Starfield is shaping up to be every gamer’s dream, with a jaw-droppingly large universe, diverse roleplay options, and everything else you’d expect from a Bethesda masterpiece. However, the on-screen position of the XP counter bar seems to have created some concerns among the hopeful space explorers.
As seen in the gameplay footage in Starfield Direct, the developers have made an interesting decision by placing the XP bar right on dead center of the screen. Many players are worried that this will break the immersion of gameplay and potentially ruin combat experience.
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by u/rohtvak from discussion Does the xp bar annoy the hell out of you guys too
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Positioning of XP bar in Starfield annoys fans
Just like in most RPGs, XP points are awarded to the player in Starfield after every enemy kill, new area discoveries, and after unlocking new weapons.
With the game’s interesting combat system that strives to achieve a phase between Hollywood action and simulation, it’s imperative that players’ field of vision (FOV) remains clear and as unobstructed as possible. And rest of the HUD elements seem to fit well enough in that regard. With the Chronowatch display on bottom-left corner and weapon stats and health bar on bottom-right, Starfield HUD is mostly unobtrusive for a seamless immersive experience.
However, the positioning of the XP bar has perplexed many. It sits right in the center of the screen and doesn’t disappear for three seconds. Various Starfield combat footage revealed till date features the bar, appearing after every kill. Many players are fine with on-screen XP bars, however, positioning it right in the middle of the screen seems to have raised a red flag.
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by u/PhaserRave from discussion Does the xp bar annoy the hell out of you guys too
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Fans are hoping for a cleaner HUD for a more immersive combat experience in Starfield
Same goes with the name and stats of the enemy that are displayed overhead. Many believe that including these stats for every enemy encounter in-game would lead to a cluttered user interface. Others feel displaying their HP takes away the sense of accomplishment, ruining the gameplay experience. Some have also expressed their desire to be able to turn off the enemy names and stats hovering above their heads, leading to more immersive and naturalistic gameplay experience.
While many believe that Bethesda will offer a way to turn off this feature, allowing them a clean HUD for combat. Interestingly enough, in most of the footage, the XP bar shows up after a kill has been made with a ranged weapon but doesn’t appear when the player uses a melee weapon to finish off an enemy. This could mean that the developer will offer a way to turn off the XP increase notification or it simply doesn’t show up when players use melee weapons.
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by u/akardo2 from discussion Does the xp bar annoy the hell out of you guys too
in Starfield
Most of the Starfield fans believe that even if Bethesda chooses to neglect the fans’ requests and doesn’t offer an option to turn this feature off, there will surely be mods developed soon after the game’s launch that would help players get rid of this bulky XP bar. After all, almost all of the Bethesda games have received various user interface mods after launch. Skyrim’s SkyUI is a prime example with close to 11 million downloads over the original and special edition releases.
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by u/Key-Department6484 from discussion Does the xp bar annoy the hell out of you guys too
in Starfield
Some of the fans, however, don’t seem to mind the positioning of the XP bar in Starfield. For some, it provides a sense of accomplishment that does not take anything away from their gameplay experience. Some have even stated that they loved the inclusion of a similar feature in Fallout 4.
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by u/cryptic_56 from discussion Does the xp bar annoy the hell out of you guys too
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One fan even goes on to say that including and displaying XP points increasing after every accomplishment makes them feel great and motivated.
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by u/ASithLordNoAffect from discussion Does the xp bar annoy the hell out of you guys too
in Starfield
Considering everything, giving players toggles for individual elements in the Starfield UI would go a long way to satisfy fans across the spectrum. That way, players with focus on immersion and story would be able to play with most of the intrusive HUD elements toggled off. And players with a more ARPG fixation can decide to have names and numbers all over their screens.
