"Starfield: Bethesda's Battle with AI and Planet Exploration"

Todd Howard, head of Bethesda, revealed in a podcast interview that the enemy ship AI in Starfield had to be intentionally made "really stupid" to make space combat enjoyable. Initially, the AI was too clever and made battles too challenging, so they had to be nerfed. Howard drew inspiration from games like FTL and MechWarrior to create a mechanic that players could understand without pausing the game. Despite the AI adjustments, some players still find Starfield's space combat difficult, especially on higher difficulty levels.