Starfield A Step-By-Step Guide For The Start

Starfield a Step-by-Step Guide for the Start

So, you’ve just jumped into the vast universe of Starfield! It’s a big place, full of planets to explore, creatures to meet, and adventures to be had. But where do you even begin? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. This guide will walk you through the first few hours of the game, setting you up for success in your spacefaring journey. Think of this as your personal roadmap to becoming a space legend. We’ll cover everything from choosing your background to navigating your first missions. Let’s get started!

Character Creation: Your First Big Choice

Before you even see the stars, you’ll be making some important decisions about who you are. The character creation screen might seem a little overwhelming, but we’ll break it down for you. This is where you decide your appearance, your background, and your traits. These choices will impact how your story unfolds, so let’s go through them carefully.

Appearance: Making Yourself

This is all about how your character looks. You can change your face, hair, body type, and more. Feel free to play around and make someone you’ll enjoy seeing on screen. Don’t worry too much about getting it perfect the first time, you can always change some aspects later at a clinic! It’s mostly about personal preference, so go wild and create a space explorer that reflects you.

Backgrounds: Who Were You Before Space?

Your background is like your character’s past job or experience. It gives you three starting skills. These skills help you in different ways throughout the game. Some backgrounds might focus on combat, while others might be better at talking to people or crafting. Let’s look at a few examples:

• Combat Pilot: Good for shooting and flying. It gives you the Piloting, Targeting Control Systems, and Fitness skills. If you want to get into dogfights early, this is a great choice.
• Explorer: This is for those who love to find new things. It gives you Surveying, Astrodynamics, and Fitness. Perfect if you like exploring planets and scanning for resources.
• Diplomat: If you like talking your way out of trouble, this one’s for you. It gives you Persuasion, Commerce, and Wellness. Talking will get you further in this path.
• Bounty Hunter: If you want to take down outlaws and make money, you might like the bounty hunter, which provides you with piloting, ballistic weapon and targeting skills.
• Cyber Runner: If you want to bypass systems and manipulate them, you might like the cyber runner background, which offers Stealth, Security and Theft.

There are many more, so read through them and pick one that sounds interesting. Don’t worry too much about picking the “best” one, they are all good for different playstyles.

Traits: Special Perks and Quirks

Traits are like extra things that make your character unique. They give you both benefits and drawbacks. You can choose up to three traits, and you might even get a chance to pick more later in the game. Here are some examples:

• Introvert: You are more effective when alone but not so much with other people.
• Extrovert: You’re more effective when with other people but not so much on your own.
• Taskmaster: Your crew is more effective with you, but less effective on their own.
• Terra Firma: You are more effective on planet surfaces, but less effective on spaceships.
• Spaced: You are more effective on spaceships but not so effective on planet surfaces.
• Wanted: You have a bounty on your head, but you can get rewards from it.

Remember, these traits can make the game harder or easier depending on how you play. Read through their descriptions carefully before picking. It’s about finding a combination that fits your preferred style. You can remove them later in the game but it is an arduous journey. You should try to pick a traits which compliments with your character background. For example, if you pick combat pilot, you can go for the introvert traits, which makes you powerful when alone.

Your First Steps: The Mining Outpost

After character creation, you’ll find yourself in a mining outpost. You’ll be doing a tutorial mission. It will teach you all the basic movements, interactions and how to explore. This area serves as an introduction to the game’s mechanics. Pay attention, as it will lay the groundwork for the rest of your journey.

Getting to know your tools

You will be taught about using the laser cutter, it is your primary tool for mining. By using the laser cutter you will learn to gather valuable resources from deposits. Make sure you mine everything you see, as you will need these resources for crafting.

Talking to People: The Key to Quests

This area is also where you’ll meet some of the game’s first characters. Talking to them can open up quests and new objectives. Take your time to listen to what they have to say, and ask questions if you’re unsure about something. These conversations can provide important clues and story details.

Your First Artifact and the Vision

As you progress through the mining outpost, you’ll encounter a mysterious artifact. When you approach it, you’ll have a vision, this will trigger a whole new direction for your journey. It is a important turning point in the game. This is the point where the main story starts to take shape. After the vision, you’ll be told to go to constellation.

Navigating New Atlantis and the Lodge

After you leave the mining outpost you will be taken to new atlantis and will be introduced to constellation and the lodge, this will act as your base of operation for the first couple hours. Here you will meet different characters and will also explore new things. This area is the heart of the main story early on.

Meeting Constellation

Constellation is a group of explorers who study artifacts. You’ll be introduced to their members and learn about their mission. They will be your primary point of contact for the foreseeable future. As you interact with the members, you will learn their motivations and their goals. Listen to them, as they will teach you some things about the universe.

The Lodge: Your Home Base

The lodge is a building that serves as a hub for Constellation. It provides you with everything you need, like storage, research lab, crafting station, and more. Be sure to check out all the different rooms and what they have to offer. Use the lodge to keep your resources, craft new tools and items, and plan your next big move.

Exploring New Atlantis

New Atlantis is a big city, with lots of shops and people to interact with. Take your time and look around at the different districts and vendors. It is your opportunity to meet new people, buy new things, and learn more about the setting. Be sure to use all the available areas to your advantage.

Early Quests and Side Activities

New Atlantis and the Lodge are full of quests and side activities. You will have multiple questlines available to you, from the main constellation quest to side quests that will take you to different areas. Don’t rush and try to do everything, as this can be overwhelming. Take one quest at a time to familiarize yourself with the questing system. Always read the descriptions before accepting the quest, and be mindful of your current level.

Understanding the Skill System

As you play, you’ll gain experience and level up. When you level up, you’ll get a skill point, which you can use to improve your skills. This is an important aspect, as it will determine what you can do and what areas you can unlock.

Skill Categories

Skills are divided into categories: physical, social, combat, science, and tech. Each category contains skills that suit different playstyles. This also gives you a chance to customize your own unique play style. Lets explore some categories.

• Physical: Focuses on your character’s fitness and durability.
• Social: Deals with your character’s interaction with others through conversation and trade.
• Combat: This is all about weapons, aiming, and tactics.
• Science: This focuses on research and exploration.
• Tech: This revolves around crafting and technology.

Pick the category based on the playstyle that you want. You can also pick multiple categories at once.

Investing Your Skill Points

Each skill has multiple ranks. You can upgrade your skills using the skill points you earn by leveling up. Try to focus on your core skills early on so that you get the maximum benefits. Take some time to read the descriptions of each skill carefully before spending your skill points. Some skills are much better than others.

Tips for Early Skill Choices

Some skills are really good for the first few hours of the game. Here are some recommendations to get the maximum out of your skills early on.

• Persuasion: This skill helps you talk your way out of trouble and get better deals.
• Piloting: This lets you upgrade your ship.
• Targeting Control Systems: This helps you target enemies during space combat.
• Boost Pack Training: This allows you to fly short distances using a boost pack.
• Research: This will let you craft better items.

These skills can greatly improve your gameplay and progression. It is suggested that you focus on one of these skills at the start. You can pick other skills as you progress through the game.

Mastering Combat and Exploration

Combat and exploration will be a huge part of your time in Starfield. They both require different approaches and strategies. Knowing the basics is crucial for survival and success.

Space Combat: Flying and Fighting

Space combat involves piloting your ship and using its weapons to take down enemies. You will need to manage your shields, and energy output. You also have to be strategic, as head on collisions will lead to destruction. As you level up your piloting skills, you will get access to better ships and combat maneuvers.

Ground Combat: Weapons and Tactics

Ground combat is about shooting and using cover to your advantage. The combat can be challenging, especially in the beginning. You have to use cover effectively to minimize the damage that you are taking. Be mindful of your ammunition and your health bar. Try to pick weapons which suit your gameplay, and remember to loot for more ammunition and resources.

Exploring Planets: Scanning and Discoveries

Exploring planets means scanning for resources, finding locations, and encountering different creatures. Always use your scanner to your advantage, and scan everything that you see. Some planets will contain hidden locations that are not shown on the map, so explore them thoroughly. Always look out for hostile creatures, as they can attack without any prior notice.

Looting and Resource Management

Looting is a very important mechanic in this game, as it helps in progression and making money. Be mindful of your inventory weight, as you can become over encumbered, and you will move slowly. The early game is all about resources and how you use them, so make sure you collect every resource you come across. Try to sell what you don’t need, and craft what you do need.

Ship Management and Customization

Your ship is your home and your mode of transportation, it is also your combat platform. Taking care of your ship, and upgrading it will improve your gameplay. Lets explore more.

Understanding Ship Systems

Your ship has several systems, such as engine, shield, reactor, and weapons. These systems can be customized and upgraded to improve your ship’s performance. Always try to keep a close eye on these system as any damage to them can cost a lot of resources. Be mindful that any upgrade will cost resources, so you must have a good amount of them.

Upgrading Your Ship

Upgrading your ship requires both resources and skills. As you level up your piloting and your tech skills, you can add different components to improve your ship. Always compare the components before adding them, as some of them can reduce the ship’s performance. Keep experimenting with different combinations.

Ship Customization

As you explore, you can acquire different ship parts, with different colors and customization options. You can customize your ship as much as you want to make it look like yours. Have fun experimenting with different colors and components. Be aware that each component has different resource requirement.

Tips for Success in the Early Game

Here are some final tips to help you succeed in the first hours of Starfield. These tips are important as the game is complex and can get confusing in the beginning. Keep these in mind as you explore the universe.

• Save Often: Save your game regularly, especially before entering a new area or engaging in combat.
• Explore Everything: Every location and settlement holds different treasures and secrets.
• Talk to Everyone: Make sure to talk to everyone, as people will give you valuable tips and quests.
• Manage Your Inventory: Be mindful of your inventory weight to avoid being over encumbered.
• Complete Missions and Side Quests: Missions and side quests are very good to level up early and to learn the game.
• Craft Regularly: Always craft tools and items that you need, as they are essential for progression.

By following these tips, you will not only survive in the game but also thrive. Every new location and new interaction is a learning experience in itself, so keep exploring.

Starting Starfield might feel daunting, but taking it step-by-step makes the experience much more manageable. With this guide in hand, you’re well-equipped to begin your interstellar journey and make your mark on the Settled Systems. Remember to take your time, explore thoroughly, and most importantly, have fun! This universe is vast, full of mysteries waiting to be unfolded, so get out there and experience everything that it has to offer. Happy travels, and may your journey be full of wonder.