unload so it's seamless.

Yes, the game loads and unloads assets as you travel.
However if you increase the amount of assets or the speed of travel the game engine becomes lagged and bogged down.

Time for a technical lessons.
Lesson 1: Assets and Seamless
The world map in Fallout 4 for the Commonwealth is a seamless map.
I used one of the mods to give myself 5 sprint legendary.
I was able to run faster across the landscape then the game could load/unload the assets.
I literally stopped at a campsite and had to wait for almost two minutes for those NPCs to load.

Load screens allow a "break" to do such things without affecting game performance.

Lesson 2: Line of sight
When you have exterior/interior then your CPU has to constantly calculate line of sight. So by not separating interiors like shops it is going to generate a FPS problem. This is why areas like downtown Boston in Fallout 4 and New Atlantis have the lowest FPS areas in the game performance wise.

Lesson 3: But but but other games do it...
Do they? Do they really? Those other games how many objects are interact able physically? Put those hundreds of objects into the same ability to knock around and watch what happens to their game engine performance. Personally I will take object interaction over textures with all the objects "baked in" even if it means a bit lower FPS and load screens.

Lesson 4: Biggest overlooked factor
Bethesda games are not created for PC, they are created for consoles and created to run on consoles and then they are imported to PC. People seem to forget that just because they do not play on console. FPS for Starfield is locked to 30 FPS just to keep it running smoothly on consoles.

[I Denizen I]

Bethesda games are not created for P.C.?

What are you smoking, they are using the same base engine from back in the late 90's.

You forget all the BGS titles that were P.C. only? and were eventually ported to console?

I mean we can carry on rewriting history if you want?

[AuddieD]

They hid him behind elevators in the past. They have a cutscene of you taking off, landing, docking, etc but didn't hide the load screens behind them. No idea why. It's not a new concept.

[Neo]

Two second loading screens now and again is a non issue.

[I Denizen I]

And just for your information, you know, to help you out.

A series X Xbox is equivalent to a mid to high end gaming pc for performance specs, which means it better than the majority of computers people use to play P.C. games on.

Only really serious games invest the crazy £ $ required to build a high end gaming rig, hell a G card can set you back $2500 on its own, compared to $400 for a Series X, which will perform like $2000 PC.

You really need to get out of here with that outdated thinking.

Games get fully optimised to run on consoles, because the hardware is uniform, there is zero variation other than the specs themselves (S or X).

PC's on the other hand....between people not upgrading unless they have to, to people who buy the latest upgrades on release, you have a monumental difference in hardware capability, drivers and overall performance.

Tie that in with game producers who get given the latest toys for free, and use them in their game design parameters, and then don't optimise for anything below it, to drive sales of the latest upgrades.

And you wonder why Series X consoles are more popular?

[Neo]

Even Cyberpunk has loading screens, but they just hid them very very well. To the point you just didn't notice them.

[Bored Peon]

Originally posted by I Denizen I:

Bethesda games are not created for P.C.?

What are you smoking, they are using the same base engine from back in the late 90's.

You forget all the BGS titles that were P.C. only? and were eventually ported to console?

I mean we can carry on rewriting history if you want?

How did you put it?

Originally posted by I Denizen I:

You really need to get out of here with that outdated thinking.

They do it in reverse now, they produce their games for consoles then import to PC.

While you were running around in your "wayback machine" you missed the point.
A PC may be able to handle fewer load screens, a console cannot.

[I Denizen I]

Originally posted by Bored Peon:

Originally posted by I Denizen I:

Bethesda games are not created for P.C.?

What are you smoking, they are using the same base engine from back in the late 90's.

You forget all the BGS titles that were P.C. only? and were eventually ported to console?

I mean we can carry on rewriting history if you want?

How did you put it?

Originally posted by I Denizen I:

You really need to get out of here with that outdated thinking.

They do it in reverse now, they produce their games for consoles then import to PC.

While you were running around in your "wayback machine" you missed the point.
A PC may be able to handle fewer load screens, a console cannot.

You claimed Bethesda do not produce games for the PC, but for the console.

BGS are using the same game engine that they used when they made PC only games, you're wrong.

And a series X can handle faster loading, did you miss everything I said?

It's the damn game engine that is the problem, not the platforms running it.