Starfield 'A High Price to Pay' quest getting stuck or throwing black screen for several players

Starfield players have reported encountering multiple bugs, crashes, and black screen issues during the ‘A High Price to Pay’ quest.

Those affected have been sharing their experiences on various social media platforms like Reddit and X in search of solutions.

im at the part where i have to build my armillary and im trying to build it in the ship but the armillary screen is just black. ive tried going back a couple of saves and still nothing. at first i thought my cockpit (DS30.1 Ares Bridge) didnt have one but its right there next to the cargo but nothing works! any ideas? (Source)

After coming back to the Lodge to drop off the artifact from No Sudden Moves.. I cannot get Noel to initiate dialogue with me. It just says “This individual is busy” constantly, even after waiting 24 ig hours, reloading a previous save, etc. (Source)

No doubt Bethesda’s highly anticipated spacefaring RPG, Starfield, has received praise for its design and gameplay. But it has also faced criticism from both players and critics for its technical issues.

In typical Bethesda fashion, Starfield players have encountered numerous bugs, glitches, and technical problems since the game’s launch.

The most recent among the growing list of issues are the so-called ‘game-breaking’ bugs within the ‘A High Price to Pay’ quest.

As one of the pivotal quests in the storyline, these errors significantly impact the player experience, often leading to negative reviews of the game.

Reports indicate (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) that the ‘A High Price to Pay’ quest is plagued by black screen, bugs, crashes, and various other issues. Some players mention NPCs behaving oddly and obstructing their path.

I don’t know why but when im supposed to check on the crew, Barret is standing infront of where Sarah is supposed to be lying, and she isn’t there (I also can’t interact with Barret) Does Anyone know a fix? (I don’t want to load an earlier save because after a while of wondering why the mission wasnt completed I went to New Atlantis and got dragged into the undercover Pirate sidequest) (Source)

Others report the game crashing in the middle of the quest, and even doors and hatches refusing to function at times, causing progress halts.

So I’ve decided to defend the Lodge, I’ve run with the team to the Well and I can’t get the damn door open. It appears as long as I’m looking at the door none of the controls work, I can’t even open the main menu. (Source)

These issues not only prevent players from completing the mission. In some cases, they result in loss of hours of progress.

So far, there has been no official statement from the developers regarding these issues. However, the community has suggested some workarounds for the bugs.

Among the player-made workarounds, a simple ‘save file re-load’ is reportedly the most effective. Players need to save the game, then re-load it or restart the game, which may or may not resolve the issues.

However, it’s important to note that this method is not a guaranteed solution, and these issues have significantly impacted many players’ enjoyment of the game.

There is no surefire way to completely resolve these problems until the developers release an official fix.

In the meantime, we will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates if there are any further developments.

Feature image source: Bethesda

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