How to Actually Enjoy Starfield: 7 Tips for New Players

Starfield is a massive, often overwhelming RPG that demands a lot of your time. Now that the game has received several years of optimization patches and the Shattered Space expansion, it’s a much smoother experience on modern hardware like the RTX 4080 or the Xbox Series X. I spent over 200 hours navigating the Settled Systems to figure out what works and what is just noise. These Starfield tips for beginners will save you from common pitfalls and inventory-management fatigue.

Mastering the Inventory and Cargo System

The biggest hurdle in Starfield is the weight limit. You start with a meager 135kg capacity, which fills up in roughly ten minutes of looting. Do not hoard basic weapons early on; they sell for pennies. Instead, focus on high-value, low-weight items like digipicks, which weigh zero and are essential for unlocking high-tier loot. If you are playing on PC, you can use console commands to increase carry weight, but playing vanilla is manageable if you prioritize upgrading your ship’s cargo hold. Installing a 2,000-capacity cargo module at a ship technician costs around 5,000 credits. It’s the single best investment you can make in your first five hours. Stop carrying everything yourself and start dumping your resources into your ship’s hold immediately.

Stop Looting Everything

Most items you see are just clutter. If an item doesn’t have a value-to-weight ratio of at least 10:1, leave it behind. A standard desk fan is worthless, but high-end weapon mods and research materials are gold. Prioritize picking up only what you can sell for a profit at the Trade Authority kiosks found in major hubs like New Atlantis.

Leveling and Skill Progression

Don’t spread your skill points too thin. Starfield rewards specialization. I suggest dumping your first few points into the ‘Boost Pack Training’ skill. You literally cannot use a jetpack in combat until you unlock this, which makes the game feel sluggish and dated. After that, focus on ‘Persuasion’ and ‘Commerce.’ Persuasion allows you to skip tedious combat encounters, while Commerce grants you a 25% better price on items sold. By level 15, you should have a solid build centered around either Ballistics or Lasers. Don’t waste points in the ‘Research’ tree early on; you can buy most of the materials you need for crafting from vendors for a few thousand credits, which is much faster than grinding for rare minerals.

Prioritize Mobility Skills

Movement is life in Starfield. If you aren’t upgrading your Boost Pack, you are walking through combat like it’s 2011. Get the rank 1 skill immediately to gain verticality, then move to Fitness to increase your oxygen capacity, which effectively acts as your stamina bar during long treks across planetary surfaces.

Ship Combat and Customization

Ship combat is frustrating until you understand the power allocation system. You need to balance your engine, shield, and weapon power in real-time. If you are getting shredded, put all your power into shields. If you need to catch a target, slide some points into engines. I highly recommend picking up the ‘Star Eagle’ ship by completing the Freestar Collective faction questline. It is arguably the best mid-game ship and it’s free. Compare this to buying a comparable ship from a shipyard, which would easily set you back 200,000 credits. Don’t spend your early cash on new ships; the game gifts you better ones for free if you just follow the faction quest chains. Focus your credits on upgrading your weapons and armor instead.

The Power Allocation Trick

Use your D-pad or keyboard shortcuts to shift power during a fight. When you lose shields, move power from your weapons to shields to recharge them. When the enemy shield drops, shift power back into lasers or ballistics to finish them off quickly. This micro-management is the difference between life and death.

The Importance of Fast Travel

Starfield is not an open-world game in the traditional sense; it is a series of instances connected by menus. Don’t waste time trying to manually fly to planets or walk through massive city districts. Use the ‘Scanner’ mode (press F on PC or LB on Xbox) to highlight landing zones and fast travel directly to them. If you are in a city, you can open your mission log and click ‘Set Course’ to jump straight to your ship or the next objective. Some players complain about the loading screens, but once you learn the UI, you can jump between systems in under 10 seconds. Stop trying to simulate the flight experience; the game is designed to be played through menus.

Using the Scanner Effectively

Your scanner isn’t just for looking at things. It allows you to fast travel to any location you’ve previously visited, even if you are currently on a planet surface. If you are deep in a dungeon and finished the quest, don’t walk back out. Just open your map and warp to your ship.

⭐ Pro Tips

• Always carry at least 50 Digipicks; you can buy them from vendors like Jemison Mercantile for roughly 35 credits each.
• Save 10,000 credits to buy the ‘Eon’ modified weapon early; it trivializes combat against low-level pirates.
• Do not sell your ship parts; you need them to repair your hull mid-combat, and they are surprisingly expensive to replace.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Starfield is a game that rewards patience and system mastery. By focusing on ship upgrades, smart skill allocation, and ignoring the clutter, you will find a rewarding experience. Stop trying to play it like a generic shooter and lean into the RPG mechanics. If you get stuck, remember that your ship is your home base—invest in it, upgrade it, and it will keep you alive. Happy exploring out there in the black.