Starting strong in Starfield involves focusing on completing early main quests to gain levels, choosing a background for valuable skills, and carefully managing your resources, especially ammo and health items.
So, you’ve jumped into the vast universe of Bethesda’s newest RPG, and need help navigating the initial hours? This is where ‘Starfield a guide to an excellent start game’ comes into play. We’ll walk you through some essential tips.
Choosing the right background is crucial, providing starting skills that can dramatically affect your gameplay. Also, focusing on main quests early grants significant experience, which helps with character development.
Finally, paying attention to loot and your resources is vital, avoiding the common beginner trap of wasting ammo and health items.
Starfield: A Guide to an Excellent Start Game
Getting started in a massive game like Starfield can feel like standing at the foot of a huge mountain. There’s so much to see, so much to do, and so many places to explore! But don’t worry, this guide will help you get off to a great start. We’ll walk through some of the most important things to focus on early in the game, from character creation to your first missions, and even some helpful tips and tricks along the way.
Character Creation: Shaping Your Spacefarer
Your journey begins with character creation. This isn’t just about picking a cool haircut; it’s about setting the stage for your entire playthrough. Let’s break down the key choices you’ll be making:
Background
Starfield gives you a list of backgrounds to choose from, each with three starting skills. This background affects what skills you start with, which can help you in certain aspects of the game. For example, a “Bounty Hunter” might have skills that make combat easier, while a “Diplomat” might be better at talking their way out of trouble. Think about what kind of playstyle you enjoy. Do you like to fight a lot, sneak around, or talk to people? Choosing the right background will give you a head start in that area.
Here are a few example backgrounds and their typical playstyles:
- Combat-Focused: Bounty Hunter, Soldier, Ronin
- Stealth-Focused: Cyber Runner, Industrialist
- Social-Focused: Diplomat, Professor, Chef
- Exploration-Focused: Explorer, Surveyor
Don’t worry too much about making the “perfect” choice, as you can improve all skills through gameplay. The background is a jumping off point to help you tailor your early game experience.
Traits
Traits are optional, but they add extra flavor to your character. They come with both a positive effect and a negative effect. For example, one trait might make you really good with energy weapons, but make you take more damage from physical attacks. You can choose a maximum of three traits, so pick the ones that seem most interesting, or the ones whose negative effects don’t bother you much. Remember, these can affect how you interact with the game world.
Here are some examples of Traits:
| Trait Name | Positive Effect | Negative Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Extrovert | Traveling with a companion provides a boost to stats. | Stats are lowered when traveling solo. |
| Introvert | Stats are boosted when traveling solo. | Stats are lowered when traveling with a companion. |
| Dream Home | You start with a mortgage on a house you can access. | You need to make regular mortgage payments to avoid losing access. |
Take your time, and read carefully what each trait does, then decide which one is good for you.
Appearance
This is where you can customize your character’s look, like their hair, face, and build. This part is purely for looks, and won’t impact how your character plays, so feel free to get creative.
Early Game Missions: Setting Your Course
After character creation, you’ll find yourself starting the game and be introduced to the main story. The early missions in Starfield are designed to help you learn the ropes. Let’s look at what you should be focusing on:
Follow the Main Questline
The main questline is your guide. It will take you to new locations, introduce you to new characters, and help you level up. It is designed to teach you the basics of the game in a way that is both fun and engaging. This will help you understand the different mechanics, like combat, exploration, and ship building.
Pay attention to Tutorials
Starfield introduces several gameplay systems early on. It’s a large game with many different options. Pay special attention to the tutorials and the helpful tips they provide, they will ensure you understand how these systems operate. Don’t be afraid to re-read them if you need more clarification. This will prevent you from getting overwhelmed later.
Do Side Quests
While the main quest is important, don’t neglect side quests! These can be found by talking to various NPCs (Non-Player Characters) you meet in towns and spaceports. These can offer unique rewards, introduce you to different parts of the world, and give you extra experience. They’re also a great way to learn about the lore and history of the game. Some side quests can be quite short and easy, giving you a quick way to earn money and resources.
Explore Your Surroundings
Don’t just rush from one quest marker to the next. Take some time to explore! Starfield is full of interesting places to find. In the early game, look for small settlements, abandoned outposts, or unique rock formations and buildings. These areas may contain hidden loot, useful crafting materials, and even clues about the world around you. Exploration is a core part of Starfield’s gameplay, so don’t be afraid to go off the beaten path. Be aware, some areas may be guarded, so it’s good to be equipped before heading too far.
Skills: Building Your Character
Skills are the core of your character’s abilities in Starfield. They can be improved by using them, and also by spending skill points. Here’s a look at how skills work and which ones to focus on early on:
Types of Skills
Skills are divided into five categories:
- Physical: Skills that improve your physical abilities, like carrying weight, health, or stealth.
- Social: Skills that improve your ability to interact with others, like persuasion, bartering, and leadership.
- Combat: Skills that enhance your combat abilities, like using different types of weapons, or your defenses.
- Science: Skills that improve your scientific skills, like using med packs, researching, and using technology.
- Tech: Skills that improve your ship piloting, repairs, and building.
Early Game Skills to Focus On
When you start, it’s tempting to spread your skill points across all categories, but focusing on a few key skills can make a big difference in the early game. Here are some suggestions:
- Boost Pack Training: This skill will help you with mobility. It will allow you to jump further and traverse across any challenging terrains more easily.
- Piloting: Improving your piloting skill early on will allow you to fly more advanced ships, and also make combat much easier.
- Stealth: Being able to sneak around is important and gives you many advantages. It can help you avoid fights, move around undetected, and get better items.
- Persuasion: Being good at talking can help you resolve conflicts, and also can give you a chance at getting a discount while trading.
- Weapon Skills: Focus on improving skills for the weapons you like to use most. If you like rifles, focus on rifle skills. If you like laser weapons, focus on laser weapons skills. This will make you more efficient with your favourite types of weapons.
Remember, you are not limited to these, but they are highly recommended for your starting gameplay. Once you progress in the game you can try other skill trees that interest you.
Your playstyle will guide the skills you should focus on. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you!
Exploration: Discovering New Worlds
Starfield is a game about exploring the vast universe. Here are some tips to make the most of your exploration:
Scanning Planets
Before you land on a planet, be sure to scan it from space. This will give you valuable information about the planet’s resources, points of interest, and any dangers present. This will help you decide whether it’s a good place to land and explore, or whether you should move on to another planet. It also gives you a chance to earn experience and credits just by scanning.
Resource Gathering
Gathering resources is important in Starfield. You will need these for crafting, building outposts, and upgrading your equipment. When exploring a planet, keep an eye out for mineral deposits, plants, and other useful materials. Make sure you are not carrying too much weight, because your character moves slowly when they are overloaded, so keep a constant track of your inventory.
Outposts
Outposts are like small bases that you can build on planets. They allow you to collect resources, craft items, and even provide shelter. In the early game, don’t worry too much about making big outposts; focus on creating small resource gathering hubs. If you find a resource that you require a lot, it is best to settle your outpost near that location so that you can easily gather them.
Surveying
Surveying planets involves scanning the Flora, Fauna and resources of a planet. This gives you important information and allows you to sell the gathered survey data for valuable credits. This is a great way to make credits and is an important part of gameplay.
Combat: Surviving in a Hostile Universe
Combat is a big part of Starfield. Here are some tips to help you survive your first few fights:
Understanding Weapon Types
Starfield has a wide range of weapons, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some weapons are better against armored enemies, while others are better against shields. Experiment with different types of weapons to find the ones you like. This way, you can find your favourite weapon and master its usage. It is advisable to carry multiple weapons with different firing styles. This way, you will be prepared for all kinds of encounters.
Using Cover
In Starfield, it’s important to use the environment to your advantage. Hiding behind walls and other objects will allow you to avoid damage, and also provide you a chance to heal and reload safely. This is not a cover based shooter, but you must know when and how to take cover.
Using Your Boost Pack
Your boost pack can be used during combat. You can quickly dodge an enemy attack or reach a higher location, making combat much easier. Mastering the boost pack is very important in combat scenarios.
Enemy Types
Starfield features different types of enemies, from human to alien. It’s important to pay attention to how they fight so you can adjust your strategy. Some enemies are fast and mobile, while some are slow and heavily armored. Knowing your enemies will give you an advantage in combat.
Companions
You can recruit companions in Starfield. These NPCs will help you during combat and can also carry your items. If you like having an extra hand in combat then try recruiting them, some companions will also help you to be a better version of yourself. There are some companions that give you benefits just by being in your crew.
Ship Combat and Management
Your ship is your home in space. It helps you travel across the universe and also provides a mean of defending yourself against enemy ships. Here are a few tips for ship combat and management:
Upgrading Your Ship
It is important to upgrade your ship. You can upgrade your weapons, shields and engines. This will help you in ship combat and also help you travel faster and go further. You can also add different modules to the ship and also decorate its interior. You can use in game currency to upgrade your ship or loot resources while exploring the galaxy.
Targeting
During ship combat you need to pay attention to targeting enemy ships. You can target the ship’s weapons, shields and engines to gain the upper hand. If you disable the weapons you can easily defeat an enemy ship, and if you disable the engines it won’t be able to escape and can make for an easy target. It is important to get a good understanding of ship combat, so that you can survive in the vast space.
Ship Management
You have to manage your ship, repair your ship after a battle and maintain it so that it always works in great condition. You need to look after your fuel and also be aware of your ship capacity. Make sure you always travel with a full tank. If your ship is damaged, you might have to repair it at a spaceport, this can cost a large amount of money. Managing your ship is a very important part of the game.
By following this guide, you’ll have a solid foundation for a great start in Starfield. Remember, exploration is key. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find your own way of playing the game.
Starfield Guide: 15 Things You NEED To Do First
Final Thoughts
Begin your journey right by choosing the appropriate background and traits. Focus on completing early quests and gathering resources. Early game skills will greatly impact your gameplay experience.
Explore planets methodically, always keep an eye on your inventory. Remember to invest in skills which align to your playstyle and character builds. Understanding these basic tips is essential for an enjoyable adventure.
Following this guide will help you achieve Starfield a guide to an excellent start game. This approach ensures you have a great start.



