Bethesda's lead designer on Skyrim admits continuation of loading screens in their games, stating "We had no other option, honestly."
Loading Screens: The Harsh Reality of Bethesda Games
Wanna talk about load screens? They can pile up in your life, my friend, especially when you've got hundreds of hours invested in Bethesda games like Skyrim or Morrowind. And don't bet on things changing in TES6 anytime soon. Bruce Nesmith, ex-Bethesda dev and Skyrim's lead designer, spilled the beans to VideoGamer: you're gonna be waiting for ages yet!
Nesmith explains, "It ain't that they wanted to do it, but they didn't have a choice." Players assume Bethesda's chillin', but the truth is, "Their games are so detailed and graphics-heavy...you can't have both going on at the same time."
So why do we keep getting our screens stuck on loading screens? Well, it's all about keeping track of every wacky physics glitch and the precise spot you went shopping for cheesewheels across those expansive worlds. If they didn't make us take breathers every now and then, they'd experience "unacceptable performance woes."
Nesmith states, "I can’t load the interiors of all these places at the same time as the exteriors. It's just not an option. All the fancy tricks for streaming and loading? You end up with hitching. So you’re better off stopping the game, hitting up a loading screen, and then carrying on."
Bethesda could make games with "less going on," but that wouldn't be a true Bethesda experience. "It's just one of those necessary evils...if the game was gonna have the experience we wanted it to have," says Nesmith.
Hearing Nesmith's logic got me thinkin' 'bout Starfield's spaceflight loads in a whole new light. But the truth is, stuff like pickin' up every item on a shelf ain't ever done much for me. If it's a choice between that stuff and fewer load screens? I'd take the fewer screens. Bethesda'd need to double-down on the systemic weirdness they usually tone down to make that complexity worth hangin' on to.
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Joshua Wolens
Josh grew up playing Quake 2, way too young, and he's been addicted to games ever since. His writing's been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He's down to play almost anything, from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His passions lie in CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game that's visionary but budget-restricted. He thinks y'all are way too harsh on Deus Ex: Invisible War.
- Despite Bethesda's complex and detailed games like Skyrim causing frequent load screens, most players would probably still prefer the immersive experience over fewer load screens.
- In an interview with VideoGamer, Bruce Nesmith, the lead designer of Skyrim, admitted that reducing load times in future Bethesda games like TES6 might not be possible due to the games' intricate details and heavy graphics.
- When discussing load screens in Bethesda games, it is important to remember that the extended wait times are necessary to ensure smooth performance and accommodate the numerous intricacies of the game world, such as managing physics glitches and tracking the player's movements across vast landscapes.
- Joshua Wolens, a writer with an affinity for CRPGs and immersive sims, believes that gamers should consider investings in gadgets and technology that can help reduce load times, such as faster processors or solid-state drives.
- Starfield, an upcoming space-themed game from Bethesda, may present an opportunity to improve upon the load screen issue in the company's games, but doing so might require sacrificing certain gameplay elements that contribute to the distinctive Bethesda experience.
- Fortunately, for gamers seeking a quicker experience, there are various resources available, such as console commands, lockpicks, and thieves guild guides, to help optimize gameplay in older Bethesda games like Oblivion.
