News Todd Howard Interview: "Starfield & Elder Scrolls 6 will use Creation Engine"

[freshVeggie]

In an interview with Todd Howard by German gaming site Gamestar from shortly after this year's E3, the journalist asks about the future games Starfield and Elder Scrolls 6 and whether they will use a brand-new game engine.

Nope. They too will use the Creation Engine. It's at the 20:40 mark of the video but here's the translation via Reddit for those who don't speak German.

“For Fallout 76 we have changed a lot,” Todd Howard told Gamestar this year. “The game uses a new renderer, a new lighting system and a new system for the landscape generation. For Starfield even more of it changes. And for The Elder Scrolls 6, out there on the horizon even more. We like our editor. It allows us to create worlds really fast and the modders know it really well. There are some elementary ways we create our games and that will continue because that lets us be efficient and we think it works best.”

What do you guys think? Obviously, they are improving and adding new features to the CE over the years, but I was hoping to see a brand-new engine for next-generation games.
Can't help but feel it's partly due to the CE that their games look dated and are comparably buggy.

 

[lashman]

Can't help but feel it's partly due to the CE that their games look dated and are comparably buggy.

yeah, definitely ... and it looks like that's not going to change any time soon, unfortunately

 

[Kindekuma]

Fallout 76 uses a new renderer? It looks the same as Fallout 4 to my eye, but maybe I don't play enough Fallout. It's my opinion that Bethesda games are ugly as sin for AAA devs in this day and age, so hearing ES6 will use the same engine doesn't give me much hope that a vanilla experience will look all that decent compared to other games when it does release. But that's like, my opinion man.

 

[lashman]

Fallout 76 uses a new renderer? It looks the same as Fallout 4 to my eye, but maybe I don't play enough Fallout. It's my opinion that Bethesda games are ugly as sin for AAA devs in this day and age, so hearing ES6 will use the same engine doesn't give me much hope that a vanilla experience will look all that decent compared to other games when it does release. But that's like, my opinion man.

yeah, you're right ... sadly

i mean - they do have their moments ... usually exterior scenes at sunrise/sundown ... but yeah - all in all they look ugly as fuck ... ESPECIALLY interiors

 

[Maxi]

The engine has really slipped behind the times when it comes to triple A rendering. It can still look good at times and has a few modern features here and there but is so far behind the curve especially with how poor the performance is as well.

It has it's charm still but the more of the FO76 beta I played the more fed up I felt with the dated design and engine limitations. Mainly performance and UI being very inconsistent and quite poor at times.

 

[Schnitzelfee]

isnt this like a quake engine or source situation where the name was the same for like forever but the tech and parts get renewed and updated pice meal?
I guess they are just used to it and dont want to learn using another engine that they havent formed after their needs as much...
isnt all the buginess more a problem with the open system nature of their games?

but I also dont find their games ugly, F4 looked fine to me... not the prettiest shit ever, but not ugly at all.

maybe Im talking BS, just what crossed my mind in regards to this

 

[lashman]

The engine has really slipped behind the times when it comes to triple A rendering. It can still look good at times and has a few modern features here and there but is so far behind the curve especially with how poor the performance is as well.

It has it's charm still but the more of the FO76 beta I played the more fed up I felt with the dated design and engine limitations. Mainly performance and UI being very inconsistent and quite poor at times.

yeah, exactly ... like it CAN look decent (as evidenced by the trailer) .... but then you go and actually play the games and ... ugh ... especially interiors

 

[Eriugam]

Not surprised in the slightest. Bethesda weren't going to use an entirely new engine for an upcoming project, that requires time and resources.

The CE has shown it's age over the past couple of games and needs to be retired.

 

[nofuckinidea]

Sigh...but why? Zenimax/Bethesda do have the resources and know-how (with Id Software) to create sth new from scratch...esprecially now, when the Next-Gen is on the horizon. I thougt Starfield is a new beginning for Bethesda...creatively and graphically

 

[lashman]

they probably still think (or at least hope) they can somehow magically fix it

 

[Eriugam]

Sigh...but why? Zenimax/Bethesda do have the resources and know-how (with Id Software) to create sth new from scratch...esprecially now, when the Next-Gen is on the horizon. I thougt Starfield is a new beginning for Bethesda...creatively and graphically

Not entirely sure what the actual reasoning is, most likely a resource one. This news didn't surprise me at all, the Creation Engine is going to be around for a long time!

 

[Maxi]

Don't quote me on this but I think the team leads and code leads for the Skyrim/Fallout projects have been on them for so long they probably don't want to deviate from their norm as it is very risky. I bet it isn't an enjoyable experience working on that engine which is why the changes seem so limited between each game even with the length dev time. I also think the team is fairly small compared to modern AAA game development which will be another reason behind not making drastic changes.

I'd still expect some QOL additions to be added as standard and to fix some of the god awful UI design that they have kept for game after game. I don't think with their tech it is as easy as changes a few values though everything seems so hard coded and reliant on everything else to be in it's place to even work.

That said I suppose the latest edition has added a massive feature which is working surprisingly well (at least in my experience so far) which is multiplayer. No small feat making that work with a game like Fallout. Shame the design didn't get overhauled to accommodate the MP as well

 

[ListeningGarden]

I think Zenimax had high hopes for idTech5 since it was limited to developers under their umbrella, but Bethesda opted out and have stuck with what they know after seeing how Rage went. At this stage, 100% brand new engines just don't seem like they're in the cards for an Elder Scrolls or Fallout title unless someone can create a product that they can either break to fit their sheer world size and object limitation demands or is built from the outset to handle that level of simulation.

 

[Alexandros]

I didn't expect anything else. Their games might look dated but as long as they sell huge numbers of copies they have zero reason to change their workflow.

 

[Eriugam]

I didn't expect anything else. Their games might look dated but as long as they sell huge numbers of copies they have zero reason to change their workflow.

Pretty much sums up Bethesda. Released half arsed games, throw up a couple of expansions/DLC. Fix the first couple of major game breaking bugs and then move on.

 

[Alexandros]

Pretty much sums up Bethesda. Released half arsed games, throw up a couple of expansions/DLC. Fix the first couple of major game breaking bugs and then move on.

All that plus "let modders improve the game and correct bugs".

 

[Eriugam]

All that plus "let modders improve the game and correct bugs".

Looks like that won't be the case with FO76..