TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
Starfield apparently won't be repeating the mistake.
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Playing Bethesda's open world RPGs when they were new, each time you installed a new DLC you'd get a convenient notification as soon as you booted up your last save telling you how to start the quest or where to buy your horse armor or whatever. Replaying them after the inevitable GOTY or Ultimate edition made for a more jarring experience. You step out of the tutorial sewer or shelter and you're bombarded with pop-ups, one after another.
Istvan Pely, who has art credits on all of the Bethesda Fallout games as well as the Elder Scrolls from Morrowind to Skyrim, recently told GamesRadar that Fallout 3's GOTY edition in particular taught them this wasn't the best experience.
"One of the things we learned, more than a decade ago," he said, "when you look at the Game of the Year Edition of Fallout 3—we would make these DLCs, and then we put out a Game of the Year Edition—and the Game of the Year Edition would start with all of these messages [telling you] the DLCs had unlocked. We've gotten better at that."
Pely is now art director on Starfield, which will be getting its Terran Armada story DLC next month. Bethesda doesn't want to repeat the mistake with Starfield's expansions. "The beginning of Terran Armada is much more organically woven into the world," Pely said. "You'll stumble upon that content. So it's entirely possible that you'll start the game, you'll learn about this, it tells you you probably shouldn't do that now, but there's nothing stopping you from trying."
Starfield will get its Terran Armada DLC as well as the loading-screen-busting Free Lanes update on April 7. For the classic quest-notification-overload experience, look no further than Fallout New Vegas Ultimate, which is currently on sale for 75% off on Steam.
Oblivion console commands: Cheats new and oldOblivion lockpicks: Where and how to use themOblivion vampirism cure: Rid yourself of the afflictionOblivion thieves guild: How to join the crewOblivion persuasion: Master the minigame
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Jody's first computer was a Commodore 64, so he remembers having to use a code wheel to play Pool of Radiance. A former music journalist who interviewed everyone from Giorgio Moroder to Trent Reznor, Jody also co-hosted Australia's first rad...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
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Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
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Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Playing Bethesda's open world RPGs when they were new, each time you installed a new DLC you'd get a convenient notification as soon as you booted up your last save telling you how to start the quest or where to buy your horse armor or whatever. Replaying them after the inevitable GOTY or Ultimate edition made for a more jarring experience. You step out of the tutorial sewer or shelter and you're bombarded with pop-ups, one after another.
Istvan Pely, who has art credits on all of the Bethesda Fallout games as well as the Elder Scrolls from Morrowind to Skyrim, recently told GamesRadar that Fallout 3's GOTY edition in particular taught them this wasn't the best experience.
"One of the things we learned, more than a decade ago," he said, "when you look at the Game of the Year Edition of Fallout 3—we would make these DLCs, and then we put out a Game of the Year Edition—and the Game of the Year Edition would start with all of these messages [telling you] the DLCs had unlocked. We've gotten better at that."
Pely is now art director on Starfield, which will be getting its Terran Armada story DLC next month. Bethesda doesn't want to repeat the mistake with Starfield's expansions. "The beginning of Terran Armada is much more organically woven into the world," Pely said. "You'll stumble upon that content. So it's entirely possible that you'll start the game, you'll learn about this, it tells you you probably shouldn't do that now, but there's nothing stopping you from trying."
Starfield will get its Terran Armada DLC as well as the loading-screen-busting Free Lanes update on April 7. For the classic quest-notification-overload experience, look no further than Fallout New Vegas Ultimate, which is currently on sale for 75% off on Steam.
Oblivion console commands: Cheats new and oldOblivion lockpicks: Where and how to use themOblivion vampirism cure: Rid yourself of the afflictionOblivion thieves guild: How to join the crewOblivion persuasion: Master the minigame
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Jody's first computer was a Commodore 64, so he remembers having to use a code wheel to play Pool of Radiance. A former music journalist who interviewed everyone from Giorgio Moroder to Trent Reznor, Jody also co-hosted Australia's first rad...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?