Early in Starfield, focus on completing the initial main quests, joining a faction like Constellation, and thoroughly exploring Jemison. This will provide essential skills, gear, and credits to jumpstart your adventure.
Landing in the vast universe of Starfield can feel overwhelming, but some steps make your early game much smoother. Knowing Starfield all the important things to do early provides a significant advantage in this Bethesda title. Prioritizing certain actions helps you gain resources and a stronger foothold in the Settled Systems. This guide will help direct your first few hours.
Starfield All the Important Things to Do Early
Okay, space explorers! You’ve just jumped into the vast universe of Starfield, and it’s HUGE! It can feel a little overwhelming at first. But don’t worry, this guide is your friend. We’ll go over all the crucial stuff you should do early on to make your adventures smoother and way more fun. Think of this as your starter kit for becoming a star-hopping legend. From choosing the right background and traits, to making your ship a lean, mean exploring machine, we’ve got you covered. Let’s get started, shall we?
Choosing Your Background and Traits
Before you even set foot on your first planet, you need to create your character. This includes picking a background and traits, and these choices matter! Your background gives you starting skills, while traits add some perks but often come with trade-offs. Think carefully about these, because they shape your early game. Don’t worry, there’s no “wrong” choice. It’s all about how you want to play.
Backgrounds
Backgrounds offer different starting skills, giving you a small advantage in certain areas of the game. Are you a space cowboy, a diplomat, or maybe even a chef? Each background gives a unique flavor to your journey. Here are a few examples and what they mean:
- Bounty Hunter: If you want to focus on combat, this is a good one. It gives you skills like piloting, targeting, and weapon focus.
- Diplomat: If you like using your words more than your weapons, this is perfect. You’ll be great at persuasion and negotiation.
- Explorer: A great option if you are into scanning planets and getting resources. It starts with skills in surveying and geology.
- Chef: If you love to craft meals and create medicines in the world of Starfield, this is a very cool and different option.
Take a peek at all the backgrounds before selecting one, you can find more detailed info for each one in the game itself. See which one fits best with how you picture yourself playing.
Traits
Traits add a bit more spice to your character, giving you fun perks but also some drawbacks. You can pick up to three, but be aware that these are pretty permanent. Here’s the lowdown on some popular ones:
- Introvert: A good choice if you plan to be a lone wolf. You perform better when you aren’t with other companions.
- Extrovert: On the flip side, this gives you a boost when traveling with companions. Perfect for those who love having crew members with them.
- Kid Stuff: Your parents are alive and well, you can visit them and you will send credits to them every week, but you have to give some of your credits to them.
- Taskmaster: Your ship’s crew will heal faster, this is a pretty decent option for any playthrough.
Remember that each trait can affect your game in a big way. Read each trait description carefully and pick what you think will work for you. It’s a fun system that lets you really customize your character.
Early Exploration and Surveying
Starfield is full of planets waiting for you to explore! Don’t just stick to the main quest line right away. Go out there and see what you can find! Exploration is a huge part of the game and it helps you get good resources and level up.
Scanning for Resources
Your scanner is your best friend in the early game. Using it lets you see what resources each planet has and where to find them. Look for places with unique flora and fauna that you can scan. This helps you understand the planet better and also earns you experience points (XP), so you can level up faster.
The Importance of Surveying
Surveying a planet involves scanning everything: plants, animals, and minerals. When you complete a survey of a planet, you get a nice payout of XP and credits. It’s a great way to level up in the early game. Plus, fully surveyed planets will have the resources you’ll need later in the game, so it’s a good idea to start doing it early.
Tip: Don’t just scan one or two things. Scan everything. This will give you more data and more XP. You will be surprised how much XP you can gain by scanning everything around you.
Crafting and Research
Crafting and research are powerful tools in Starfield that make your gear and gameplay experience better. Crafting lets you build items and modify weapons, while research gives you access to better technology and recipes. Here’s how to make the most of them early:
Utilizing Workbenches
Workbenches are where the magic happens. You will find these scattered across the game in your ship or in cities. There are different types of workbenches, each one having its specific purpose:
- Industrial Workbench: You can build various items with materials gathered from your adventures.
- Weapon Workbench: You can improve your weapons by adding scopes, barrels, and other mods.
- Spacesuit Workbench: This is where you will improve the stats of your suits and helmets to give you a better edge in fights and explorations.
- Pharmaceutical Lab: Craft meds, healing items, and boosts to enhance your abilities.
Starting Research Projects
Research lets you gain access to new and improved crafting recipes and other important technologies. Find a research station and you can start your research journey by:
- Selecting projects: Browse the research projects and select ones that you think are important to you. Starting with the suit and weapons projects is a great idea.
- Gathering Materials: Once you have picked the research projects, you will need to collect various materials from the world and use the workbench.
- Unlocking New Items: After enough resources are gathered, you will be able to complete the research projects and unlock new recipes.
Ship Management and Customization
Your ship is more than just a way to get around, it’s also your home. So, it’s important to learn how to manage and upgrade it effectively. Let’s see what you can do to make your ship top-notch:
Understanding Ship Components
Your ship is made up of different parts like the cockpit, reactor, grav drive, weapons, and cargo hold. Each part has its own function and can be improved. Learn what each part does and how to customize it for your playstyle. For example, if you plan to do a lot of exploration, you will want a good grav drive. If you like to get into space battles, improve your weapons.
Upgrading Your Ship
As you get deeper into Starfield, you will want to upgrade your ship’s components. You can do this by visiting ship technicians at any of the main spaceports. Here’s a quick rundown:
- Improved Weapons: Add more powerful lasers, missiles, and more.
- Better Shields: Improve the defense of your ship in space battles.
- Larger Cargo Hold: You can carry more resources and items if you expand your cargo.
- Better Reactor and Grav Drive: Improve your ship’s overall performance, like the speed, and how far it can jump.
Also, don’t forget that you can also completely customize the look of your ship using the ship builder. Change the hull shape, add more modules, and make it your very own space dream machine.
Joining Factions
Factions are groups with their own goals and values in the Starfield universe. They give you chances to get new missions, gear, and lore. Joining one or more factions early can give you many resources and opportunities.
Why Join Early?
Joining early has many advantages. Not only will you get cool quests and a way to get new gear, but it will also give you an experience into the game lore. Factions also offer unique rewards and perks that will improve your overall playthrough.
Popular Factions to Consider
There are different factions in Starfield, each with their own unique personality. You can join one or more, or even become a target of some. Here are a few you can consider in the early game:
- United Colonies (UC): If you prefer law and order, the UC faction can give you plenty of structure and missions.
- Freestar Collective: This faction is all about freedom, which can be a very enticing option for players who love that.
- Ryujin Industries: If you want to explore the corporate side of the galaxy, this faction offers you that experience.
Tip: Pick a faction that fits how you would like to play the game. Each one offers unique experiences and rewards for you.
Mastering Combat
Combat in Starfield can be challenging, especially early in the game. You’ll need to learn the basics of how to fight effectively, both on foot and in space. Let’s take a look at some tips to help you.
Ground Combat
Ground combat in Starfield is all about positioning, cover, and having the right weapons. Here are a few tips:
- Use Cover: Hide behind objects to avoid getting hit by enemies.
- Aim for Weak Spots: Target enemies’ heads for critical damage.
- Use Different Weapon Types: Experiment with different weapons, such as rifles, pistols, shotguns, and energy weapons.
- Movement is Key: Keep moving during firefights to make yourself a harder target.
Space Combat
Space combat is different from ground combat. Your ship’s weapons, shields, and maneuverability will be important for you to win in this type of combat. Here are a few tips:
- Use the Targeting System: Target specific parts of enemy ships to disable their weapons or shields.
- Maneuvering: Use your thrusters to dodge enemy fire and get into a better firing position.
- Shields and Energy Management: Manage your shields and weapons energy during combat.
Making Money Early On
You need credits to buy better weapons, improve your ship, and buy resources. Getting credits early can set you up for the rest of the game. Here are a few ideas:
Selling Resources and Loot
After scanning planets you will have more resources than you need. Sell them in the shops at the major cities. Also, when you eliminate pirates or enemies, you can sell the weapons or spacesuits you loot.
Taking On Side Quests
Explore the side quests at the cities, and spaceports. They offer you different experiences, more lore about the game, and more credits. Completing side quests is a good way to get more experience and money. Also, many of these missions are in areas that you may have not explored before.
Piracy and Smuggling
If you want to live life on the edge, you can try piracy. Attack ships and sell their loot and resources. However, if you get caught you might gain a bounty. This method can provide fast credits, but also can have big risks.
In the grand universe of Starfield, there’s always something new to see and do. Don’t rush through it. Take your time to explore, try different things, and find what you enjoy doing. The most important thing is to have fun and make your own adventure! With these early game tips in mind, you are well on your way to becoming a space explorer.
Starfield Guide: 15 Things You NEED To Do First
Final Thoughts
Prioritize the main quest and join factions early. This action gives you access to crucial skills and resources.
Grab a ship and explore various planets. Gathering resources improves your crafting skills and gear.
Invest skill points in combat, persuasion, and piloting. These help you survive and progress quickly. Remember, focusing on ‘Starfield all the important things to do early’ is must for a good start.



