I think it grows on you. It’s not an instant WOW like people were expecting after all this time and hype.
I’ve got a few hours in it but I’m not immediately booting it up every time I sit down at my PC like I did Fallout 4 or Skyrim when I first got them.
Yup. I’m really enjoying it as well.
The biggest issue I have with Starfield is that I’m still playing Baldur’s Gate 3. I jumped into Starfield and made it as far as New Atlantis but stopped because I kept thinking about my next BG3 side quest. 
Curious, how is everyone playing this game? Just loiter around, explore the universe and complete missions as it comes? Or finish the “main” quest then go back and finish everything else?
Is everyone aware of New Game Plus (NG+) feature? There are plenty of videos out there that explain it. Here is one without spoiling the game story.
As soon as I was allowed to, I set out on an optional exploration mission, then got distracted by a side quest while doing the side quest. A side-side-quest if you will. Someone was calling for help so I could not ignore them. Was pretty tough, later figured out that was because it’s a level 15 system and I was level 3.
After that, I helped with researching trees in a city and I am currently applying to be an executive assistant.
So yeah I guess I’m a Type 1.
My girlfriend on the other hand, has basically only done the main quest line so far.
Played the main story and due to certain events that happened during the main story i pushed through to NG+
My main goal was to do the story then explore and due side quests. But that changed so now I’m in NG+ doing exploration and side quests.
I’m just pinballing around with what seems most fun and epic. Loving the infiltration into the crimson fleet. Its my favorite part so far.
I totally love it all
So far, I’m avoiding the main story. Only did l only did enough to gain access to “The Eye”, otherwise there’s no way to visit there IIRC.
I’m not sure completing the main story is going to do anything to improve what I’m enjoying about Starfield. At least not right now. I’m doing lots of exploration, and enjoying a few side missions along the way.
Where do you get the exploration missions? I am afraid of going to deep into the UC or Free Colonies missions and getting myself locked out of something 
Basement of the main building has a mission terminal. Lots of exploration based missions or just head out into the black
Sometimes these exploration show up on the regular mission board, but this is uncommon in my experience.
Otherwise, I can regularly pick them up from the Constellation Exploration Mission kiosk in the work room at the Lodge.
But much of the time, I don’t have a mission. Just out exploring on my own. After completing a scan of a moon or planet, a data set is added to my inventory. I sell these. There is one place that pays a bit more, but I won’t spoil it.
As soon as I read that I remembered the console in the basement of the Lodge
While taking a bit of a break from ‘that other RPG’ I have completed the main storyline up to just completing the first ‘temple’. Other than that the only ‘side quests’ I have done is to start with the Rangers.
I’m enjoying it and because all I was hoping for was Skyrim in space, I’m more than happy with it. The biggest letdown for me is my companions - TBH, I haven’t really warmed to any of them except perhaps Barrett?
So for this reason I am very much in the “finish the “main” quest then go back and finish everything else?” camp
I am really enjoying my time with Sarah. But she is really similar to my partner IRL. Hope I can get this one to fall in love with me too.
As for the other companions… I recruit them onto my ship, ask them for their entire life story and that’s about it.
My only complaint about the Companions is they are all good. It would have been nice to have one or two that could enjoy my impending decent into pirate madness.
Once I was sent to the Sol system I kind of got sidetracked exploring all the planets and moons here I know. Been wandering the surface of Mars for hours.
Found a great way to get a new ship is to find one landed and just take out all the pirates/ecliptic/whatever and take it over. Done it twice in like 20 mins on Mars, apparently it’s Burning Man Mars or something with all these ship landed in a featureless desert? Don’t know.
I love Barret. Didn’t want to flirt with the guy, but so far he been my favourite companion. Dug my time with Sam too tho. Currently running with alexia. I like her, but not as much as the others (so far).
The game is excellent. I’d rate it a tad lower than say Red Dead Redemption 2, but it’s perfectly serviceable and hits all the right notes for me. Like eating an inexhaustible supply of cheese/onion chips.
I don’t particularly care for any of the main characters. I find them all a bit flat. I guess the kid is brilliant and probably would make a useful companion. But his acting is awful. I’d rather just not hear him. I’ve also had a bunch of situations where NPCs speak long strings of dialogue simultaneously. In those situations it’s too chaotic to follow. I’ve also had conversations with NPCs where a 2nd NPC is referenced by the 1st and the begin talking even though they are 100s of meters apart. So the camera switches back and forth while, say, Cora and Sam argue about her love of books.
This may all be specific to the XBOX.
I’m still thoroughly enjoying Red Dead having started it only earlier this year but am hoping Starfield can fulfill my wish for a similarly enjoyable title. What are the similarities to Red Dead? Do you think they will improve the game? I’m wary of mods as RDOnline suffers badly from modders so our posse set up a solo server. Does that even matter for Starfield, being single player?
Can I chime in while you wait for him to reply? The side quests in Starfield must number in the thousands. Half the NPCs toss quests your way just for walking past. Just those alone equate to hundreds of hours of replayability. In Red Dead you can create a life for yourself in the world, but the person you are in that life isn’t going to be substantially different than the person you were during the main story. In Starfield you can eventually possess a host of ships and outposts. You can be sort of big deal in the galaxy. So, Red Dead is rich and playable well past the main quest. This is even more true for Starfield.