Some Starfield players desire changes to the advantages

Although Starfield features a comprehensive progression system tied to leveling, some players desire a less rigid connection between interacting with game features and advantages. From selecting attributes to choosing a background in Starfield, players can define their gameplay trajectory from the outset, reminiscent of previous Bethesda titles such as Morrowind—or to an even greater extent—Fallout 3. However, in the past, players were still able to experiment with gameplay functions like enchanting or lockpicking with less efficiency, while the equivalent in Starfield remains strictly locked behind specific advantage tiers.

Attempting to use a digipick on an expert-level chest in Starfield becomes a futile endeavor if players do not possess the corresponding advantage level for security. While this rewards characters who invest in specific skill trees, some fans argue that the slower leveling pace in Starfield contradicts this design decision. Shipbuilding, outpost construction, ship combat, weapon crafting, armor crafting—the systems accumulate, and investing points into them effectively penalizes Starfield players by not allowing them to invest in combat abilities.

These concerns were raised by Lavish-Greed in the official Starfield subreddit, and based on the community's response, it appears that many players agree with Lavish-Greed. As highlighted in the comments, it doesn't feel satisfying to have to invest so many points in weapon skills just to change the firing mode. One suggested way to address this issue is to derive more benefits from completing advantage challenges in Starfield, such as increasing the amount of experience points awarded to players for doing so.

Some players have pointed out that compared to the powerful advantages of outpost management in Starfield or the ability to craft the highest-tier weapons, armor, and spaceship parts, weapon skills seem almost inconsequential. Characters can still handle most combat situations without investing in combat advantages, and the ability of "Stealth Approach" can ultimately be replaced by the power of "Voidform."

Considering the fact that the advantage system in Skyrim was ultimately expanded through mods, it seems that Starfield will follow a similar trajectory. Although official modding tools for Starfield will only arrive in early 2024, they will enhance the game's potential and allow players to customize their gaming experience individually—whether through a completely revamped advantage system, comprehensive player-experience modifications, or something entirely new. Despite the criticisms raised against the default advantages in Starfield, the game itself remains enjoyable for the majority of players and appears to deliver the traditional Bethesda experience.

Starfield is now available for PC and Xbox Series X/S.