Starfield The Best Guide For A Beginner Player

‘The best guide for a beginner player in Starfield focuses on completing early main missions, exploring planets cautiously, and regularly upgrading your ship.’

So, you’ve just jumped into the vast universe of Starfield, feeling a bit overwhelmed? It’s okay, we’ve all been there. The sheer size and options can be daunting for new players.

This article presents ‘Starfield the best guide for a beginner player’. We will provide actionable advice to make your space journey smooth and enjoyable. We cover how to progress effectively early in the game.

Starfield: The Best Guide for a Beginner Player

So, you’re ready to jump into the vast universe of Starfield? Awesome! It’s a huge game with lots to see and do, and it can feel a bit overwhelming at first. But don’t worry, this guide is here to help you get started and enjoy your journey among the stars. We’ll break down the important stuff so you can feel like a space explorer in no time. We will look at different aspects, from character creation to ship management, so that you have a solid foundation for your Starfield adventure.

Getting Started: Character Creation and Background

Your journey begins with creating your character. This is where you get to decide who you are in this universe. You’ll pick your appearance, but more importantly, you’ll choose a background and traits. Think of your background as your “before Starfield” life—it affects how people react to you and opens up some different dialogue options. Let’s look at some of the backgrounds:

Understanding Backgrounds

Backgrounds provide a starting point for your character’s story, offering different skill sets. Some popular choices include:

Diplomat: If you like to talk your way out of things and prefer diplomacy over fighting, this is a good pick. You’ll start with skills that make conversations easier.
Explorer: Got a thirst for the unknown? The explorer background boosts skills related to surveying and navigating the vast landscapes.
Bounty Hunter: If you want to be a space cowboy, always looking for a good fight, this background will make you better at combat from the beginning.
Cyber Runner: Are you comfortable with technology and stealth? The cyber runner is ideal for players who like being stealthy and manipulating tech.

Choosing the right background is important because it influences your starting skills. Don’t worry too much about making a perfect choice though, because you can always learn new skills as you play, and you can experiment and find what suits your playing style best. It provides you with a good starting point, but doesn’t lock you into a certain gameplay style forever.

Choosing Your Traits

Traits are special characteristics that add more to your character. They can give you advantages, but usually, they have some sort of drawback. Here are a couple of traits you might encounter:

Extrovert: You’re a social butterfly, more effective in the team. However you will get a penalty in your combat stats, if you are alone.
Introvert: You are at your peak performance, when you are fighting alone, but suffer a penalty in your combat stats when you are fighting in team
Taskmaster: If you are leading the team, or leading the crew, your team will perform better in combat, but if you are not, your combat stats will suffer the penalty.

When choosing traits, think about how you want to play the game. Do you like to travel with a crew, or be a lone wolf? Do you prefer fighting or talking? These will help you decide which traits suit you best.

Navigating the Starfield Universe

Once your character is set, it’s time to explore the universe. The galaxy map might look complex, but here’s how to get the hang of it.

Understanding the Galaxy Map

The galaxy map is your guide to all the star systems. You can zoom in and out, choose different planets, and set your course. It may seem like a lot at first, but with practice, you will know all the tricks. Here’s how to use it effectively:

Zooming: Use your controller or mouse to zoom in and out, to explore the map, you can see star systems and their planet inside them.
Selecting Destinations: Click on a star system to select it. Once selected, you can also select a specific planet or moon within the star system to set a course.
Fast Travel: After you set a course and arrive at a location once, you can use fast travel to go to these locations, if you are not over-encumbered.

Landing and Exploring Planets

When you reach a planet, you can land at various locations, such as cities or resource-rich areas. Some planets will have special structures, or abandoned buildings, and some have vibrant settlements. When you explore on the surface:

Use your scanner: Your scanner helps you identify resources, plants, and animals. It’s super helpful for gathering materials.
Collect resources: Mine rocks, harvest plants, and pick up items to gather resources.
Watch out for dangers: Some creatures or enemies may be hostile. Be prepared to defend yourself.

Combat Basics

Combat is a core part of Starfield. It’s essential to understand the basics so you can handle threats effectively. Let’s break down some basic elements.

Types of Weapons

You’ll find a variety of weapons in Starfield, each with different strengths and weaknesses. Here are some common types:

Pistols: Good for close to mid-range combat, with a faster rate of fire.
Rifles: Effective at mid to long ranges, with good damage and accuracy.
Shotguns: Great for close-range encounters, with a wide spread of damage.
Heavy Weapons: Powerful but slow, these are best used against tough enemies.
Melee Weapons: Swords, axes, and more, suitable for close, direct combat.

Try out different weapons to see which ones fit your playstyle. You may like a fast pistol, or a powerful rifle, so experiment a little, and find out what you like.

Engaging in Combat

Here are some tips for handling fights:

Use cover: Take cover behind objects to avoid getting hit. Use your surroundings to your advantage.
Aim for weak spots: Targeting enemy weak points can deal more damage. Look for spots like the head or glowing areas.
Stay mobile: Don’t stay in one place for too long. Move around to avoid being an easy target.
Use your boost pack: A boost pack allows you to move more quickly or jump higher, helping you escape, or get a better firing angle.

Dealing with Different Enemies

You’ll encounter various enemies, from space pirates to alien creatures. Each might require a slightly different strategy. Some enemies might be fast and difficult to hit, some might be heavily armored, and require stronger weapons. Experiment with your weapons and playstyle to come out on top. As you progress in your skills, you will learn new abilities that will make combat even easier.

Skills and Progression

Starfield uses a skill system to make your character more capable. Skills are divided into five categories: Physical, Social, Combat, Science, and Tech. You gain skill points as you level up by completing missions, killing enemies, and exploring the world. Let’s see how this system works.

How to Gain Skill Points

As you do stuff in the game, like completing missions, killing bad guys, or finding new places, you gain experience. When you have enough experience, you level up and earn a skill point. Then, you can use this point to learn or upgrade skills in the skill tree. The more you play and do things, the more skill points you will earn.

The Skill Tree

The skill tree lets you improve your character in many areas. Here’s a quick look at some of the main categories:

Physical: This boosts your health, carry capacity, and other physical stats. It can help you carry more items, run faster, and more.
Social: If you are more into talking, and persuasion, these skills will improve your ability to make friends, and persuade people.
Combat: These skills make you better at fighting. Skills like pistol, rifle, shotgun training, or damage improvements fall into this category.
Science: This category helps you with crafting, research, and using scientific equipment. If you are a curious type, and like to explore the world of science, this category is for you.
Tech: Tech skills relate to ship systems, using technology, and making technological improvements. If you want to be a master ship builder, or a master hacker, this category will be extremely useful for you.

Each skill category has multiple options that you can invest in. As you level up and do different things, you will find yourself gravitating towards some categories more than others.

Choosing the Right Skills

At the beginning of the game, you might wonder which skills to choose. Here are a few tips:

Focus on Your Play Style: If you want to fight a lot, put points into Combat skills. If you want to be more of a talker, try Social skills.
Don’t Forget the Tech: Skills in the Tech category, like piloting or ship repairs, are very useful for any type of player.
Try Out Different Skills: You can re-spec your skills later, so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Ship Management

Your ship is your home in Starfield. It’s how you travel the galaxy and engage in space combat. So, understanding ship management is very important. Here’s what you need to know.

Understanding Your Ship

Your ship is more than just transportation; it’s also your base of operations. Here’s what makes up your ship:

Cockpit: Where you control the ship from. It’s where you access your map and set your course.
Cargo Hold: This is where you keep all your resources and items. Make sure you don’t fill it up too much, or your ship will have trouble moving.
Reactor: The core power of your ship. A better reactor means more power for your weapons and shields.
Engines: Your engines control how fast you can travel. Better engines mean faster travel times.
Shields: These protect your ship from enemy fire. Stronger shields make you harder to destroy.
Weapons: Equip your ship with different weapons to take down enemy ships.

Upgrading and Customizing

You can improve your ship by adding new parts or switching out old ones. Here’s how:

Visit Ship Technicians: At major cities, you’ll find ship technicians who sell new parts and repair your ship.
Collect Ship Parts: You can also find or get ship parts by doing certain tasks.
Change Ship Modules: You can add or change things like reactors, engines, shields, and weapons to make your ship stronger.
Customize the Look: Change the colors, add decals, and even the whole shape of the ship to suit your personal style.

Ship Combat

Space combat is an important part of the game. Here are some tips for fighting in space:

Use your shields: Keep your shields up during combat to protect your ship. When your shield is down, you take direct damage to your hull.
Target weak spots: Just like on foot, aim for enemy ship’s weak points, like engines or weapons systems, to deal extra damage.
Boost and drift: Use your boost to dodge attacks and change your position quickly. Drift to change your angle and gain a good position on your opponent.

Mission Structure and Factions

Starfield offers various missions and factions that you can engage with, so let’s look at these in a bit more detail.

Types of Missions

You will find different kinds of missions in the game, such as:

Main Story Missions: These missions drive the main story of the game. They are crucial for seeing the ending of the game.
Side Missions: These missions can earn you extra experience, credits, and loot.
Faction Missions: These missions involve joining groups like the United Colonies or the Crimson Fleet.
Activity Missions: Small tasks like mining resources or delivering items.

Take on as many missions as you can. They will help you earn levels and learn the game better. Be sure to read the mission descriptions carefully, so that you know what you are signing up for. And feel free to explore around and see what the different factions have to offer.

Understanding Factions

Factions are groups with their own goals and values. Here are a few examples:

Constellation: A group of explorers and researchers seeking answers to the mysteries of the universe.
United Colonies: A powerful military and political organization that values law and order.
Freestar Collective: A group that values personal freedom.
Crimson Fleet: A group of pirates who love causing trouble and making their own rules.

Joining a faction changes your relationships with other groups. So you should think carefully about who you want to help, and who you want to fight. The choice of which faction to join is up to you, and will effect your gameplay quite a lot.

Making Choices

Many missions in Starfield will present you with choices that affect the story and the people around you. These choices might have long-term consequences, so always think carefully before you choose. You are free to pick a good side, bad side, or something in the middle. How you play, and how you resolve conflicts is completely up to you.

Tips and Tricks for Beginners

Finally, here are some general tips to help you get started:

Loot everything: Pick up as much as you can. Resources are very important for crafting. You can sell the stuff you don’t need.
Manage your inventory: Don’t carry too much, or you will move slower. Find a balance between resources, weapons, and other needed items.
Explore everywhere: Don’t just stick to the main quest. Go out there and find all the planets and locations.
Talk to everyone: You never know who might give you a new mission.
Save often: Save your game regularly so that if things go wrong, you don’t lose too much progress.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help: Look online for tips and tricks, or join a community to share your experience and get advice.

Starting Starfield can feel like a lot to take in, but this guide gives you a solid foundation for success. Take your time, explore the world, and most importantly, have fun with this adventure in space. As you play, you’ll discover your own style and make your own mark in this awesome game. The universe is waiting, so go out there and explore it.

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Final Thoughts

For new players, focusing on the main story initially gives a solid foundation. Exploring various planets and completing side missions enhances experience and resources. Ship customization and outpost building add to gameplay depth, which should be tackled later on.

Experimenting with different skills and weapons allows finding your preferred playstyle. This approach makes the game more enjoyable and manageable for newcomers. Therefore, this detailed approach presents Starfield the best guide for a beginner player.