You're Going To Waste So Much More Time In Starfield's Ship Builder After New Update

's ship builder is probably the easiest way to waste away hours in the space-faring RPG, and a big May 2024 update is adding a whole new dimension to the system. It makes sense that ship customization features heavily in, as quite a lot of time is generally going to be spent in space across the course of a playthrough. Although the fast travel system makes intergalactic flight irrelevant, exploring space within smaller areas can lead to plenty of memorable encounters both large and small.

Despite its strong suits, however, 's ship builder hasn't always been perfect. There's a balance to be found between complete freedom and efficiency in a game where ship customization is ultimately just a side system, and hasn't navigated it perfectly. The biggest area where things have felt too simplified lies in 's ship interiors, which simply use prefab modules that allow for no real personality or individualized layouts. Having a memorably unique exterior design only to enter and see a generic layout can be a real letdown, despite the minimal impact that the latter element has on the game.

Details of 's May update are showcased in a video from the official Bethesda Softworks YouTube channel, and it offers an exciting glimpse at the change to ship customization options. The new Ship Decoration mode allows for essentially free-form placement of furniture and decoration throughout ship interiors, which can be used as blank slates instead of pre-filled designs. It's essentially a translation of the more robust features of 's outpost options to the Ship Builder, making it easier to keep the fruits of creative endeavors close at hand throughout the journey.

There's an argument to be made that getting too lost in the Ship Builder can distract from the primary elements of the experience, but even those who don't plan to spend much time with Ship Decoration can definitely benefit from its inclusion. The biggest problem with prefab interiors is that they don't always make sense, as an