Usually in Bethesda RPGs I am a stealth man. I am the dweeb who spent 200 hours of Oblivion crabwalking by means of within the shadows, dispatching enemies with sneak assaults and poisoned arrows. Hell, I used to be so stealthy I as soon as pickpocketed a scroll from an murderer’s butthole by means of a jail cell door with out him noticing. I did not even should take his pants off.
However in Starfield I am not a lot about stealth. I choose a straight-up battle. And the very best place to search out these fights is not in deserted analysis labs or pirate-controlled mining amenities and even huge orbiting area stations. The very best place for firefights is aboard enemy ships.
I do know it is tempting whenever you’re in a dogfight in outer area to maintain on firing till your enemy explodes and leaves a little bit of loot hovering amidst the wreckage. However restrain your self. Be discriminating along with your missiles and lasers. Disable that ship, do not destroy it. You will thank me later.
Disabling ships is not all that straightforward at first, however even with out sinking a ability level into the Focusing on Management System ability, it is achievable. Blast away at a ship with missiles and lasers till its shields are down, after which womp on it solely with EM weapons. You’ll be able to normally disable it earlier than it is utterly destroyed, after which board it.
When you do have the Focusing on Management Techniques ability, it is even simpler. Hold a goal in sight whereas the meter fills up, faucet R when it does, after which time slows down (virtually VATS-like) and you’ll solely goal your enemy’s engines. As quickly as they go crimson, you may cease blasting and begin boarding.
I am going to admit that in the first place the ships you tackle early in Starfield will not be all that a lot enjoyable to board and raid as a result of they will be small. Climbing a single ladder, strolling down a lone hall, and shortly murdering a pair spacers hunkered down within the cockpit is not significantly thrilling.
However maintain at it. As you degree up you will begin going through off towards a lot, a lot greater ships, ships with a number of ranges, with ladders and doorways and hatches to navigate. Some ships are an enormous, sprawling community of modules to stalk by means of, usually with properly over a dozen enemies simply ready so that you can stick your head across the fallacious nook. Starfield’s spaceships really feel like large videogame ranges, with tight corridors that really feel a bit claustrophobic however sufficient wider hab modules that you just wind up with a little bit of elbow room.
Better of all of your radar is nearly nugatory, as a result of on a ship 4 or 5 ranges tall, these crimson enemy pips could possibly be proper in entrance of you or three ranges above you. Climb up a ladder right into a module and you haven’t any thought if enemies might be ready, or what path they will be attacking from. So, overlook your HUD and embrace the chaos. Go from room to room like a commando, clearing the ship module by module, dropping spacers and Va’ruun cultists till you are the one one standing. Then climb a ladder to the subsequent degree and do it yet again.
Boarding ships is the very best a part of Starfield, a minimum of relating to fight. Some ships even have automated defenses like turrets that may blast away as you try to slink down a hall, actually making you are feeling such as you’re invading a flying enemy stronghold.
And whereas these frantic firefights are their very own reward, you are additionally gonna stroll away with quite a lot of further loot. Assist your self to the cargo, all of it, as an alternative of what will get parceled out whenever you blow a ship up. And remember that each ship in Starfield has a captain’s locker in or close to the cockpit: it is a particular container separate from the primary cargo maintain that is normally received a pleasant stash of credit, ammo, and different goodies. Assist your self! You’ve got earned it.
Since you have cleared the ship it is now yours, offered you have received the ability to fly it. Whereas commandeering ships is not actually a moneymaker—you will should spend cash to register it, and promoting will solely internet you a couple of grand on high of the registration payment—it nonetheless feels badass. Or you may maintain it and add it to your fleet, identical to an actual pirate would. Good searching, and bear in mind: do not blow ’em up. Board ’em.