A new mod for Bethesda's space exploration RPG, Starfield, is working to address a common point of criticism: the numerous loading screens that break the immersion of interstellar travel. The mod, titled Seamless Planet Takeoffs, is currently in beta and developed by a modder known as 0xBobby. Its goal is to emulate the seamless transitions seen in games like No Man's Sky, where players can depart from a planet's surface directly into orbit without interruption.
Starfield's core fantasy revolves around exploration and the vastness of the cosmos, but the game engine often necessitates loading screens that fracture this experience, making the universe feel like a collection of small, disconnected areas. The takeoff and landing sequences were particularly noted for their reliance on these abrupt transitions. Seamless Planet Takeoffs aims to mitigate this by keeping the player in the cockpit during departure, allowing them to watch the planet's atmosphere recede into space. While the mod is still in beta, its initial implementation offers a more immersive alternative to the default experience.
0xBobby acknowledges that the mod is not a perfect solution and is more of a loading screen masker than a complete remover. The effectiveness of the seamlessness can vary depending on a planet's atmospheric conditions and weather. "The seamlessness of the transition will depend on the atmosphere and weather of the planet," the modder stated, adding that efforts are ongoing to further refine the transition process. Despite these caveats, the mod represents a significant improvement for players seeking a more continuous sense of spaceflight.
However, the modder has indicated that seamless landings are unlikely to be implemented, at least not by them. 0xBobby explained that while techniques exist to hide loading during landings, such as using atmospheric effects or flames, these would be considerably more complex to implement than the current takeoff system or the seamless grav jumps already present in the game.