Beginner's Guide to Starfield: Navigating the Cosmos in Bethesda's Epic Space RPG

Discover the galaxy of Starfield like never before with our Beginner's Guide. Whether you're new to Bethesda's universe or a seasoned explorer, dive deep into the game's intricate mechanics. From character creation to mastering star system travel, we cover it all. Learn about movement, scanning environments, weapons, spacesuits, crafting, combat, spaceship maneuvering, earning credits, and even lockpicking. Unearth the secrets of the cosmos and become a Starfield pro!

Character Creation: Unveiling Your Identity

In Starfield, you begin as an anonymous protagonist in a first-person perspective, but soon you can define your identity, and it goes beyond just your appearance. Don't fret about your visual features, as every major settlement has an "Enhance!" facility where you can undergo a complete makeover for a mere 500 credits, allowing you to change your look as often as you like!

Background and Starting Skills: Crafting Your Character

Your character's background is a pivotal aspect of your identity and comes with associated starting skills. Each background grants you point in three different skills, providing an early advantage in your preferred playstyle. While these skills are all on the basic tier, remember that you can reallocate points as you progress and explore different playstyles. Your background also adds depth to your character's lore and may unlock unique dialogues and options in certain situations.

Skill Points and Their Impact: Choose Wisely

Be cautious when allocating skill points, as there's no way to refund them. Planning ahead can steer your character in the right direction. For instance, if you aim for a sneaky or underhanded approach, investing points in Stealth, Security, Persuasion, and Pickpocket early on can expedite your mastery of these systems. Some skills open up specific actions only when you've invested at least one point, such as:

• Pickpocket: Enables sneaky inventory looting while in stealth mode.

• Boost Pack Training: Grants access to packs with mobility and combat enhancements.

• Piloting: Enhances ship maneuvering capabilities in combat.

• Targeting: Allows precise identification and disabling of enemy ship functions.

Passive Traits: Quirks That Define You

You can select up to three passive Traits that persist throughout your journey. These Traits offer both advantageous and disadvantageous effects, such as attracting bounty hunters but gaining damage boosts at low health. Unlike starting skills, you can remove Traits if you no longer wish to deal with their consequences, though each Trait has its unique removal process that may require some effort on your part. Choose your Traits wisely to shape your character's unique journey in the Starfield universe.

Mastering Movement and Control in Starfield

In the vast expanse of Starfield, quick and efficient movement is key to surviving dangerous encounters and navigating both peaceful and perilous situations. Here's your guide to mastering movement and control, whether you're in the thick of combat or exploring the cosmos.

Binding Your Favorite Weapons

As you gather your arsenal of weapons, streamline your combat efficiency by binding them to numerals. On PC, press 'B,' and on a controller, press 'Y' when selecting a weapon in your inventory. Keep in mind that '0' is reserved for your quick-healing medpack by default.

Resource Harvesting with the Cutter Mining Laser

In scanning mode (activated by pressing 'F' on PC or 'LB' on a controller), switching to your weapon equips the Cutter mining laser. Use it to extract various inorganic resources. Some materials may require more time to harvest, but your laser will always recharge after a brief cooldown.

Interacting and Manipulating Objects

Whether you need to relocate items in your ship or move a fallen comrade's body, use the interact button ('E' on PC or 'A' on a controller) to initiate object manipulation. Smaller items can be rotated using mouse clicks, although the degree of rotation is limited.

Managing Inventories

Efficiently managing multiple inventories can be a challenge. Always check the bottom row of the menu screen to access available options. Press 'Q' to switch to the inventory of the person you're trading with. In certain situations, pressing 'Q' again will switch to your Ship's Hold, simplifying the inventory management process.

Optimizing Your Appearance

In settlements, you may prefer not to wear your bulky spacesuit. In your inventory's spacesuits section, press 'T' on PC or 'RB' on a controller to visually turn off your spacesuit while keeping it equipped. You can apply the same method to helmets in breathable spaces, allowing you to look your best in town without sacrificing safety.

Holstering Weapons and Container Management

To holster your weapon or close opened containers while standing over them, simply hold down the reload button. This action ensures you're ready for whatever challenges the cosmos throws your way and keeps your surroundings tidy.

Embarking on Planet Exploration: Beyond Argos Extractor Mining Colony

Once you depart from the Argos Extractor Mining Colony, your journey in Starfield truly begins. Now we will delve into the intricacies of planet exploration, equipping you with essential knowledge on how to navigate the unknown. Let’s go through the different aspects:

Unlocking Planet Secrets with Your Scanner

Upon your arrival on Kreet during the first mission, your trusty Scanner becomes your key to uncovering the planet's hidden mysteries. Learn how to maximize its potential and make the most of your exploration:

Versatile Scanning: Your Scanner isn't just for show. Utilize it to gather valuable information about the planet and scan indigenous life, plants, and rocks. Scanning multiple flora or fauna to reach 100% completion reveals the resources they offer.

Inorganic Resources: Discover a plethora of inorganic ores and resources, from iron to titanium, hidden in various forms like ground patches, rocky geodes, liquid basins, and hazardous vents. Use your Cutter tool to mine resources concealed within rocks.

Flora and Fauna: Identify and collect diverse plants and alien creatures. Some may provide valuable resources like toxins or nutrients, while others may prove territorial and aggressive.

Navigational Aid: Your Scanner goes beyond information – it assists in navigation. Detect nearby points of interest on your HUD, complete with distances. Access a topographic view by pressing 'G' for the surface map, which displays points of interest detected by your Scanner.

Effortless Travel: Use the Scanner's targeting reticle to swiftly reach known points of interest, such as your ship. Center the reticle over a discovered location for instant fast travel.

Planet Survey: Achieve a comprehensive survey of a planet by scanning all resources, flora, and fauna to 100%, while also documenting anomaly traits through exploration. Completing a planet's survey rewards you with valuable Survey Data in your Notes inventory, which can be sold to traders for a profit, with some buyers offering more generous rates.

Managing Inventories in Starfield

In Starfield, loot abounds, and efficient inventory management is crucial. Whether you're equipping your character or deciding what to store, understanding your inventories is key. Here's what you need to know:

Two Main Inventories

Keep track of two primary inventories: your personal inventory and your ship's hold. Each has its limits, but your ship's cargo hold can interface with crafting benches and Trade Authority kiosks at spaceports. Exceeding your weight limit in the field will deplete your O2 meter, filling it with harmful CO2 and damaging you. Stop moving, use items to increase capacity or O2 levels, or trade with companions to ease the load.

Inventory Sections: 

Your personal inventory is divided into various sections, helping you organize your items effectively:

• Weapons: Manage your vast collection of ranged and melee weapons, from pistols to particle beams. Weapons tend to be heavy, so it's wise to stick to a few favorites and sell the rest.

• Spacesuits: These protective suits act as armor, enhancing your damage resistance in various environments. They defend against ballistic, energy, and electromagnetic attacks, as well as thermal, airborne, corrosive, and radiation hazards on planets.

• Packs: Boost Packs, a type of back armor, can be modded with air-boosting capabilities. They enable short bursts of extended air time when used mid-air, but you'll need the Boost Pack Training Skill to utilize this feature.

• Helmets: Helmets offer extra protection against environmental hazards and can also be modded for additional effects with allocated Skill Points or pre-enhanced finds.

• Apparel: Cosmetic in nature, apparel adds a touch of style and sometimes offers minor perks for your body and head. Disable spacesuits in town (press 'T') to showcase your chosen apparel.

• Throwables: This section covers thrown explosive devices, including grenades and mines. Equipped throwables are used when you hold down and release the 'G' button.

• Ammo: Ammo in Starfield has no weight, allowing you to carry as much as needed. Ensure you stock up on the right types for your preferred weapons.

• Aid: Aid items abound in Starfield, from Chunks to hand-crafted meals, Medpacks, and various chems. These items can cure Afflictions or temporarily boost your stats. Take caution with chems, as they can lead to addiction, impacting your O2 and carry weight while fighting their effects.

• Notes: Notes serve as repositories for lore, Survey Data from planet scans, sellable books, logs, audio slates, and Skill Books granting small permanent bonuses upon first encounter. Most items here have no weight, except for books.

• Resources: Resources, essential for crafting and upgrading, encompass inorganic rocks, ore, organic materials from plants and animals, and structural items for outpost construction. Store resources in your ship's cargo hold as crafting and outpost building draw from it. 

• Miscellaneous: Miscellaneous items, including junk and keys, reside here. Unlike Fallout 4, you can't break down junk for resources, so prioritize selling. Keep keys and Digipicks for door, safe, and terminal access.

Progressing in Starfield: Experience and Skill Advancement

In the immersive world of Starfield, your character's development revolves around experience and skill challenges. Unlock your potential with this guide to leveling up and mastering your skills.

Earning Experience Points 

Experience points are the currency of growth in Starfield. Unlike solely relying on combat for XP, various activities contribute to your character's progression. Engage in the following to amass XP over time:

• Exploration and Discovery: Chart new horizons by exploring and uncovering uncharted planets and star systems.

• Scanning and Surveying: Utilize your scanner to survey and scan the diverse flora and fauna of alien worlds.

• Crafting: Channel your creativity in crafting items and upgrades, earning XP for your craftsmanship.

• Lockpicking and Persuasion: Put your skills to the test in minigames involving lockpicking or persuasion, both offering valuable XP rewards.

• Quest Completion: Embark on quests and missions, completing objectives to earn substantial experience points.

Leveling Up: Skill Points and Skill Trees

As you accumulate experience, you'll periodically level up. Each level grants you 1 Skill Point to allocate in one of the five skill trees. These trees have multiple tiers, and progressing through them requires an initial investment. Once you've assigned a Skill Point to a skill, you'll encounter four ranks within that skill, with each rank offering enhanced capabilities. However, to unlock the next rank, you must complete a related skill challenge.

Wealth Building in Starfield: Smart Money-Making Tips

In the vast universe of Starfield, opportunities to amass wealth abound. Here are some valuable tips to help you make and save money in the cosmos:

1. Load Up in Vasco and the Frontier

When you gain access to Vasco and the Frontier, seize the opportunity to collect as much loot as possible in these starting tutorial areas. Your companion can help ease the load, and you can transfer items to your ship's cargo hold. Selling this accumulated loot at the Trade Authority Kiosk in New Atlantis can yield a significant profit right from the start.

2. Choose Your Loot Wisely

Consider the weight-to-value ratio of items in Starfield. Some resources and most gear tend to be heavy, making it inefficient to loot every piece of pirate weaponry. Instead, keep an eye out for antiques, desktop ornaments, displays, or lightweight old books that can fetch a decent price.

3. Exploit Criminal Opportunities

Crime can be a lucrative endeavor in Starfield. People often carry substantial amounts of credits, and hacking ATMs can yield even more money. If you acquire stolen goods or contrabands, visit in-person Trade Authority shops in major cities to sell them discreetly.

4. Bountiful Opportunities

Explore the far reaches of the galaxy and keep an eye out for Mission Boards scattered throughout. These boards randomly generate short quests, offering rewards for tasks ranging from bounty hunting to surveying uncharted planets. Completing these missions can boost your earnings significantly.

5. Wait for Vladimir on The Eye

Hold onto your Survey Data until you encounter Vladimir on The Eye. He'll offer a premium price for your data, significantly higher than what other traders are willing to pay.

Efficient Travel in Starfield: A Guide to Fast Travel

Navigating the vast galaxy of Starfield often requires frequent use of fast travel to save time and reach your desired destinations. Here's a breakdown of how fast travel works in various scenarios:

Destination Familiarity

You cannot fast travel to a location you haven't visited before. This applies to City Districts, planet points of interest, and entire star systems. It's crucial to explore new places firsthand to unlock fast travel options.

Fast Travel within a Star System

To explore a new planet or system, you can manually launch your ship, enter orbit, and choose your destination. Alternatively, open the galaxy map, select the desired system, and hold the designated button to jump to it. Detailed information about the solar system becomes available upon arrival.

Selecting Landing Sites

Once within a star system, you can choose a planet or moon for exploration. The map may display points of interest such as settlements and abandoned facilities. To land on a planet, select it and hold the landing button after which you can pick your landing site.

Returning Home

After your exploration is complete, fast travel back to your ship is an option. Select your ship on the surface or planet map, or target it with your scanner. Alternatively, you can bypass the ship and fast travel directly to your desired planet and point of interest, even if it's in a different star system. You'll need the required fuel or a Grav Drive for long-distance travel. When passing through systems, be prepared for contraband scans when approaching planets with cities.

Streamlined Travel

If you've already selected a landing site on a planet, you can return there without reopening the map. While piloting your ship, press the scanner button (e.g., F on PC or RB on controller), center your view on the point of interest, and initiate fast travel directly to the surface.

FAQs

What Is Starfield and What Genre Does It Belong To?

Starfield is an upcoming open-world role-playing game (RPG) developed by Bethesda Game Studios. It is set in a vast and immersive science fiction universe, offering players the chance to explore space, visit different planets, and engage in a variety of activities. 

Can I Join Multiple Factions in Starfield?

Yes, you have the freedom to join and interact with multiple factions within Starfield. While some factions are automatically part of the main story, you can also join various special organizations within these factions, each with its own unique questlines and benefits. Joining one faction does not lock you out of joining others, so feel free to explore different faction storylines and reap their rewards.

How Does Fast Travel Work in Starfield?

Fast travel in Starfield allows you to quickly move between locations within the game world. To use fast travel, you must first visit a location in person to unlock it. You cannot fast travel to places you haven't been before. Once you've visited a location, you can access the galaxy map to select destinations, and you can also fast travel directly to your ship or chosen points of interest on planets. 

Conclusion

Starfield promises to be an exciting addition to the world of open-world RPGs, offering players the opportunity to embark on interstellar adventures, explore diverse planets, and engage with intriguing factions. With its emphasis on space exploration, character customization, and a rich science fiction narrative, the game holds great potential for fans of the genre. 

Whether you're looking forward to piloting your own spaceship, delving into complex factions, or mastering the art of fast travel, Starfield is poised to deliver an immersive and captivating gaming experience in the vastness of space.