Bethesda Design Director Emil Pagliarulo has finally revealed the inspiration behind the familiar city of Dazra in Starfield's first story expansion, Shattered Space.
As many have noticed its similarities to Bethesda's other role-playing game, The Elder Scrolls, it seems the developers intentionally incorporated some of its iconic design into the DLC.
Shattered Space introduces House Va'ruun, the third interstellar government in the Settled Systems, situated on the planet of Va’ruun'kai in the Kavnyk system.
According to Pagliarulo, its capital city of Dazra is heavily inspired by The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind.
"Morrowind and its themes and overall vibe were a big inspiration," he said.
The third chapter of The Elder Scrolls series is set in the province of Morrowind. Known for its dirty swamplands, it stands out from the typical fantasy settings of the franchise.
Dazra and the entire planet of Va'ruun'kai are similarly regarded as the strangest locale in Starfield so far.
"I think it's really unique fictionally and aesthetically, especially when you compare it to other cities in the game," Pagliarulo continued.
As the game's dev puts it, Dazra tells the story of a human faction on the fringes of conventional civilization.
Like Morrowind, it pushes the boundaries of the game's NASAPunk aesthetic while challenging the limits of cultural acceptability on multiple levels.
"We really love the aesthetic of the homeworld and the city of Dazra in particular," he added.
Other Inspirations Behind Starfield: Shattered Space's Dazra
Bethesda doesn't only draw inspiration from Morrowind for Shattered Space; part of it is also influenced by a major space exploration franchise: Star Trek.
The hostility and brutality of Va'ruun'kai are based on Star Trek's Klingons, with Rura Penthe also serving as a reference point.
However, Pagliarulo and the rest of the development team didn't rely solely on these influences.
'We pushed it further by asking, "How can we make this place beautiful in its own distinct Va'ruun way?"' he revealed.
Before Shattered Space was released on September 30, the home planet of Va'ruun was a major topic of ongoing discussion at Bethesda.
Pagliarulo mentioned that they often discussed what Va'ruun'kai would be like in the early stages. Still, despite these frequent conversations, they didn't write anything down, hoping to bring it to life eventually.
'We really hoped that someday, somehow, we'd be able to bring House Va'ruun to life as a playable faction and give players Va'ruun'kai.'
No matter how players describe Va'ruun'kai, it will always seem strange to them. But the bigger question has always been: how strange?
'But how weird? And weird in what way? What could we pull off?' Pagliarulo wondered.
Shattered Space may be the first DLC for Starfield, but it's already being hailed as one of the best Bethesda has ever released. Although it has flaws, such as clunky gameplay and endless loading screens, its additional content is worth exploring.