I'm starting over on a brand new character! No more jumps through the Unity for me!

I've been playing around the settings and various mods to turn Starfield into something that feels more like an R rated tactical shooter while still keeping the feel of the Nasapunk RPG. I think I've finally curated a list of mods that I'm comfortable with, so I'm starting over in a brand new universe! I'm roleplaying as the leader of a Spec Ops unit working under the UCMC, responding to missions across the settled systems that would normally be too much for regular Sysdef patrols.

UCMC Special Operative Suit

John was born and raised within the United Colonies, where military service was regarded as both an honor and a responsibility. He enlisted in the United Colonies Marine Corps shortly after coming of age, quickly distinguishing himself through exceptional discipline, tactical aptitude, and leadership under pressure. His success earned him selection for AEGIS, the UC's intelligence service, where he spent years operating under deep cover throughout the Settled Systems.

Officially, he didn't exist. His assignments ranged from infiltrating pirate syndicates and dismantling smuggling networks to extracting high-value assets and conducting covert surveillance on hostile factions, often without support and with no expectation of recognition. After a string of highly successful operations, AEGIS recommended him for transfer to a newly established UCMC Special Operations Command, an elite rapid-response unit tasked with confronting threats beyond the capabilities of conventional Marine forces.

Now serving as the commanding officer of one of its Spec Ops detachments, John leads classified missions against pirates, mercenaries, terrorists, and xeno-threats across the Settled Systems, fighting wars the public never hears about, and ensuring the United Colonies remains secure from enemies both within and beyond its borders.

AEGIS Service Sidearm

A suppressed semi-automatic pistol issued to AEGIS field operatives for covert operations where stealth is paramount. Compact, reliable, and easily concealed, it served as John's primary weapon during years of undercover assignments, earning his trust through countless successful infiltration and close-quarters engagements.

Standard Issued Assault Rifle

The standard service rifle of the United Colonies Marine Corps, designed to perform reliably in every environment from starship corridors to hostile planetary surfaces.

Special Issued Assault Rifle

A heavily customized assault rifle reserved for operators assigned to UCMC Special Operations Command. Outfitted with a suppressor, advanced optics, and armor-piercing ammunition, it is John's primary weapon during missions, balancing precision, stopping power, and adaptability across a wide range of combat scenarios.

Special Issued Sniper Rifle

A precision rifle issued exclusively to senior special operations personnel for reconnaissance, overwatch, and high-value target elimination. Built for exceptional accuracy at extreme range, it allows John to neutralize threats before they even know he's there, embodying the doctrine that the best firefight is the one that never begins.

Functional Casino Games | Red Mile Blackjack | LSD's New Game Customizer

TL;DR: John is a typical rebellious rich kid who landed himself in some hot water and now has a bounty on his head and almost no money. With nothing but the clothes on his back and just over 6000 creds to his name, John's only option is to rent a room at the Red Mile and try to earn enough money from gambling to pay off his 75k bounty.

After 50+ trips through the Unity, I wanted to give myself a unique challenge on a new character. I wanted this challenge to be a purpose driven experience that gave me a reason to be anchored to one location with specific objectives outside of doing quests.

Meet John Starfield.

https://preview.redd.it/havfq64u7f8h1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cdc2dfaf38c5be06c91429c493822ba690a1423f

John is a typical 22 year old street rat from the hard streets of neon. Well... that's the half-truth he tells people. He did grow up on Neon, but it was inside penthouses and private schools rather than alleyways where he spend most of his childhood. Needless to say, his spoiled upbringing led to a rebellious streak that landed him in some hot water with a crime boss who didn't care about daddy's protection money. With no options left, John hitched a ride off the glorified refinery platform that he called home.

Looking for work, he hopped from ship to ship, using the little money he had loaded on a credsick to pay for food and a place to sleep. John eventually found himself on Paradiso, where he worked his first ever job as a hotel bartender. That lasted all of two weeks before some bounty hunters showed up and started causing trouble around the hotel while searching for him. The crime boss, not taking too kindly to John's sudden departure, had placed a sizable bounty on his head. The friends he made at the hotel covered for John while he made his escape, but with an official bounty on his head, there was practically nowhere in the settled systems that John could hide. Well... Maybe there was one place where no bounty hunter would dare to look for him...

The Red Mile.

I’ve been working on populating this map for a while and I’ve finally gotten the world fully populated and balanced. I saw this 21x10 map of the Mediterranean a while back and found that it ran perfectly on the steam deck if I capped the population to around 10-15k sentient pops.

I wanted to make a world inspired by Game of Thrones, Frieren Beyond Journeys End, The Elder Scrolls, and mythologies of the ancient world.

The founders of the Great Kingdoms (Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and Demons) were blessed with the divine spark, granting them unique abilities, and bestowed with divine artifacts created by the All-Father to be wielded as symbols of leadership.

9x Kingdoms!
7x Human subspecies!
5x Dwarf subspecies!
5x Elf subspecies!
Bandits!
Mages!
Priests!
Demons!

I am using a mod that allows for almost all entities (including myself) to be killed by headshot. I find it gives some real consequences, as shown in this clip.

I just started this NG+ and recruited Rosie as my combat medic. Unfortunately this version was not well versed in avoiding crossfire. Funnily enough, the Adoring Fan ran up to me right after this happened, so as one companion falls, fate brings me another familiar face to soothe my heartbreak.

I just woke up from a mining accident on my FIRST DAY and I can't even use the john. Just GREAT! /s

Prehistory

In the beginning, there were two trees. These trees shone with the light of creation, blessing the very soil from which they took root. Jutting up from the earth between these two trees was a black stone engraved with incomprehensible runes that gave off a strange and dark energy.

Genesis

For 500 years, Terra was a wild land filled with all manner of creatures, from hoof to wing and claw. Humanity did not yet exist as a people, only savages who relied on instinct rather than wisdom. This was until the wisest of them, a man called Asem, gathered his people beneath the two trees and declared that it was here that he would build his seat of power. What began as temporary shelter hardened into permanence. For nine months, Asem sat under the two trees, refusing all nourishment save for the light of the trees. This place would come to be known as Auden.

It was here that humanity first learned to build upward as well as outward. They farmed instead of foraged, stone replaced wood, and towers rose to protect the city from dangerous animals that roamed the untamed lands.

As the city grew, new settlements began forming along the northern shores, then further inland. Ships began to cross the waters, eventually discovering the kingdoms of the Elves and Dwarves.

Exodus

Centuries passed, and Auden transformed from the cradle of Humanity into a place of reverence and legend. New cities rose across the mainland, and people began to leave the city of Auden for the promise of new opportunities and vast, fertile lands. Wanting to protect the city from those who would cause harm or attempt to steal its vast collection of wealth and knowledge, Asem ordered the city to be closed off, never again to be entered by man or beast.

Bonus image:

It seems Italy has become the melting pot of my world, with each empire wanting to claim a little piece for themselves.

(sorry Reddit compression might make the pics look a bit blurry on some devices)