Starfield mod gives NPCs daily routines, just like real people

Thanks largely to the recent Shattered Space DLC, Starfield has been enjoying something of a resurgence. SteamDB shows there has been a bit of an uptick in player count on PC, even if the game overall is not exactly beaming with universal praise.

All that aside, people are still playing it and modding for it. A recent bit of fan-made content – as spotted by DSO Gaming – injects a little bit more realism into Starfield, thanks to NPC schedules and business opening hours.

Created by user FlippingEggs, “NPCs Have Routines and Stores Have Schedules” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue as a mod title, but it does exactly what it says on the tin. It effectively gives a bunch of non-playable characters a bit of vim, which uses custom AI to give them their own schedules.

“Sorry, bud. I’m closed now.”

It should be noted that not every Starfield character has been given the gift of a timetable. The description over on Nexus Mods has the following to say:

36 named characters now have daily schedules
4 unnamed but unique characters now have daily schedules
10 new robots work in various stores, so you can buy stuff when the store owner isn’t there (Styx included)
57 data slates added to various store countertops and NPCs’ personal spaces. Some of these slates are simple notifications of business hours, while others offer you a window into the lives of characters and where you can find them when they aren’t working.
1 of these data slates is an Easter egg for The Expanse

Oh, yeah. That’s the other thing. Because the mod gives many businesses in the game actual opening hours, robots can be on-hand to work through the night while the proprietor gets some much-needed rest. You’ll find that stores and their owners in places like New Atlantis, Akila City, Neon, and more have been given these schedules.

The creator goes on to say:

If you find a shopkeeper while they’re away from their store, or sleeping, their normal dialogue tree will not be available and you won’t be able to trade with them.

They’ve also been careful to make sure the mod doesn’t interrupt vanilla quests and should be compatible with a lot of other installations you have installed. But it’s best to check beforehand.

I don’t know why, but “NPCs Have Routines and Stores Have Schedules” puts me in-mind of Oblivion. Remember in the early 2000s when Bethesda was promoting its upcoming Elder Scrolls 4? Todd Howard and his team were so excited about its new “Radiant AI” system, which essentially gave NPCs their own daily routines, including eating, sleeping, and practicing their archery. Ah, to be young again. And also a non-playable character in a role-playing game.