Starfield gives players the opportunity to start a new life in the vast darkness of space, but when it comes to being a notorious criminal, the bounty system could use some improvements. It can be difficult to make a name for oneself as a deadly pirate or assassin when it's so easy for NPCs to witness crimes: Starfield's default bounty mechanic is triggered if any NPC witnesses a crime and remains alive for longer than 30 seconds. This can prove difficult when dealing with groups, which is why this mod is so useful.
Posted to Nexus Mods by creator EgoBallistic, the "Leave No Witnesses" mod improves the bounty system by eliminating the 30-second timer attached to witnesses. This means anyone who bears witness to the player committing a crime can be eliminated during an encounter, thus making it harder for bounties to be placed. As long as no witness is left alive, NPCs won't be able to report back to the authorities, making a life of crime more viable as a career.
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Writing about the benefits of the mod, EgoBallistic notes that the add-on kill every crew member. The mod effectively generates a list of witnesses that will persist until the bounty has been cleared or they are killed, making the 's actions much more impactful. It's a small adjustment but one that will likely have a major impact on how players interact with the various factions of Starfield.
The way bounties are handled in Starfield has plagued the game's community since it launched given that the speed with which factions are notified of a crime seems to go against other mechanics. A common complaint is that a group like the United Colonies can seemingly be notified through radio or instant message that a bounty has been placed on the player, but s aren't able to use that same tech to speak with quest givers from afar. Given how easy it is for players to become criminals (accidentally stealing a pen can be disastrous), the system feels underbaked.
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Making Them More Realistic Is Great
I generally play through Bethesda games as a law-abiding adventurer but the few times I did acquire a bounty in Starfield were frustrating. Given how quickly enemies are notified of a transgression, it's great to have a mod that at least gives players a chance to avoid the hassle of dealing with the authorities. Maybe now is the time I actually commit to a full pirate playthrough.
Source: EgoBallistic/Nexus Mods
