Starfield is nearly upon the PlayStation world, bringing not only a new expansion in Terran Armada but also a meaty update in Free Lanes (on top of previous patches). Available on April 7th, it can be an overwhelming experience, especially if you’re brand-new to the Settled Systems, but don’t worry. We’ll dive into some of the best starting options, which planets you should visit first, and, perhaps more importantly, a few ways to prepare for the new content. Let’s start with…
Best Starting Traits
As much as it’s about exploring the cosmos, Starfield focuses as much on different builds and backgrounds. You can choose specific traits that will shape your character in unique ways and start skills to gain an early edge, but the “best” options can often be subjective. That said, you can’t go wrong with traits like Alien DNA, which increases your max health and oxygen (don’t worry too much about the reduced healing from items), and Isolation, which massively buffs weapon damage and resistance if you’re solo.
Recommended Early Planets
The new pre-built outpost module in Free Lanes makes it easier than ever to create a home away from home, but you’ll still need Aluminum, Iron and Argon to craft it (at least according to the deep dive). Head to Andraphon for the first two and Kreet for the third. More importantly, these locations – alongside Linnaeus IV-b – are home to multiple elements. Once you’ve got some bases going, start working on those extractors ASAP to reap the rewards.
That Asteroid Won’t Pay for Itself
If you’re the type to see a base on an asteroid and decide that you immediately want it, then congrats. On top of not knowing when it becomes available (at least for now), it’s likely the cost will be exorbitant. One method to quickly farm Credits is to clear out PoIs with enemies, stealing their weapons, and then resting at your ship to reset the instance. When your cargo is full, sell them all off at a vendor. Alternatively, you can survey planets, especially those in high-level systems, or take on missions to hunt down ships. Whichever route you take, the Credits will follow.
Mine Much Faster
If you’re not the type to buy all your minerals wholesale (or can’t afford them), then expect to occasionally use the mining laser. But if it feels a little too slow, try zooming in and waiting for the white part of the reticle to align with the red. It effectively concentrates the laser’s power, making it much faster to mine materials.
Side Hustle
While it’s encouraged to play through the first few main missions, some side quests should be tackled as soon as possible. These include Mantis, which you’ll get after defeating Spacers anywhere. We won’t spoil the rewards, but they’re very much worth it. Groundpounder becomes available as soon as you enter the Altair system, which requires level 15, and it’s one of the more enjoyable combat-heavy scenarios (which also awards a nice weapon). There’s also Juno’s Gambit, which can kick off as early as Tau Ceti and depending on your choices, it can award a nice amount of credits. But more importantly, all of these side quests are some of the most standout in Starfield, and should be prioritized whenever they become available.
Anti-Robot Armaments
Free Lanes adds the ability to reroll Legendary effects with the new X-Tech (earned by completing anomalies, points of interest and dungeons). It also includes new Tier 4 effects, including Saboteur, which has a chance to instantly kill (and explode) robots on damaging them. Pretty good for those picking up Terran Armada, but if you don’t have the resources for it just yet, try picking up the Disassembler perk first. It increases damage dealt to robots by 20 percent, making it a solid choice in the early going.
Create a Posse
Of course, if the Terran Armada is content with fighting dirty, then why not bring some more backup? Starfield usually lets a single companion accompany you throughout every mission, but some will bestow temporary followers. If you don’t complete these, then that follower remains with you throughout. Some examples include Emma Wilcox from the mission “Deputized,” which is part of the Ranger faction questlines. However, you can discover more and have up to three temporary followers (at the cost of progressing certain stories and the occasional bug or three).
Disable Dialogue Camera
If you’ve played a Bethesda game before, then you’ll be familiar, perhaps uncomfortably so, with the dialogue camera. Zooms in close, stays locked on an NPC’s face in first-person, no deviation whatsoever – it’s exhausting. So head into the Accessibility options and turn it off, if you’re so inclined, thus creating a more traditional camera angle that showcases the world around you.
Run Rabbit Junk
When sprinting, you’ll notice a little meter denoting your O2/CO2 levels. When O2 depletes, CO2 starts building up, and your health begins to drop. You could keep sprinting in this state, but instead, try jumping in between sprints, since this will cease O2 consumption. A boost pack further aids in this and will also help you travel further.
Improve Your Piloting Skill
Among the many skills that you should look to improve is Piloting. The former unlocks thrusters, improves maneuverability and eventually lets you pilot Class B and C ships. Leveling it up requires destroying ships, but there’s a Piloting Simulator in the MAST Building on New Atlantis, where ship kills count towards this, so go ahead and grind that for some time.
They may not seem all that important early on, but with Cruise Mode offering threats like Interdictions and anomalies, not to mention Starborn ships having a chance to drop Quantum Essence, you’ll want some ship skills fairly quickly.
Quickly Level Up Starship Design
In the same vein, upgrade Starship Design immediately. It will allow for installing better ship modules. Best of all, it can be leveled very quickly (provided you have a decent amount of Credits). First, head to a place where you can purchase several different components, like the Red Mile on Porrima 3 in the Porrima system. Install as many unique modules as possible, which will count towards the skill, then remove them and repeat this process until it’s fully leveled. Again, this is something that will aid you in the mid-to-late game, so it’s better to have it maxed out early.
How to Get the Rover
As nice as the Moon Jumper looks to control, you can get another ground vehicle, the Rover, early on for quicker planetary exploration. All you need to do is visit a Ship Services Technician – you’ll find one in New Atlantis, the earliest major city – and pay 25,000 Credits. Voila – a faster way to traverse land masses, at least until you find the Moon Jumper for some serious hops.
Fast Traveling With the Scanner
It’s a good thing the scanner is tied to the DualSense’s touchpad, because it’s going to get a workout by identifying all the flora, fauna and resources that make up planets. However, you can also use it to quickly fast-travel to any points of interest that were previously discovered (or even your ship). Simply hover over it with the scanner active, and off you go.
Where to Find Muria
Model G may be the one new companion that players will want to recruit pronto, but there’s also Muria. She’s not technically a “new” character, but following years of requests from players on other platforms to make her recruitable, Free Lanes is finally making that happen. But when and where do you find her? Fortunately, it doesn’t take long. She’s located on New Atlantis in Jemison, which you’ll visit fairly early on in the story, specifically the lobby of the GalBank. You can beeline to her location and see what all the fuss is about.
Gameplay Options
Last but not least, tweak the experience to your liking with gameplay options, which include modifiers for enemy damage, player damage, carry capacity – you can even increase the weight of ammo. While you can dial things down for an easier time, certain settings can confer XP bonuses if you opt for something challenging. It’s win-win, and could be an excellent way to level up quickly.