To improve ship speed in Starfield, upgrade your ship’s engines and use the boost function effectively. Also, consider skills that increase ship speed.
Piloting your spacecraft in Starfield can sometimes feel a little sluggish, right? The vastness of space begs for speed. Many players find themselves wanting more swift movement between planets and systems. Figuring out Starfield how to improve ship speed is crucial for efficient exploration and getting to those crucial quest locations faster.
Thankfully, there are few key things that you can do to get your ship moving a bit quicker. Investing in better engines and using the boost capabilities are definite places to start. Also, skills can directly influence your travel speed.
Starfield How to Improve Ship Speed
So, you’re zipping around the galaxy in Starfield, but feeling like your ship is stuck in space traffic? You’re not alone! A slow ship can make exploring the vastness of space feel like a chore. Luckily, there are several cool ways you can make your spaceship go much, much faster. Let’s dive into all the things you can do to leave those sluggish ships in your dust.
Understanding Ship Speed in Starfield
Before we start tweaking, it’s good to understand what affects your ship’s speed. In Starfield, it’s not just about slapping on the biggest engine you can find. Several factors play a role:
- Engine Power: This is the big one! The more powerful your engines, the faster you can go. Each engine has a specific max speed and handling stat.
- Ship Mass: The weight of your ship matters a whole lot. A heavier ship needs more engine power to move quickly. Think of it like pushing a big truck compared to a small car. All those extra parts add to the weight of your ship.
- Grav Drive Charge: The grav drive lets you jump between star systems. It’s different from regular speed, but having a good grav drive means you can move between places faster.
- Skills: Your character’s skills also help. Certain skills in the “Tech” tree let you increase your ship’s top speed and handling.
Picking the Right Engines
Your engine is the heart of your ship’s speed. You can’t reach top speed with a bad engine. It’s like trying to win a race with an old bicycle. Here’s what to look for:
Engine Types
Engines come in different classes – Class A, B, and C. Class A engines are typically the weakest, while Class C engines are the most powerful. The trick is to find the best engine within the class your ship can support. When you’re modifying your ship, you will see this class at the right side of each of the engines’ name. You can only install A class engines on ships that are A class ship, you cannot install C class engine on A class ships.
Engine Specs
- Max Speed: Obviously, this is the top speed your engine can reach. Higher is better for a fast ship.
- Maneuvering Thrusters: These stats are for how well you turn and change direction. Even though this doesn’t directly increase speed, it helps you control your ship and move much better.
- Engine Power Output: This stat determines how much power the engine uses while running. Pay attention to this, as your power is a limited source.
Look at the engine stats very carefully in the ship builder to see which engine makes sense for your ship build and use. Don’t just look at the max speed, make sure you are keeping in mind the other factors also.
Where to Get Engines
You can find ship engines at shipyards at big cities or your own outposts if you’ve built the ship building stations. You can also sometimes get them as a reward for completing missions. Ship technicians usually have a good collection of the available ship parts in a given system. Don’t forget to check what they’re carrying.
Reducing Ship Mass for Increased Speed
A heavy ship is like trying to move a big rock. If you want to increase your ship’s speed, you need to lighten the load. Here’s how to trim the fat:
Lightweight Materials
When building a ship, choose lightweight structural pieces. Instead of using heavy steel or structural pieces, opt for lighter options. Certain manufacturers are known for light ship parts. Check each part in the Ship Builder to make informed choices.
Minimize Cargo
All that cargo you’re carrying adds to your ship’s mass. Try not to keep extra materials you aren’t going to use. Store the rest in a storage at your outpost or in cities to keep it out of your ship.
Choosing Lighter Shielding
Your ship’s shields add weight. Try to find lightweight shield modules for your ship. Compare the stats, as some shields are much heavier than others. Don’t pick the shield only by numbers of shield, look for its weight too.
Choosing Lighter Habitation Modules
Hab modules add weight, pick the smaller and lighter habs which give the same effect as heavier ones for more less weight.
Skills that Improve Ship Speed
Your character’s skills can have a big impact on how fast your ship moves. Here are the most important skills for ship speed:
Piloting
Piloting skill increase your ship handling and ship top speed. This skill is an important one if you want to fly at a high level.
Astrodynamics
This skill decreases the fuel needed when you jump from one star system to other and it’s very useful when you want to travel a lot without wasting fuel. This allows you to get to different places faster without wasting a lot of fuel.
Engine Systems
This skill allows your ship’s engine to work more efficiently, leading to better overall speed and performance. You can reach a higher top speed with the skill.
Shield Systems
While it doesn’t directly affect speed, it allows you to have better shields, which allow you to use lower weight shields, which helps with speed.
Ship Modification Techniques for Speed
Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of actually changing your ship to make it a speed demon. Remember, you’ll need to visit a ship technician or use your own ship builder at your outpost to do this.
Swapping Out Engines
Go to a ship technician and select ‘Ship Builder’ or use your own shipbuilder, now look for engines under the ‘Engines’ section. Make sure to select the best engine that fits within your ship’s class. You should be swapping out your engine with the better engine in the same class or if you have a better class ship then buy the better class engines.
Changing Reactor
A good reactor means good power distribution for your ship’s systems. With a good reactor you can distribute more power to your engines, increasing the top speed, and at the same time, you can also power your shields and weapons.
Changing Grav Drive
A good grav drive is important to travel from star system to another. If you have a bad grav drive, it’ll take a while to reach the destination system, and you’ll lose time.
Adding Maneuvering Thrusters
While not directly increasing speed, adding maneuvering thrusters can improve your ship’s handling, allowing you to turn and change direction quicker. This helps you stay on track when exploring. There are specific thrusters available, so try them out and see if you like the feeling.
Ship Building Tips for Speed
If you are building your ship from scratch, here are some tips to make sure it is as fast as possible:
Start with a Light Frame
When you start building a ship, you need a frame. Choose a lightweight frame to start your ship and make sure that it is a good ship class frame.
Place Parts Wisely
Distribute the weight of your ship parts equally. If one side of your ship is heavy, it’ll affect how it moves. Keep the weight balanced.
Don’t Overbuild
Don’t add extra components that you don’t need. Every extra part adds weight, so keep it simple and focus on the most important aspects for speed.
Other Factors Affecting Speed
There are also some smaller things that can affect your ship’s overall performance. Here are a few to keep in mind:
Ship Condition
If your ship is damaged, it might not go as fast as it should. Make sure to repair your ship at a shipyard.
Ship Class Restrictions
A ship has a specific class, you can only install the components of the same class on your ship. For example, If you have Class A ship, you can’t install a Class B or C engine.
Overloading Power
Make sure you are not overloading your power. if you try to add more power to a system when your reactor doesn’t have enough power, it’ll cause problems and won’t let you use your ship systems properly.
Improving your ship’s speed in Starfield takes a mix of things: getting the right engine, making your ship lighter, having the right skills, and modifying your ship correctly. By following these tips, you’ll be zipping across the stars in no time!
Get the FASTEST ship in Starfield! Ultimate guide to (improving) ship speed – 6 important tips!
Final Thoughts
Upgrading your ship’s engines and grav drive directly increases its speed. Lightweight ship components also contribute to faster travel times. Using skills like Piloting enhance your ship’s capabilities further.
These methods effectively address “Starfield how to improve ship speed”. Investing in the right upgrades will significantly impact your in-game journey. Prioritize engine and grav drive modules for noticeable enhancements.
