Prioritize scanning planets for resources, completing survey missions, and upgrading your ship’s grav drive to allow for quicker, more expansive travel.
Venturing into the vast universe of Starfield? You’re probably eager to chart new worlds and gather rare resources. Early on, your primary goals should involve focusing on system exploration and resource gathering. That’s why Starfield early game strategies for exploration should be focused on efficiency.
Begin by fully exploring nearby planets, scanning flora, fauna, and points of interest. Completing planet surveys rewards you with credits and experience which is very useful. Then, think about enhancing your ship’s grav drive for faster travel.
Starfield Early Game Strategies for Exploration
Okay, space explorers! You’ve just started your amazing journey in Starfield, and the universe is HUGE. It can feel a little overwhelming at first, but don’t worry! We’re here to help you get the hang of exploring those planets and star systems like a pro, even when you’re just starting out. Think of it like learning to ride a bike; it might be wobbly at first, but soon you’ll be zooming all over the place. Let’s get you started with some smart tactics to make your early explorations fun and efficient.
Choosing Your Starting Traits Wisely
Before you even step onto your ship, you get to pick your character’s background and some traits. These choices matter, especially for early game exploration. Some traits make certain aspects of exploration easier, while others might add a challenge (if you like that!). Let’s check out some good ones for beginner explorers:
Traits that Boost Exploration
- Extrovert: When you’re with a human companion, you use less oxygen. This means you can run around for longer before needing to rest. Since you’ll likely travel with someone, this trait is a winner.
- Taskmaster: Sometimes you’ll find crewmates or followers will repair your ship faster. This can save you lots of time and resources if your ship gets damaged from space battles.
- Terra Firma: This trait makes you a better explorer on land. Your health and oxygen go up when you are walking on a planet. This is great for exploring alien terrains.
- Introvert: If you prefer to travel alone, this trait can be your best choice. It can provide extra oxygen when you travel solo.
- Neon Street Rat: If you want to be an urban explorer, this trait can be great. It can get you some discounts and make people in the Neon city like you more.
Traits to Consider Carefully
Some traits might seem good, but have downsides. For instance, “Wanted” makes you have to watch your back more, while “Kid Stuff” means you’ll have to give money to your parents now and then. Think carefully about if these drawbacks fit your play style.
Understanding Your Scanner and Planet Map
Your scanner and the planet map are your best friends when you’re exploring. They give you clues about what’s around you and where to go next. Using them properly helps you avoid wasting time and find valuable resources.
Using Your Scanner
The scanner is not just for looking at pretty space plants! It helps you:
- Find Resources: Look for the colorful shapes. These are deposits where you can collect useful things like Iron or Aluminum.
- Spot Points of Interest: The scanner shows you places you might want to visit, like abandoned outposts or caves.
- Scan Flora and Fauna: Scan plants and animals to learn about them and complete quests.
- Identify Hostile Creatures: It helps you see if a strange creature is friendly or ready to bite you.
Spend time practicing with the scanner. Get familiar with it early in the game, because using it frequently makes exploration much easier.
Using Your Planet Map
The planet map isn’t just a pretty picture. It lets you:
- See Landing Locations: You can choose where you want to land. Some spots will be closer to your goals.
- Mark Interesting Locations: Place markers on spots you want to come back to later. This is helpful if you find a rich resource spot, or a cave you want to explore later.
- Plan Your Route: Before you move around, quickly check the map for the best path.
Resource Gathering and Inventory Management
Early in the game, resources are important for crafting, upgrading, and completing quests. Learning how to gather them and manage your inventory makes a huge difference. It is very important that you understand these aspects in detail, in order to have a great experience.
Efficient Resource Gathering
- Look for Clusters: When scanning, focus on resource clusters rather than individual nodes. This way you gather resources in the most efficient way.
- Upgrade your Scanner: Some of the Scanner Upgrades help you gain more resources when you harvest them.
- Don’t Ignore Common Materials: Things like iron and aluminum might seem basic, but you’ll need a lot of them. Pick up every single of them that you can.
- Use the Cutter: Your cutter (the mining laser) isn’t just for mining rocks. It can also break down crates and containers to collect even more stuff.
- Use your Spacesuit: Pick up resources and loot, they are quite useful.
Smart Inventory Management
Your ship can carry a certain amount of cargo. So, you should always manage your inventory properly, in order to make the most out of your travels. Here is how to do it:
- Use Your Ship’s Cargo: Don’t keep everything in your personal inventory. Put stuff on the ship right away to free up space.
- Drop Off When Overloaded: If your character is “Overencumbered”, they move slowly and cannot sprint. You should get rid of extra stuff as soon as possible.
- Use Storage Boxes: In settlements and outposts, you will find storage boxes where you can keep even more stuff.
- Sell Unnecessary Items: Visit merchants to sell things that you don’t need. This will give you more credits and free up space too.
- Craft or Use Resources: Don’t let resources rot in your inventory, use them or craft them, and sell the crafted items for better price.
Choosing Your First Planets to Explore
Some planets are more newbie-friendly than others. It is good to start at the right locations, this way you have a much easier start in the game. Here are some tips on how to do so:
Picking Suitable Planets
When looking for your first planets to visit, look for these things:
- Low-Level Systems: Start in systems that show a lower level. This means the creatures and challenges won’t be too hard.
- Planets with Common Resources: Pick planets that have iron, aluminum, and water. You will need a lot of this in the beginning.
- Planets with Oxygen: Planets with breathable atmospheres are easier to explore since you don’t have to depend on your oxygen supply all the time.
- Planets with less fauna and flora: Fewer creatures mean fewer chances of getting attacked.
Pro Tip: Don’t just land at the same spot every time! Explore different areas of the planet to find new resources and points of interest.
Utilizing Outposts and Settlements
Outposts and settlements are more than just places to visit. They have plenty of options and resources to help you a lot in your early travels. Learn how to utilize them.
Benefits of Visiting Settlements
Settlements are areas where you will find people, like cities, towns and villages. Visiting them often is a very good idea. Here’s why:
- Get Quests: Talking to people will give you new quests and missions, which can provide rewards.
- Buy and Sell Items: Visit merchants for trading, and get some useful supplies.
- Find Information: Sometimes people give tips and hints about areas, this is useful for exploration.
- Rest and Relax: Most of the settlements provide a safe environment, to heal and relax your character.
Building Your Own Outposts
Building your own outposts is another great way to enhance your journey. Here’s how:
- Choose Smart Locations: Pick areas that have lots of resources, they are usually the most important.
- Set up Resource Extractors: Use resource extractors to harvest materials automatically.
- Add Storage Containers: Create storage areas for all the extra stuff you collect.
- Add a Research Station: In the Research Station, you will be able to unlock new and more advanced crafting recipes.
- Add a Crew: Hire crew members, they help you manage your outposts and extract more resources.
Pro Tip: Outposts are great for refining resources, so you can have more of them, and they take up less space.
Understanding the Ship Systems
Your ship is your home and your way of travelling. It’s very important to get comfortable with your ship and how it works.
Ship Upgrades
Upgrading your ship makes exploration much easier, here are some upgrades to get:
- Better Shields: More protection from space battles is always a good idea, it can save you a lot of headaches.
- Faster Engines: You can reach places faster, this saves time and is more efficient in exploration.
- More Cargo Space: Carry more loot and resources, so you don’t have to go back every time.
- Improved Grav Drive: Jump to other star systems easier.
Power Management
Power management is very important during combat and space travels. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Use Power Efficiently: Assign power to systems only when you need them.
- Distribute Power in Combat: Distribute power to shields or weapons based on the situation.
- Upgrade Your Reactor: This will allow you to use more systems at the same time.
Safe Traveling Tips
Space can be a dangerous place. It’s good to learn how to travel safely.
Avoiding Unnecessary Encounters
- Don’t jump into every fight: Sometimes running away is a better option.
- Check your enemies’ level: Don’t fight enemies that are much higher level, you’ll likely get wrecked.
- Always Scan Enemies: Be sure what you’re fighting before engaging.
Space Combat
Sometimes you can’t avoid a fight in space. Here are some tips to survive:
- Keep Your Distance: Don’t get too close, this can make you an easier target.
- Use your Weapons Effectively: Change between different weapons to match enemies’ shields and hulls.
- Repair During Combat: If your ship is getting damaged too much, use your ship’s repair system to gain some hull.
- Boost When Necessary: Use boosts for quick escapes or to gain a better shooting angle.
Dealing with Radiation
Some planets have dangerous radiation. Here is how to keep yourself safe:
- Use Rad-X: Use Rad-X medicine to reduce damage from radiation.
- Use Your Spacesuit: Some spacesuits offer radiation protection.
Managing Your Resources
Credits are very important in Starfield. Here is how to get the most out of them.
Smart Selling
Selling stuff is a great way to get credits. Here’s how to maximize your earnings:
- Sell to different vendors: Different vendors may pay different amounts for items.
- Sell high value items: Focus on selling items that are more valuable.
- Sell Crafting Materials: Sell items that you collect while exploring.
- Sell Weapons and Armor: Don’t keep all the weapons and armor, sell them for credits.
Saving Money
Don’t waste all your money on stuff you don’t need. Try to save it for later. Here is how to do it:
- Avoid Unnecessary Purchases: Think twice before buying anything, make sure you really need it.
- Repair Yourself: Use your ship’s repair system instead of going to stations.
- Craft Instead of Buying: Whenever possible, craft items using resources you already have.
By using these early game exploration strategies, you will have a much more fun experience in Starfield. Exploring vast planets and star systems doesn’t have to be scary. It can be a great and enjoyable adventure, which is what games are supposed to be about. Get ready to blast off and have a fantastic time!
Starfield – Everything you NEED to Know Before Exploring Planets!
Final Thoughts
Focus on scanning planets for resources early. Prioritize upgrading your scanner, then boost pack for traversal. These allow you to reach inaccessible areas quickly.
Carefully pick landing spots near points of interest for efficient gameplay. A good ship also allows quicker travel between locations. ‘Starfield early game strategies for exploration’ involve managing inventory.
Remember to use the local map and always gather materials. Sell unwanted loot for credit. This helps you upgrade your gear and prepare for tougher planets.
