Tricks to get more fun in a first play

[Jarsonne]

Starfield is a game that doesn't play well if you try play it as previous dev games. Moreover it has some weak aspects that are better to avoid, and that you can mostly ignore during a first play. Finally it has traps that can decrease the fun.

Obviously to each their own, so pick what's useful for you, but Starfield isn't suited to play as you planed before have ever play it.

The most important in my opinion:

You found your way to play the game and have fun, ignore this mini guide, it's not for you

No matter how, preferences are involved, even if in game history, the various elements have a part of objective value.

So when suggesting anything related to play, preferences are involved. Myself I still consider some aspect are objectively weak like areas procedure generated and POIs reuse with not enough significant variations, but it's still related to preferences.

Some players will like their play focusing a lot on missions and procedure generated areas, that's fine. Because they already like how they play, this mini guide is useless for them.

But at reverse if you are somehow bored by your play, sure you can stop and request dev improve it for the way you want play it. But an option is get the best fun of the game for what it is already. if you want consider this last option, this mini guide is for you.

Can't be played like you was playing previous dev games

- Don't try play it as you did in Fallout 3&4 or Morrowind/Oblvion/Skyrim. Starfield design has some key design changes making such play weak.
- Stealth is tricky and no way is working like previous dev games, dig it before believe it's just junk.

Don't try play Starfield for what it isn't

Starfield is mainly a RPG very open focused on quests (not just main story):
- Don't try play it as a sandbox it isn't good for that. This doesn't mean skip activities more sandbox like, but that if you mainly focus on them you'll only get a weak sandbox play quality.
- Don't try play it as a looter shooter it isn't good for that. (the genre looter shooter, not shooting and looting that are core gameplay elements of the game and quite well done for the RPG genre)

Build your character, you can't pick all skills

- Don't try pick all skills, try design your character build along the first play.
- I would suggest still pick and only skill level 1, above is optional, the two skill: Boostpack and Stealth both level 1. The first to be able use jetpacks, the second to have a bar showing detection level when in stealth.
- Grind to get many more levels will only burn you, it's no proper looter shooter.
- Apply some patience, the design is to make character building somehow slow because of skills unlock challenges, skills rows, plenty skills, first levels of skills weaker, more.

Game changer: Jetpack boost forward command

- That's a surprising GAME CHANGER, don't skip it.
- Find how use jetpack boost forward.
- It's a specific command alas not clearly in game binding options and how have it depends of control type used, it seems even tricker for K+M. Not a detail, a game changer.
- You could wonder if you achieve trigger the command, it's very obvious in fact, and to make it even more obvious make your tests with the Jump Jatpack.

Play all factions, focus on quests BUT vary activities for maximizing your fun

- Play all factions in first play.
It's overall the best content of the game and ignore any for first play will damage it.
The reason is a proportion between activities for a full play, they add more interesting stories some of the best POI, many good combats. Skip even one damages the balances between activities types.
- Focus on quests, tasks can trigger new quests.
Sure, mix it with some other activities will be even better, but for first play it's safer ensure focus on quests and just do some missions (boards and NPC in procedure generated areas), few wild exploration (exploration of procedure generated areas), some tourism exploration (towns and procedure generated areas).
The point here isn't just play quests, vary activities is more important, but quests will lead you to 90% of best POIs, to many of the best combats, to many good loot, to many XP (first play context not NG+). At reverse favor procedure generated areas will risk add many duplicates POIs, either that will be used in a quest, either already met. And duplicate POIs a rather weak aspect of the game.
- Focus on being aware on your current fun level.
You are playing too much main story then so something else, enough of quests chains then do some ship building or wild exploration, enough with this faction then try another faction or some outpost resource producing, enough of many dialog in multiple quests then pick a mission or make some tourism, you spend too much time in outpost then try find some stealing or pickpocket activities in towns, and so on.

Take care of details

- The game is big for world reactivity that is small consequences from actions and some choices.
- The game is big on NPC talks (not dialog), plenty to listen adding world reactivity, lore, life, mood, fun, sometimes useful information or contents related to a quest.
There are great audio log that can add a lot, there are notes and computers that can add story content or lore content.
- The only exception is books used in a weird way, the idea was good (abstract, short comments on the book) but the execution/writing is bad so don't bother much on them.

Learn use quick travel

- Learn possibilities of quick travels, from local map, from quests log, from piloting view, from hand scanner view.
- Find best uses for you, for example abuse it can break the mood, but underused it can lead to excessive load boredom.

First ship combats

- Stop use asap the start ship which is rather weak.
- Steal ships on planets generated areas to find a better start ship.
- Use ship builder to enhance you first ship selected.
- Longer range weapons are easier to exploit.
- Ship has healing kits named repair parts. Bind them to same key than for shooting healing kits.
- Boost allows break an enemy missile lock, no need of any skill.
- Learn boost and stop boost to both break a missile lock and keep boost power in reserve.
- Learn use speed variation a lot, slower to turn, faster to cross and enemy, faster to keep chasing a target, slower to keep a slower enemy in target, and more. It's very influential but requires some practicing.
- Use target selection even without any Targeting skill, it's easier and required to have your missiles with some locking to target, even without any skill.
- Open galaxy map and space jump to a different star system can allow flee a combat. During jump time you can still use boost pack, control movements and speed of the ship.
- Without serious ship or skill building, max difficulty is very hard for ship combats, so eventually use difficulty changes to keep a high difficulty for shooting and lower for space combats. For now the game hasn't play difficulty options for that.

Must know controls/mechanic for ship building

- Select all (double click) allows move the whole ship to detect unattached parts.
- Parts of ship need be attached through attack points shown as a white circle when a part is selected.
- Undo that seems infinite (Alt Z) to revert to an intermediate version before you got errors you didn't noticed.
- Move mouse over a part shows attach points, then move mouse over an attach point, then Attach command shows a subselection of parts matching all requirements including size, free space, skills levels, ship class, attachment compatibility.
- Command Add part, adding a part not attached so you can see better possibilities and problems. You'll need attach it to an attach point by dragging the part.
- Commands for a part selected, rotate but not for all parts, move up or down to put a part at same hight of an attachment point.

Must known controls/mechanic for Outpost

- Switch between the two modes, one is to build stuff. The other is for creating connexions, moving/delete/repair parts, identify fast elements.
- Open strategic view from above mode, can allow easier placement of elements, and offer a larger global view of the outpost area.
- Open building mode shows at bottom electricity required and procuded.
- Elements can be damaged and disabled and then need repair, use second selection build mode to show them in red.
- You'll probably need check some guides to understand various mechanic not enough well explained in game.

Perhaps a small steam guide would be more suited, but a thread could show faster the errors or missing elements.

[Low Standards]

This game is a looter/shooter. Why ignore it?

[Jarsonne]

Originally posted by Low Standards:

This game is a looter/shooter. Why ignore it?

It isn't at all a looter shooter, if it's what you mean with "looter/shooter". If you mean it has loot and it has shooting, ok but I don't ignore it.

I quoted it already in OP that it isn't a looter shooter. For example:
- No way it has the diversity level of loot requires for this, or you call all shooter with loot as looter shooter which isn't proper.
- No way it has the loot scaling range required by a looter shooter.
- No way it has an overall design favoring shooting grinding.
- No way it has legendary loot focus and drop design that has any proper looter shooter.
- If it has a NG+ it's no way compatible with a looter shooter as all loot is lost.

I suppose you want that Starfield isn't tagged RPG for your own reason, but it's plain wrong, Starfield is mainly a RPG, most of the planet agree on this.

[HeyYou]

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

Originally posted by Low Standards:

This game is a looter/shooter. Why ignore it?

It isn't at all a looter shooter, if it's what you mean with "looter/shooter". If you mean it has loot and it has shooting, ok but I don't ignore it.

I quoted it already in OP that it isn't a looter shooter. For example:
- No way it has the diversity level of loot requires for this, or you call all shooter with loot as looter shooter which isn't proper.
- No way it has the loot scaling range required by a looter shooter.
- No way it has an overall design favoring shooting grinding.
- No way it has legendary loot focus and drop design that has any proper looter shooter.
- If it has a NG+ it's no way compatible with a looter shooter as all loot is lost.

I suppose you want that Starfield isn't tagged RPG for your own reason, but it's plain wrong, Starfield is mainly a RPG, most of the planet agree on this.

Where are those requirements detailed? How much loot does it need to have? What type of loot are we talking about? Scaling? What qualifies as a 'real' looter/shooter?

What I am seeing, is your own personal preferences here, and that's it. We get you don't care for the game, but, inventing non-existent 'qualities'??? That's a reach.

[Krash Megiddo]

Originally posted by Low Standards:

This game is a looter/shooter. Why ignore it?

This is one of the few suggestions I disagree with the OP. The Looter/shooter gameplay is surprisingly good.

[Flanker1Six]

Originally posted by Low Standards:

This game is a looter/shooter. Why ignore it?

Nailed it. +1

[Jarsonne]

Originally posted by Krash Megiddo:

Originally posted by Low Standards:

This game is a looter/shooter. Why ignore it?

This is one of the few suggestions I disagree with the OP. The Looter/shooter gameplay is surprisingly good.

And what would be the looter shooter related suggestions for a first play?

Let see:
- Grinding places to try for random loot: No.
- Play and replay procedure generated areas: No.
- Play and replay some fun areas: No.
- Grind for resources, crafting: No.
- Play and replay some areas with friends: No.

But if you have looting shooting suggestions, ok but list them please.

Originally posted by HeyYou:

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

It isn't at all a looter shooter, if it's what you mean with "looter/shooter". If you mean it has loot and it has shooting, ok but I don't ignore it.
...

Where are those (looter shooter) requirements detailed?

How I know? Firstly it comes from Diablo like using shooting and it's a domain I focused on since long including for the shooter looter variation since Hellgate, secondly for example:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looter_shooter

But also please stop misguide other players, there's limit to subjectivity. Sure it can be played as a looter shooter or a building game, but it would be fun for very few players, and it would be a very weak looter shooter or building game;
- You cannot get better items with grinding or very marginally.
- You cannot play NG+ without loosing all loot.
- Weapons and armors have only 4 quality levels with 0 to 3 traits, that's trash shooter looter drop design.
- At level 40 max 45 you already got all weapon types, that's not even past most full plays.

Looter shooter isn't anything with shoot and loot, stop that, looter shooters:
- Hellgate: London, the first, a bit a crap or very average quality but still a date.
- Obviously popularized with Borderlands series.
- Indie and a bit obscure and very special but still noteworthy, EYE Divine Cybermancy.

MMO looter shooter:
- Destiny
- Warframe
- Anthem half fail

I'll skip quote the many Roguelite shooter looter that often focus more on unlocks than loot.

I'll also skip quote all the view from above or iso like view shooter looter which is by itself a subgenre of wide indie genre including also such specific looter shooter. Moreover it's very specific because the view changes hugely the shooting gameplay.

Starfield is no way related to anything tagged looter shooter.

Originally posted by HeyYou:

What I am seeing, is your own personal preferences here, and that's it. We get you don't care for the game, but, inventing non-existent 'qualities'??? That's a reach.

There's preferences and flexibility, I loved some Diablo like and some looter shooter. But no Starfield can be played that way and be good or fun.

At reverse Starfield is, past problems, quite good to be played as a RPG of some type. it's not about preferences but play the game smartly for what it is good for.

[Liquid Inc]

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

dig it before believe it's just junk.

?
What on earth does this even mean? i might not be the best at English, but this is nonsensical...

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

Starfield is mainly a RPG very open focused on quests (not just main story):
- Don't try play it as a sandbox it isn't good for that.
- Don't try play it as a looter shooter it isn't good for that.

??

It's not great at quests, it's better at the other 2... There are some decent questlines but the game isn't going to last long if you overly focus on questing, as per the previous games... It's a sandbox set in space, especially when you consider the ship builder...

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

Build your character, you can't pick all skills

- Don't try pick all skills, try design your character build along the first play.
- I would suggest still pick and only skill level 1, above is optional, the two skill: Boostpack and Stealth both level 1. The first to be able use jetpacks, the second to have a bar showing detection level when in stealth.
- Grind to get many more levels will only burn you, it's no proper looter shooter.
- Apply some patience, the design is to make character building somehow slow because of skills unlock challenges, skills rows, plenty skills, first levels of skills weaker, more.

These are just your way of playing Im into my fourth NG and haven't even picked Boost Pack Training yet. I can't even use those, and they're certainly not required.
If you *need* to jump higher, you can use AMP which is everywhere, plentiful and can be made with low level requirements...

The last 2 points are just.. random words strung into a sentence; "the design is to make character building somehow slow because of skills unlock challenges,"... ?
Kill 5 enemies, destroy 5 ships or take 750 shield damage is slow? I mean, these are just things you complete while using the skill.... The shield damage one will probably complete in just 1 ship battle.... Im not seeing the problem with that?

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

Game changer: Jetpack boost forward command

- Find how use jetpack boost forward.

? Find how use English?

at this point Jarsonne goes from understandable English, to illegible and i gave up reading it....

[Krash Megiddo]

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

Originally posted by Krash Megiddo:

This is one of the few suggestions I disagree with the OP. The Looter/shooter gameplay is surprisingly good.

And what would be the looter shooter related suggestions for a first play?

Let see:
- Grinding places to try for random loot: No.
- Play and replay procedure generated areas: No.
- Play and replay some fun areas: No.
- Grind for resources, crafting: No.
- Play and replay some areas with friends: No.

But if you have looting shooting suggestions, ok but list them please.

I get the feeling we're talking about different things with the label "looter shooter". There're places I go early game now that I know where to find them. There's loot I need early. I have to shoot NPCs to take their loot. Maybe I should call it "shooter / looter" in that order.

Nova Galactic Staryard of the MQ
The Mantis side quest
Vulture's Roost

I would recommend anyone do these activities in a first play through, because.. you know we need loot early and a fun way to get loot is shoot and kill NPCs that have it.

[Jarsonne]

Originally posted by Krash Megiddo:

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

And what would be the looter shooter related suggestions for a first play?

Let see:
- Grinding places to try for random loot: No.
- Play and replay procedure generated areas: No.
- Play and replay some fun areas: No.
- Grind for resources, crafting: No.
- Play and replay some areas with friends: No.

But if you have looting shooting suggestions, ok but list them please.

I get the feeling we're talking about different things with the label "looter shooter". There're places I go early game now that I know where to find them. There's loot I need early. I have to shoot NPCs to take their loot. Maybe I should call it "shooter / looter" in that order.

Nova Galactic Staryard of the MQ
The Mantis side quest
Vulture's Roost

I would recommend anyone do these activities in a first play through, because.. you know we need loot early and a fun way to get loot is shoot and kill NPCs that have it.

Looter shooter is a specific genre, shooting and looting are core elements of Starfield which is a RPG.

But I really don't see any tips for better fun, the shooting isn't targeted for high difficulty, you don't need any loot nor even any combat skill. Max difficulty is very playable or at least after a few level up and some part of character building to suit it better, or have get some more acceptable equipment.

Mantis is part of tasks and quests I already suggest focus on, I felt it was more spoiler to quote specifically some key points to play before leaving Starfield. It's a quite good POI with nice world reactivity consequences and some good loot, but it's small compared to one faction or main quests.

So eventually for specific shooting tricks:
- Try use various weapons they can be very different, and change weapon used can diversify combats.
- Try use jetpack during combats it can add special fun.
- There's 4 main ways to be quite more powerful in shooting combats, stealth, weapons mods, combats skills, resilience skills.

For special looting tricks:
- I honestly see none without spoilers, so check guides on where find best loots but no way any is required for shooting at max difficulty, but hardly so much required for a first play.

EDIT:
I also hinted to be aware on when it's time to find in other stuff including some shooting with loot, because yeah, more than once chain of dialog, talks and small actions with be too long for the player and it's time find another activity.

Edited OP to change to: "focus on quests BUT vary activities for maximizing your fun".

[Emphoise]

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

Let see:
- Grinding places to try for random loot: No.

Yes ? You can loot legendaries everywhere. Legendaries are fun and come with 3 random effects. Kill bad guys and loot those items.

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

- Play and replay procedure generated areas: No.

True, there are no proc gen dungeons in that game. The dungon pool is fairly large tho. If you don't like to hunt rare dungeons, simply use mission boards to get places to loot instantly.

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

- Play and replay some fun areas: No.

Yes ? Subjective, but some areas are really fun. You can speed run those you know really well. No save scum, only 1 save before starting allowed. NG+10 very hard. Time limit. Game can be surprisingly challenging too.

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

- Grind for resources, crafting: No.

Ship building is a very good money sink. Farm credits clearing hostile locations and spend them building the fleet of your dreams.
Hostile places are also a great source of misc items for outpost/ship/home decoration.
Obviously credits also help you buy resources needed for outposts.

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

- Play and replay some areas with friends: No.

lol

[Emphoise]

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

But I really don't see any tips for better fun, the shooting isn't targeted for high difficulty, you don't need any loot nor even any combat skill. Max difficulty is very playable or at least after a few level up and some part of character building to suit it better, or have get some more acceptable equipment.

Max difficulty is very hard on NG+10. Your hp goes down super fast and enemies have a lot of hps. Gear matters. Maxed skills matter.

Play time limit with no save scum and the game is by far the most challenging experience BGS has offered so far.

[Jarsonne]

@Emphoise:
- Grind to loot legendary:
Far from worth the price because it's not about playing a POI but replay it multiple times. Sure your subjectivity can make it worth the price. Seems we need agree to disagree or if you prefer subjectivity.

- Play and replay procedure generated areas: No
Seems we agree.

- Play and replay some fun areas: No.
I didn't mean through replays or NG+ as you commented, I focused on first play, I was meaning replay like some great area in looter shooter for which you say ok once more, because looter shooter are designed for that, not Starfield.

- Grind for resources, crafting: No.
Your answer is just for money, and for ship building which doesn't use any resource but money, it's only many non required ship building that will need quite more money, because there's already a lot of money from all main stuff and many quests related content.

[Jarsonne]

Originally posted by Emphoise:

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

But I really don't see any tips for better fun, the shooting isn't targeted for high difficulty, you don't need any loot nor even any combat skill. Max difficulty is very playable or at least after a few level up and some part of character building to suit it better, or have get some more acceptable equipment.

Max difficulty is very hard on NG+10. Your hp goes down super fast and enemies have a lot of hps. Gear matters. Maxed skills matter.

Play time limit with no save scum and the game is by far the most challenging experience BGS has offered so far.

It's unfortunates it needs reach many NG+ to be that because it's the poorest NG+ I ever seen.

But once again, I quoted it in OP, it's just for a first play perspective, replay or NG+ are a quite different affair.

[Emphoise]

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

I didn't mean through replays or NG+ as you commented, I focused on first play, I was meaning replay like some great area in looter shooter for which you say ok once more, because looter shooter are designed for that, not Starfield.

It's confusing when you mean "first play" and then talk about replaying areas ? Yes you can replay hostile places in SF, and it's not that bad

What great area in looter shooters are you referring to ? IE Every area in warframe looks always the same after a few hundreds hours, even with some proc gen variations

[Krash Megiddo]

Originally posted by Jarsonne:

- Play and replay some fun areas: No.
I didn't mean through replays or NG+ as you commented, I focused on first play, I was meaning replay like some great area in looter shooter for which you say ok once more, because looter shooter are designed for that, not Starfield.

I want to disagree with this, but I'm not sure I understand the criticism. Because there are mission boards that send us to different POIs to kill the boss. Each of those locations are different, unless its the same factory, etc. And that feels like what you say doesn't exist in SF.

Is it because we don't have a randomly generated POI that changes its layout each time you repeat it?