Starfield: Best Skills You Need to Get Early

by Fernando Diaz / Articles, Starfield / 09 Sep 2023

So you just fired up Starfield and you’re floating in space, dazzled by the stars and ready to explore the galaxy. But hold up, space cowboy! Before you fly off into the great unknown, you gotta get your skills in check. Your starting skills can make or break your gameplay, so let’s jump right into the best skills you need to grab early on, all without any pesky story spoilers.

Boost Back Training: Double Jump Your Way to Glory

First things first, snag the Boost Back Training skill. You’ll find Boost Packs lying around like space debris, and these babies are pretty much jetpacks for your spacesuit. But here’s the catch: without this skill, you’re stuck on the ground… No cool double-jumping for you. Unlocking this skill gives you the sweet freedom of a double jump, making planet exploration and dodging in combat a breeze.

Ballistics: Become a One-Man Army

When it comes to combat, your skill choices are pretty much a buffet. You got melee, shotguns, rifles, pistols—pick your poison. But if you ask me, go for the Ballistics skill early on. Unlike weapon-specific skills that boost one type of weapon, Ballistics gives you a damage bump for anything that fires regular bullets.

Skill System Basics: Don’t Sleep on Character Creation

Yo, quick detour to talk about the game’s skill system. At character creation, you get three free skills based on your background. So be smart and pick a background like Diplomat or Soldier to get some of these bomb skills right off the bat. Skills are grouped into categories & you need to invest points in a category to unlock higher-tier skills. But don’t stress; the skills we’re talking about here are all Tier 1, meaning they’re cheap and easy to unlock early on.

Targeting Control Systems: Dominate Starship Combat

If dogfights in space get your engine revving, then you need Targeting Control Systems from the tech tree. This skill lets you target specific subsystems on enemy ships, like their engines or weapons. Blow up their engines, and you can dock, board, and swipe the ship for yourself. Pirate life, anyone??

Security: The Loot Hoarder’s Dream Skill

Lock-picking is a staple in these types of games, and Starfield is no exception. The Security skill lets you hack into locks and computers, and it’s tiered so you can unlock better locks as you level up. Don’t skip this one, or you’ll be leaving behind loot that you’ll regret later. Trust me, FOMO is real.

Stealth: Be the Ninja You Were Born to Be

If you’re sneakin’ around tryna avoid getting caught red-handed, the Stealth skill’s a must. This bad boy gets you a detection meter, letting you know if someone’s ’bout to rain on your parade. Go all out with level two, and it even shows how much noise you’re making.

Persuasion: Talk Your Way Out of (or Into) Anything

You don’t always have to shoot your way through problems. Sometimes a silver tongue is mightier than a laser sword. Investing in the Persuasion skill gives you a better shot at sweet-talking your way through negotiations. You’ll be amazed at what you can get just by asking nicely (or craftily).

Commerce: The Art of the Space Deal

Credits make the galaxy go ‘round. The Commerce skill helps you stack up those credits by giving you better buying and selling rates. Simple as that. More credits = more gear and upgrades = a stronger you.

Weightlifting: Because Inventory Management is a Pain

Carry more, sell more. Boost your carrying capacity and you’re basically turning into a space mule. More loot? More money. Simple as that.

Other Honorable Mentions

Skills like Wellness and Fitness in the Physical tree are solid picks too. Wellness boosts your health, and Fitness gives you more oxygen, so you can sprint without huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf…

Fernando Diaz

Fernando is doing what he always did, sharing his honest opinions about games whenever he can. The difference is now he is writing and not talking about it.
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