Summary
- Some Starfield fans feel that Bethesda missed the opportunity to make the Ecliptic feel like a unique faction instead of just a bunch of reskinned Spacers.
- According to those opinions, the developer had already laid the groundwork for such a treatment by coming up with unique Ecliptic lore.
- However, the faction's backstory did not end up informing its gameplay behavior, leading some fans to conclude that the Ecliptic's shoot-on-sight policy, among other things, doesn't make sense.
Some Starfield fans have recently banded together to discuss how disappointed they are with the fact that the Ecliptic faction is essentially a reskinned version of Spacers instead of acting like the lore suggests it should. Their discussion also yielded some compelling ideas about how the Ecliptic could have been improved, underlining the players' sentiment that Starfield's handling of the group represents a missed opportunity for Bethesda.
Warning! Minor Ecliptic-related lore spoilers for Starfield ahead. While Starfield offers a double-digit number of joinable factions, its universe also has other groups that the player cannot enroll in, but which still have a role to play in the lore. Ecliptic is one such organization, painted as the remnants of the freelance peacekeeping forces from the Colony War preceding the events of the game. By the time Starfield's story kicks off, these mercenaries have largely devolved into a rather cynical bunch that's willing to work for anyone and do pretty much anything for credits.
Some Starfield Players Feel Ecliptic's Gameplay Behavior Doesn't Make Sense
That's the lore, at least. But some fans have recently voiced their grievances about how this group is represented in actual gameplay, arguing that the Ecliptic Mercenaries only differ from the likes of Spacers and Starfield's Va'ruun Zealots by their design, and are otherwise just another mob to mow down. The criticism originates from Reddit user SilverWolfIMHP76, who recently opined that Bethesda missed an opportunity to make the Ecliptic a neutral faction that only becomes hostile if the player makes it their mission to mess with them, as would make sense for a private military force.
Elaborating on that train of thought, the fan proposed that the Ecliptic Mercenaries should issue warnings when the player approaches them instead of shooting on sight. Adding the Ecliptic to the list of joinable Starfield factions would also make lore-wise sense, SilverWolfIMHP76 opined. Their proposal was propelled to the front page of the r/Starfield subreddit shortly after going live on February 16, with its current upvote count suggesting hundreds of other fans are also of the opinion that Bethesda missed the opportunity to do something more interesting with the Ecliptic.
While Shattered Space is pretty much guaranteed to expand on the Starfield lore, it is somewhat unlikely to revise existing gameplay behaviors, like the Ecliptic's tendency to shoot on sight in most parts of the Settled Systems. Although such a move wouldn't be impossible from a technical standpoint, Bethesda historically favored making additive changes to its games instead of revisiting its past design decisions. Shattered Space is hence more likely to introduce a new Starfield faction than change the way any of its existing ones work.
Starfield
- Released
- September 6, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield is the first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery.
The year is 2330. Humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game.
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- File Size Xbox Series
- 101 GB (September 2023)
- Metascore
- 86
