Building a ship in Starfield - an extensive part of the gameplay, which not only allows you to experiment with the designer and try your hand at creating starships, but also upgrade the ship. The ship editor opens up access to many new modules, thanks to which you will be able to fly long distances, transport contraband and quickly deal with ill-wishers.
In the guide we will tell you how to assemble a ship in Starfield, how the starship designer works, what are the best modules and will help you solve errors that arise during the construction of the ship.
How to start building a ship in Starfield
Building a ship in Starfield will become possible for the first time during the story quest. One small step [One Small Step]. As part of this task, you will need to make a gravity jump to Jamison, and then land in New Atlantis [New Atlantis]. Upon disembarking from the starship, you will immediately meet the Ship Services Technician.
For more convenient orientation on the ground, you can use interactive map.
The mechanic NPC is found in a number of large cities, near the main landing site. Talk to a specialist and choose a replica "I would like to view and change my ships" [I'd like to view and modify my ships]. After this, a window for modifying the vessel will open.
You can find a ship maintenance technician in each city using a separate guide shopping in Starfield.
In ship view mode, press "B" to open the ship designer. In addition, it is worth noting a skill that will allow you to install various ship modules - Star design [Starship Design]. It opens at the third stage of the Technique branch. For more powerful reactors you will need to upgrade your skill Piloting [Piloting] from the same section.
Which ship modules to choose
In the construction mode, you can select different parts of the ship: shield, reactor, weapons and much more. Next, we will talk about the best representatives of each category.
Ship's weapons
The first place in the list of all weapons is occupied by Atlatl 280C missile launcher. It attacks at a distance of up to 4000, has a low rate of fire, but extremely high damage to both shields and the hull - 264. Maximum power - 4. It penetrates almost any starship hull, but it is worth noting the disadvantage - it must be aimed.
In second place there are two weapons - KE-49A autocannon to break through the hull and Ultraviolet pulsed laser Torch-P 250 MW [Torch-P 250MW UV Pulse Laser]. Both weapons have an extremely high rate of fire and cause significant damage to enemies.
For a more pacifistic game, you can purchase electromagnetic weapons - Firebolt 4000 Suppressor [Firebolt 4000 Suppressor]. It has a relatively good rate of fire for its class, does not damage either shields or the hull, but disables enemy ships.
In addition, it is worth considering turrets, they are extremely useful because they do not need to be controlled, but the damage they cause is constant. There are several options you can look at:
- Disruptor 3340A Alpha Beam Turret.
- Turret with Mauler 106T automatic cannon [Mauler 106T Autocannon Turret].
- Pulse laser turret Blaze-P 2GW SX [Blaze-P 2GW SX Pulse Laser Turret].
Engines
The [Engine] is necessary for the movement of the ship and determines the speed of its movement.
Two representatives of this category can be considered as a good engine:
- Poseidon DT230 – the best engine in the game, which has no equal. It has the highest Engine thrust, as well as the highest Maneuvering thrust. It will cost 40 credits, and to open it you need level 280 of the Star Design skill.
- White Dwarf 2010 – one of the most suitable engines in the early game. Costs only 6 credits, provides the highest speed (000 - engine force, 11340 - maneuvering thrust), and is also available at the very beginning of the game.
Shields
All parts of the ship are important, but shields will significantly protect yourself and save a decent amount of credits. There are two shield generators to consider here:
- 101D Guardian Shield [101D Guardian Shield] – has a high maximum power of 6 units, maximum health reaches 680, regeneration rate – 5%.
- Shield Generator Deflector SG-20 [Deflector SG-20 Shield Generator] – slightly inferior to the “Guardian”, since it only has 4 units. maximum power and 375 health units. In contrast, it has a slightly higher regeneration rate - 10%.
Gravity drives
The Grav Driver module will allow the ship to move from one system to another by jumping. Upgrading this part of the vessel will open up the opportunity to reach the most distant destinations, increasing the jump range. Speaking about the best modules, it is worth mentioning the following:
- Helios 200 gravity drive [Helios 200 Grav Drive] – has a high gravitational pull, as well as a good health indicator.
- Alpha gravity drive R-2000 [R-2000 Alpha Grav Drive] – costs a little more than Helios, but the performance differs only by 2-3 units.
Both drives are almost identical in characteristics, they have an identical jump range. Helios is lighter, which does not greatly affect mobility, but has less health.
Reactors
Another extremely important main part of any starship is reactor. This module is the ship's power source; it determines how many companions can be used, as well as the efficiency with which they will be operated. Power levels can be redistributed during flight to enhance or weaken certain functions. Two reactors deserve special attention:
- SF40 Shear Flow Reactor [SF40 Sheared Flow Reactor] is the best reactor in the game, the cost of which is completely justified. The only module of this category that will provide a power of 40 units. This will allow the use of many parts without redistributing energy. It can only be obtained in high-level locations: Red Mile and The Den.
- 360T Stellarator Reactor [360T Stellarator Reactor] – one of the best reactors in the early game. Provides a power of 20 units, does not require any skills and has extremely high performance for its price (17860 credits).
How the ship editor works in Starfield
When you log into the ship designer, you will find a huge amount of information:
- In the upper left corner are ship systems and their limits.
- Below you can see module information, which the cursor is hovering over.
- In the upper right corner you can see balance: yours, and also see the maximum loan amount.
- At the very bottom of the screen there is a detailed ship statistics: mobility, carrying capacity, shield and hull health, and weapon stats.
Above the stats there are control buttons in the ship creation menu:
- Left CTRL – customizing an existing ship: moving modules and viewing them.
- Mouse wheel (Mouse 3) – moving in the editor without rotating the camera.
- G – add a new module from the store.
- C – checking the flight, module functionality and viewing weapons.
- Tab - exit.
- J – changing the color of the module the cursor is hovering over.
- Delete – deleting the selected part.
- G – attaching modules to the selected part of the ship.
- Space – editing the selected module.
- CTRL+Z – cancel the action.
How to assemble a ship
If you don’t want to improve the starship and replace parts one by one, you can build the ship from scratch. Easiest start construction from the c**kpit [Cockpit] to add various modules to it. Having placed the cabin, point at one of several grooves (they are highlighted), then click on “G” - “Attach”. You can proceed in any order, but there are recommended instructions:
- Attach one or more living quarters [Habs] to the c**kpit.
- It is necessary to add a Landing Device [Gear] to the living quarters.
- To the back of the ship (to the component with cabins) place the main fragments of the ship: the reactor, gravity drives, and engines.
- At the bottom of the starship, place the landing compartment [Landing Bay], as well as the cargo compartment of the ship [Cargo].
- Attach a Docker to the housing module; it is needed for docking with other ships or star stations.
- On accessible parts of the ship, such as the c**kpit, dock, structural cosmetic components, place weapons. Armament can also be attached to the bottom.
- On the same slots where you can add guns, place a fuel tank and a shield generator.
The storage on the ship deserves special attention. A starship's cargo bay directly affects the ship's inventory, as it determines how many items can be loaded onto the spaceship. It follows that if there is not enough space, it is necessary to replace this module in order to increase the ship's carrying capacity. Of course, a more spacious hold will affect the weight of the vessel. If the starship is overweight, it will not be able to pass the test and will be unsuitable for operation.
How to change a ship
To improve your own, purchased or stolen ship, you will also need to switch to constructor mode. Next, you need to navigate through specific modules, changing them to suit your needs. For change ship colors hover over one of the components, then click “J" A menu for changing colors will open: modules have from 1 to 3 colors, each of which can be changed in hue, saturation and brightness.
If you suddenly want to change the name of the ship in Starfield, you can do this in the same section. Click on "C" to go to the flight check section, then click on "G" to rename the ship. In the window that appears, enter the desired name (can also be in Cyrillic), then press “E” to confirm.
Speaking of upgrading your ship, there are two ways you can do it. First - pumping through the improvements section. While in the main menu, do not go to the designer, but press “E”. A list of all components will appear above the characteristics of the vessel. By switching between them using the “A” and “D” keys, you can view them all. Having selected the desired module, click on it. The component replacement menu will open; in just one click you can improve the starship by replacing one specific part.
An alternative way to change the ship is through construction mode. Having selected the desired module, place it in the desired location. The junction points are marked on all parts of the starship with blue circles. If you can’t place the module, remove the existing ones and put new ones in their place. This option is suitable in situations where you want to change the location of components or rebuild a specific part of the ship.
When modifying the ship manually, remember to do a flight check and look for warnings and errors. This section will allow you to understand what is missing on the ship for better condition, or to see for what reasons the starship cannot fly.
Errors when assembling a ship and their solutions
When building or modifying a ship yourself, a number of errors may occur that will prevent you from flying. Next, let's look at the most common ones.
Unattached modules
Error Unattached modules [Unattached Modules] occurs when some part of the ship is not connected to the rest. No component can be separated from the housing.
Unassigned weapon
A warning Unassigned weapon [Missing Weapon Assignment] occurs when new weapons are added to a ship. If you have attached any attacking module, go to the “Flight Check” section, then to the “Weapons” tab by pressing “T”. Click on one of the lines, then select the desired module in the drop-down list to bind it.
Low mobility
Error Low mobility [Low Mobility] occurs due to the fact that the weight of the ship exceeds the permissible limit for the engine installed on the ship. There are two options to fix this:
- Reduce the weight of the ship by removing certain modules, for example, cosmetic ones.
- Replace or improve the engines so that the ship's thrust covers its weight.
More gravity jump thrust required
Error More gravity jump thrust required [Need More Grav Jump Thrust] is extremely similar to the previous one. If you decide to make a warehouse on the ship or add more cosmetic elements, the weight of the ship will exceed the limits of gravity drives. In this case, the solutions are similar:
- Reduce weight.
- Increase gravity jump thrust.
Errors with compartments
Many errors occur with compartments, dockers, c**kpits and living compartments:
- Incorrect docker module position [Invalid Docker Module Position] – the docker must be located on the outside of the ship. The occurrence of an error means that this module is located lower than any other.
- Unable to reach the c**kpit from the landing bay [Cannot Reach Cockpit from Landing Bays] - The error occurs because there is another component between the landing bay and the c**kpit that cannot be passed through.
- Can't get into the c**kpit from the docker [Cannot Reach Cockpit from Docker] – problem identical to the previous one. There is a component between the docker and the c**kpit that cannot be passed through.
Useful tips for creating a ship in Starfield
Next, we will give some tips on creating a ship in Starfield, which relate to both regular gameplay and the construction process itself.
Upgrade your skills to build a ship
If you intend to actively engage in the construction and improvement of starships, you should think about upgrading two extremely useful skills. By leveling up your character, do not forget about the rank of skills:
- Piloting [Piloting] – increases the turning speed and maneuverability of the ship, unlocks the ability to control class B and C ships.
- Star design [Starship Design] – allows you to install the following types of ship modules: improved, top class, new, experimental.
In a separate article, they showed best builds in Starfield, among which there is a space traveler build.
Increase the ship's carrying capacity
When changing the appearance of a starship and upgrading it, do not forget about ship storage. Installing a more spacious hold will not only allow you to unload your inventory to the nearest settlement with traders, but also get several slots for hiding contraband.
Modify modules individually
If the goal is not to globally change the appearance of the ship, or to swap any components, it is better to modify the ship through the improvements panel. If you remove modules and then install new ones, you may stumble upon errors, especially with regard to weapons. By pumping components through the appropriate menu, you can avoid all the troubles.
Start construction with the main parts of the ship
The space for building a ship looks extremely unusual and difficult. Earlier it was said that it is worth starting to create a ship from the c**kpit. However, it is worth noting that, from an interface point of view, it does not matter which module comes first. The starship always moves to the middle, centering the camera.
Use different module classes
A number of modules, such as weapons, have a class rating. To install Class B weapons, an appropriate reactor is required. However, it is worth noting that this does not work the other way around: lower class parts can easily be combined with a more powerful reactor.
Examples of ships created in the designer
Creating a ship in Starfield is not only a technical process, but also a creative one. Next, we will provide several ideas for building a starship.
Millennium Falcon
Almost complete copy Millennium Falcon from Star Wars. In this ship, the basic design of the starship is completely repeated, with the exception of small details. With all this, the ship has a class A reactor, and repeating it will not be difficult.
Black pearl
Black pearl remade to suit the cosmic realities of Starfield: engines were added instead of sails. The basic style and form have been preserved; they are easily recognizable as “Pirates of the Caribbean”.
Cargo ship train
Another player created a space version of a freight train. This spaceship is perfect for playing the role of a star trucker, but you will have to equip it with many engines to compensate for the mass.
Normandy
In the key of comparisons Starfield with Mass Effect one would have expected the creation of a ship from the second project - the Normandy ship was practically recreated 1 in 1 in the game from Bethesda.
Thomas the Tank Engine
This ship is a copy of Thomas the Tank Engine, but it will be extremely difficult to make it fly and fight.
Read on:We hope that our guide helped you understand how to create a ship in Starfield, which modules to choose, how the editor works, and how to solve the most common mistakes when building a ship. If you have any questions, ask them at commentswe will definitely answer. Read complete guide to Starfield with useful tips and other game guides in the corresponding site section.
Why publish incorrect data? The best engine in category C is not the Poseidon DT230, but the SAL-6830.
Just show the maximum carrying capacity of a ship with mobility above 23, 46, 69 with DT230 engines and crews of 4 or more.
SAL-6830 allows you to assemble a ship with characteristics: mobility - 73, range - 29, cargo - 13115, crew - 8, missiles - 1135, score -101, frequency - 47, shielded containers, jammer, all workbenches.
Reducing mobility to 20 and range to 24 allows you to increase cargo to 32400.
Thanks for the clarification. We will try to double-check the information and update the material if necessary.
Thank you you are the BEST! everything is worthy and understandable!
Glad to try!
Good afternoon When you try to click on mouse1 (there is a scorch-s 80mw turret), an error occurs - the turret cannot be manual and does not fire. What to do in this case?
Perhaps the reason is that this turret is automatic. Therefore, it will not be possible to shoot it manually.
Turrets are not manually controlled. They aim automatically at targets within range and fire themselves. They are convenient to use for shooting enemy ships outside the range of the main guns. But we must also take into account that they will not shoot “through” their own ship. That is, they need to be placed in the “tail” of the ship and, when installed, rotated (z key) so that they look back. Then they will shoot those who try to come from behind the ship.