The key to Starfield mastering the early systems game is to prioritize completing faction quests for quick experience and ship upgrades, while focusing on resource gathering and outposts for crafting and economic advantages.
Starting your galactic journey in Starfield can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be! Focusing on a few key actions early on will make a big difference. You want a smooth start to your space faring career.
Early quests from factions provide valuable rewards. They offer XP and ship enhancements faster than exploration alone. This allows you to progress comfortably through your gameplay.
Also, don’t neglect gathering vital materials. Building outposts will provide you with the resources needed for crafting and generate credits for you. All of these actions help to ensure you are Starfield mastering the early systems game quickly.
Starfield: Getting Good in the First Hours
Okay, so you’ve jumped into the vast universe of Starfield! It’s pretty awesome, right? But with so much to do, it can feel a bit overwhelming at first. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. This guide is here to help you get a solid start in Starfield, focusing on the early game systems and how to make them work for you. We’ll go over everything from exploring planets to building outposts, ensuring you have a great foundation for your space adventures. Let’s dive in!
Understanding Your Character and Skills
Before you even step foot on a new planet, you need to know what makes your character tick. Starfield’s character creation is more than just picking a face; it’s about deciding your starting skills. These skills will heavily influence your early hours in the game. Let’s explore the main areas you’ll be focusing on:
Choosing Your Background
Your background in Starfield isn’t just a story, it provides starting skills. Think of them as pre-set abilities that give you a boost at the beginning. For example, if you pick “Diplomat,” you might be better at talking your way out of situations early on. Here are some key starting skills to keep in mind, categorized for clarity:
- Combat Skills: Skills like Ballistics, Laser, and Pistol Certification affect your damage with different types of weapons. If you love to shoot, grab these.
- Social Skills: Persuasion, Diplomacy, and Commerce. These make it easier to talk to people, convince them, or get better prices at shops. These can really help in early side-quests and exploration.
- Science Skills: Medicine, Surveying, and Research. If you like crafting and exploring, these are for you. They will let you build better things, and get more from each planet you visit.
- Tech Skills: Security, Piloting, and Targeting. These help with unlocking, flying, and combat situations. Essential for most play styles.
Don’t overthink it too much, but do pick something that sounds fun for your first adventure! Remember, you can level up and get different skills later.
Skill Points: Spending them Wisely
As you play, you’ll gain experience and level up. Each level gets you a skill point. You spend skill points to improve your abilities. Think carefully about how you spend them because each skill has four levels that give better advantages. To unlock the next tier in a skill, you need to complete challenges in that skill. For example, using pistols a certain amount to unlock the next tier of the pistol skill. Early game, these are some helpful skills to focus on:
- Boost Pack Training: This skill is a game-changer. It lets you use the boost pack to leap over gaps, reach high places, and even make combat more fun! It’s so useful for exploring.
- Piloting: Making your spaceship fly better is so useful. This skill makes it easier to win space battles and fly cool spaceships.
- Persuasion: This helps you to talk to people and get what you want.
- Medicine: This is very useful in early combat situations.
It’s good to try different skills, but in the beginning, try to focus on a couple that go well with your style of play.
Exploring Planets and Resources
Starfield is all about exploring. From barren moons to lush forests, you’ll find lots of different planets. Here is a breakdown on how to explore efficiently and grab some useful resources.
The Scanner: Your Best Friend
The scanner is an important piece of tech in Starfield. You use it by pressing a button (usually ‘F’). It lets you find plants, minerals, and animals. It shows you where they are with little markers and is really useful for locating important things to pick up. Here’s what you can do with it:
- Identify resources: See what materials are around before you go running after random-looking rocks.
- Survey the planet: Scan all the flora (plants), fauna (animals), and resources. If you complete a planet survey you will get a bonus in experience and some credits.
- Find points of interest: Hidden locations and structures often pop up on your scanner.
Use your scanner often to make sure you don’t miss anything!
Resource Gathering: What to Look For
Resources are the backbone of crafting, building, and upgrading in Starfield. In the early game, you don’t need every single resource, but here are some important ones to focus on:
- Iron (Fe): A very common resource that you will need a lot for constructing things and crafting.
- Aluminum (Al): Another abundant resource.
- Water (H2O): Very important for survival and crafting.
- Copper (Cu): A resource you will need to craft different parts.
- Helium-3 (He-3): Important for powering your ships and outposts.
When collecting resources, remember that different planets have different materials. Check the planet info on your map before you land to see what materials you might find there. It can save you time going from planet to planet to find certain resources. Also, consider buying materials from shops if you find yourself running short of certain resources.
Surviving the Harsh Environments
Some planets can be dangerous. They might have extreme heat or cold, or they might have hazardous chemicals in the air. Pay close attention to the planet’s information when landing so you can prepare for what kind of suit you will need. There are also some things you will need to consider.
- Suit protection: Your suit will give you protection against hazards, but some planets may require higher-level protection to prevent taking environmental damage, so always make sure to use the right suit.
- Healing items: Always carry food or medpacks for emergency situations.
- Be ready for enemies: some areas will have hostile wildlife. So be ready for combat when exploring.
Ship Combat and Upgrades
Starfield isn’t just about ground exploration; space battles are a big part of the game. Getting comfortable with your ship in space is important for progression and fun.
Understanding Ship Combat
Space battles in Starfield can feel fast and intense, especially in the early game. Here are a few key things to keep in mind:
- Targeting: Focus on enemy ships one at a time. Target their main components like engines and weapons.
- Shields and Weapons: Pay attention to your shields. If your shields are down, you will take damage to your hull. Use the correct weapon for the target.
- Maneuvering: Don’t just fly in a straight line. Move around the enemy and use your thrusters to be harder to hit.
In the early game you might not have the best ship, but use those tips to try to gain an advantage. Practice flying in space and get to know your ships movement and targeting.
Ship Upgrades: Getting Better
As you progress through the game you will start to encounter more difficult fights. To improve your ship, you can upgrade various parts. Here are some early upgrades to keep an eye on:
- Weapons: Upgrading your laser, ballistic, and missile weapons to make combat easier.
- Shields: Increasing your shield’s strength lets you last longer in battle.
- Engines: Better engines mean faster speeds and quicker turns.
You can upgrade your ship at ship technician locations or by modifying ships you have acquired. Credits (money) will be key to buying ship parts. Consider the following for getting credits:
- Sell extra loot: Sell the extra resources, weapons and armor you find.
- Complete quests: Many quests early in the game will reward you with credits.
- Ship boarding: Boarding other ships in space battles will sometimes give you credits or materials.
Outposts and Crafting Basics
Building outposts and crafting items are a key aspect of Starfield. Even in the early game, getting familiar with these systems will benefit you greatly.
Building Your First Outpost
Outposts are like your home base on a planet. They allow you to collect resources automatically, and provide you with a place to craft. Here’s how to set up a basic outpost:
- Pick a good spot: Find a planet with resources you need and make sure the area is somewhat flat.
- Place a beacon: Once you have decided where you want your outpost, bring up your scanner and place the outpost beacon by pressing ‘R’ on your keyboard.
- Build the basics: Start with a Hab to live in, then add a storage unit and resource extractors.
- Make connections: Link extractors to storage and storage to your workbench using the build mode.
Your starting outpost doesn’t have to be huge, just a simple base that can get you some resources.
Crafting: Making Your Gear
Crafting is how you make items like med packs, weapon mods, and gear upgrades. Here are some important things to know about crafting:
- Research: You will need to research some items before you can craft them, this will cost some resources. You can research at the research workbench.
- Use Workbenches: You’ll need to visit a workbench to craft anything.
- Gather materials: The materials you get from exploring will be key to crafting.
Start with the basics, and as you progress you will get more resources to make higher-tier items. Don’t underestimate crafting because it will help you get better gear!
Quests and Faction Missions
Starfield is filled with quests, and faction missions are an important part of the main storylines and side activities. It’s always a good idea to pick up quests because they’re often the best way to get experience and useful items.
Main Quest: Following the Story
The main quest is the starting point of the game. Don’t be afraid to follow the story because it will teach you important game mechanics while giving you a chance to explore new locations. You will get some powerful items and gain a lot of experience from the story line.
Side Quests: Branching Out
Side quests are everywhere in Starfield. You can usually find them in the cities or at space stations. They’re perfect for getting to know the world and earning some credits. Check your map regularly to see which locations have side quests.
Factions: Choosing Your Allies
Factions are groups you can join that have their own quest lines. You can pick one based on your style of play. Each faction has unique characters and situations that will keep you engaged in the world. You will get some special items or rewards from faction missions, so they can be very helpful.
Tips for Early Quests
- Talk to everyone: You’ll often find quests just by having conversations.
- Read quest logs: Pay attention to the details in the quest description so you know what to do.
- Don’t rush: Take your time and explore the quest areas thoroughly.
Important Tips for Success
Alright, here are a few extra tips to keep in mind in the early hours of your Starfield journey:
- Save often: Sometimes things can go wrong, so always save your game.
- Experiment: There’s a lot to learn in Starfield, so don’t be afraid to try new things.
- Manage your inventory: Carry what you need and drop the junk.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help: if you are stuck or confused, there are many communities online that are helpful.
Starting Starfield might feel overwhelming, but you will get used to all of its systems and you will be a space explorer in no time! Take your time, explore planets and have fun.
Starfield | Master the Piloting & Targeting Control System Skills at the Start of the Game
Final Thoughts
Starfield mastering the early systems game involves careful resource management and smart skill point investment. Focus on a few key areas early, like piloting and crafting, to gain an advantage. These choices significantly impact progression, so plan strategically.
Prioritize exploring accessible systems for early credits and experience. Efficient cargo runs and completing side quests greatly help you acquire essential gear and resources. Starfield mastering the early systems game requires this methodical approach.
