Early in Starfield, focus on completing the main questline until you receive your first ship, then prioritize side missions and exploring planets to gain experience and better gear.
Starting fresh in a vast universe can be daunting, but with the right approach, you can quickly establish yourself in Bethesda’s epic space RPG. Figuring out the initial steps can really set you up for success. This guide is designed to help you with ‘Starfield how to start strong early game’, making the initial hours much smoother and more rewarding. We will discuss efficient methods to gain power and resources early.
Starfield How to Start Strong Early Game
Getting a good start in Starfield can feel like a big adventure, and it is! With so much to see and do, knowing where to focus can really help. We’re going to break down some of the best ways to make sure your early hours in the game are productive and fun. We’ll look at everything from picking the right background and traits to managing resources and fighting enemies. Let’s make sure you’re ready to explore the stars!
Choosing Your Character: Backgrounds and Traits
Before you even step foot on a planet, you need to create your character. This is a very important step, as the choices you make here will affect your gameplay. It’s all about how you want to play, whether you want to be a sneaky space pirate or a brave explorer. Let’s break it down:
Picking a Background
Your background is like your job before the game starts. It gives you three starting skills. These skills help you right away and show what kind of player you might be. Here are a few examples:
- Explorer: If you choose explorer background, then you get the skills: Surveying, Astrodynamics and Geology. These skills are great for exploring and finding resources.
- Bounty Hunter: The bounty hunter gets Pistol Certification, Piloting and Targeting Control skills. This is a good pick if you want to get into combat right away.
- Diplomat: The diplomat background gives you Persuasion, Commerce and Wellness skills. It helps you talk your way out of situations and get better deals.
- Cyber Runner: If you want to be sneaky the cyber runner background gives you Stealth, Security and Theft skills. This background is also very useful for exploring.
Don’t worry too much about making the “perfect” choice. You’ll gain many more skills as you play, but thinking about what kind of style you like can help you make a good decision when starting out.
Selecting Your Traits
Traits are like extra features you give to your character, they add some bonuses but also have drawbacks. Picking the right traits can boost your character early. However, you have to be careful when selecting traits as some of them are hard to remove later. You can select up to 3 traits for your character. Here are some good choices for a new player:
- Taskmaster: The taskmaster trait improves your crew abilities when they are on your ship. But your crew abilities will degrade when they are on an outpost. It’s a very good choice if you want to focus on ship and combat early.
- Extrovert: This trait is great when you have a companion with you, which you will be early in game. Extrovert gives you bonus when exploring with a companion, but also decrease your health when you are alone.
- Wanted: You will get a bounty on your head, but you will be able to loot more. This is good if you like combat.
Again, try to select the ones that will help you with your desired play style. These can be changed later in game, but might be a little difficult.
Early Quests: The Path to Success
After creating your character, you will immediately begin the story quests. Pay close attention to the missions they give you and learn the game’s basic mechanics. It will help you a lot in the future. Here’s why focusing on the initial quests is important:
Following the Main Storyline
The main quests not only introduce you to the game’s lore, they also give good rewards, including some important gear. This gear will help you get a solid start, and some gear will be useful even when you have progressed further into the game. Also, the main story will introduce you to the world and many characters which will be very helpful.
Side Quests: A Great Source of Resources and XP
Don’t ignore the side quests! They provide experience and resources, and they often lead to new locations. Some of these can be completed quickly which can help you get a head start. These small quests can help you progress quickly in the game. Here’s a good approach to side quests:
- Talk to Everyone: Chatting with different people can lead to new quests that you won’t find otherwise.
- Explore Locations: Side quests will lead you to new places where you will find new items, gear and resources.
Combat Basics: Fighting Smart
Combat is a big part of Starfield, whether you’re fighting pirates or aliens. It’s important to learn the basics of fighting and also make sure your gear is up to date. Let’s take a look at how you can get better at combat early in the game.
Understanding Weapons
There are different types of weapons in Starfield, and each one is effective in different situations. Here are a few types you will encounter early game.
- Pistols: Pistols are fast weapons, with low damage and a low ammo capacity. They are effective in close combat.
- Rifles: Rifles are accurate, with higher damage and good ammo capacity. They are good in medium range.
- Shotguns: Shotguns are very effective in close combat, with high damage but low range.
Try out different guns to see which one you like best. Make sure to check the ammo type as well.
Using Cover and Tactics
Running out in the open is a quick way to lose health. You must use the terrain to your advantage when fighting enemies. Here are some good tips for using cover and tactics.
- Use Cover: Hide behind walls or rocks when you are taking damage. When in cover you can see the enemies and plan your next move.
- Be Stealthy: If you are fighting in an enclosed space, you can crouch and sneak around to get a good position for a shot.
- Use Your Skills: Some skills can give you an advantage in combat. For example, if you are getting swarmed by enemies, you can use your grenades to keep them away.
Healing and Health Management
Health is very important in Starfield, and if you take a lot of damage and get wounded, it will take some time for you to recover. Here is how to manage your health:
- Use Med Packs: They will heal you quickly, but they are limited. Make sure to use them only when you are low health or wounded.
- Eat Food: Eating food will give you slow heal, which will save your med packs for emergency situations.
- Rest: You can rest on your ship or in the bed in a town to regain health.
Resource Management: Getting What You Need
In Starfield, you need to gather many different materials to craft items, build outposts and upgrade your equipment. Knowing how to collect these materials and manage them is important to get a good start. Let’s take a look:
Surveying Planets for Resources
You can scan planets for resources, which is very helpful early on. Here’s how you do it:
- Use Your Scanner: Press the scan button to see what resources are available in your location.
- Land on Different Spots: Resources will be different in different locations of the planet. Land on different spots to find different minerals.
- Set Up Mining Operations: As soon as you are able to set up an outpost, do it as it will produce resources automatically.
Looting Efficiently
Picking up items from containers and fallen enemies is very important. You’ll find materials, weapons, ammo, armor, and credits when looting. Here are tips to loot efficiently:
- Check Everywhere: Search every container, desk, and storage area in locations. There are hidden stashes in all locations.
- Pick Up Everything: When starting out, pick up all the resources as you never know which material you will need later.
- Manage Your Inventory: Keep an eye on your weight, as you can get over encumbered and won’t be able to run if you pick up too many things.
Selling Unnecessary Items
You will pick up a lot of items that you don’t need or already have a better version of. Selling these items can be a good way to earn credits early in game. Here are some things to remember when selling your items:
- Visit Shops: Go to shopkeepers to sell your stuff. Different shops will give you different prices.
- Sell in Bulk: If you have a lot of the same material, it is better to sell in bulk.
- Use the Trade Authority: The Trade Authority is good for selling stolen items.
Ship Management: Your Home in Space
Your ship isn’t just a way to travel. It’s your base, your home, and a way to make money. Knowing how to manage your ship is very important early game. Let’s get started.
Understanding Ship Systems
You must be able to manage your ship. Here are some of the important ship systems you will encounter:
- Shields: The shield will protect your ship when in combat. You must make sure it is fully charged for combat.
- Weapons: Ships have different weapons that you can use in ship to ship combat.
- Engines: The engines determine your speed and jump distance. You have to upgrade them later to travel longer distances.
Upgrading Your Ship
As you play, you will collect credits which you can use to buy better ship parts. Upgrading your ship will make it more powerful. Here are the ship parts that you can upgrade:
- Reactor: A good reactor will allow you to have more power, allowing you to have better weapons and engines.
- Shield Generator: With a better generator, your shields will have more power. This will help you against space pirates.
- Weapons: There are different types of weapons that you can equip on your ship. Upgrade them as soon as possible to be more powerful in space combat.
Making Credits with Your Ship
Your ship can also be used to make credits. Here are a few ways you can do that:
- Transporting Cargo: You can take transport missions that will pay credits for moving goods from one place to another.
- Space Combat: Engage in space combat and collect loot from enemies. You can then sell the loot for credits.
Skills: Choosing Your Path
As you level up, you will get skill points that you can use to upgrade your skills. You will start with three skills from your background and your goal is to upgrade them. Upgrading skills will make you stronger and help you in different aspects of the game. Here are the important skills that you should upgrade early.
Combat Skills
Combat skills are crucial for your survival in the game. Pick skills according to your playstyle.
- Weapon skills: Upgrade weapon skill that you use most often to do more damage.
- Ballistic skill: Upgrade Ballistic skill if you like to use physical damage weapons.
Utility Skills
Utility skills help with different aspect of the game like gathering resources, crafting and exploration. Here are some utility skills that you can upgrade early in game.
- Surveying skill: Surveying skill will help you when scanning planets for resources.
- Boost Pack Training skill: Boost Pack Training will help you reach areas that you can’t without boost pack.
Social Skills
These skills can help you when talking to other characters. Here are some social skills you can upgrade early in game.
- Persuasion Skill: Persuasion skill can help you convince people to do things.
- Commerce Skill: Commerce skill will get you better deals in shops.
Tips for a Smooth Start
Here are some extra tips for getting started that will help you in the long run.
- Take Your Time: You don’t have to rush through anything. Take your time and explore all the locations. You’ll find all sorts of new things if you take your time.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help: If you are not sure of something, don’t be afraid to talk to characters. They will give you hints and help you complete quests.
- Experiment: Try all sorts of skills, weapons and game mechanics. You will find what you like by experimenting with all the different game options.
Starting strong in Starfield early game is about making smart decisions from the start. From choosing the right background to managing your ship, the beginning hours are crucial. Use these tips to get your adventure off to a great start and make the most of your time exploring the galaxy.
STARFIELD The Best Early Game Perks to Invest In
Final Thoughts
Prioritize early quests for quick levels and gear. Scavenge everything; credits are vital. Join Constellation for story progression. Make sure you select early perks wisely to enhance your build.
Focus on combat skills and ship upgrades. These choices will give you a survival advantage. Don’t ignore resource gathering; it fuels crafting. This will also help you in your ship upgrades.
Therefore, Starfield how to start strong early game involves careful resource management and early progression of critical abilities. Remember to loot and complete quests. Make smart early choices that are must. This is crucial for success in the vast universe.



