Those familiar with Fallout 4's settlements system will be happy to know that an even more feature-rich version made its way over to Starfield. The Starfield outpost building system allows you to set up camp on any of the thousand planets across the Settled Systems.
Outposts aren't just for show, as they provide you with many benefits once you set them up; they are great for storing your wares, acting as remote mining stations, and simply a nice place to kick back and relax after a hard day adventuring.
In this guide, we'll teach you how to design and build outposts in this Starfield outpost building guide.
What Is an Outpost in Starfield?
Setting up an outpost is a reasonably simple task. You need to select a planet and have some free outpost slots available. When starting out, you can have eight outposts throughout the Settled Systems. However, the Planetary Habitation skill tree allows you to take this up to a total of 16 outposts.
Once you've landed on a planet and designated a location for your new outpost, you can then drop an Outpost Beacon, and it will mark the area as your new settlement. You can drop the Outpost Beacon by pressing X on Xbox and R on PC.
How to Build an Outpost
Once you've placed down the beacon, the surrounding area will be designated for building. You can then enter Build Mode to customize your outpost. In build mode, you can choose from various base buildings, defences and structures. Note that each of these will require resources and power to place down, and building an outpost can be expensive.
In build mode, you can use the first-person view or a top-down mode view. There's also a Modify Mode, which lets you place wires, move objects and even change their appearance.
You can also delete objects, which refunds their cost in full. So don't worry too much about wasting resources while building; you can get them back whenever.
Last, we have Clear Mode, which lets you clear up obstacles in any area so that you can freely build there.
Setting up Your Outpost
There are lots of considerations that go into setting up a good outpost. Here are some important factors to keep in mind.
Best Skills for Outposts
There are several skill trees that will make life a bit easier when embarking on a new outpost project.
Science Skilltree
Research Methods
Rank | Perks |
|---|---|
One | Resources required to craft items and complete research projects are reduced by 10%. |
Two | Resources required to craft items and complete research projects are reduced by 20%. |
Three | Resources required to craft items and complete research projects are reduced by 40%. |
Four | Sudden developments during research are twice as common. Resources required to craft items and complete research projects are reduced by 60%. |
Outpost Engineering
Rank | Perks |
|---|---|
One | You can construct improved outpost modules and research additional modules at a Research Lab. |
Two | You can research and construct superior outpost modules. |
Three | You can research and construct cutting-edge outpost modules. |
Four | Outpost modules now cost 50% fewer resources to build. |
Planetary Habitation
Rank | Perks |
|---|---|
One | You can build outposts on planets with extreme temperatures (Deep Freeze and Inferno). Increases the maximum number of outposts you can build by four.
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Two | You can build outposts on planets with extreme pressure. Increases the maximum number of outposts you can build by eight. |
Three | You can build outposts on planets with toxic or corrosive atmospheres. Increases the maximum number of outposts you can build by 12. |
Four | You can build outposts on planets with extreme gravity. Increases the maximum number of outposts you can build by 16.
|
Social Skilltree
Outpost Management
Rank | Perks |
|---|---|
One | Additional cargo links can be placed at outposts. |
Two | Additional robots can be constructed at outposts. |
Three | Additional crew can be assigned at outposts. |
Four | Outpost extractors produce twice as fast. |
How to Pick an Outpost Location
Before setting up an outpost, you need to scan the planet and see if it has the resources that you're looking for. If the resources you want seem plentiful, it's a good idea to head down and set up an outpost. Note that you can't build outposts on planets with extreme atmospheres until you get the relevant skill.
Once you finish setting it up, you'll have a mining and production facility set up. When starting out, Iron, Aluminum, and Copper are resources you should prioritize as they're used quite a bit early on. More on that later.
Pick the Right Energy Generator
There are three kinds of energy generators available in Starfield:
- Solar Array
- Wind Turbine
- Fueled Generator
You need these to power the various buildings and tools that you'll be adding to your outpost. However, note that you can increase energy output efficiency by picking the right generator.
For example, the Solar Array does great on sunny planets with long days. The Wind Turbine is excellent for planets with high wind speeds. Last, the Fueled Generator uses Helium for power. However, you can circumvent this by going to a planet with a helium-rich atmosphere.
Setting up a water extractor is also important, especially if you plan on attracting crew members and companions to inhabit your outpost.
Focus on Extractors First
While it may tempt you to create a bunch of Hab Units and decorate them with all your loot and trophies, we advise against this. Your first few outposts should be focused on extracting materials instead. You'll need a lot of resources to set up a good outpost, and it's not advisable to build without stocking up on materials first.
We suggest setting up extractors on planets rich in the following materials:
- Iron
- Aluminum
- Lead
- Titanium
These are the most important materials that you will require when setting up your basic outpost structures. You can use Cargo Links to transport these to your other outposts, and this will ultimately allow you to stock up a good amount of resources to make your ideal outpost.
Build Hab Units and Airlocks
You'll have the option to choose between various structures for your outposts in Starfield. You can choose Hab Units with different numbers of walls, different shapes, and sizes.
Some structures will be for specialized purposes, such as greenhouses for plants. Building is a fully modular process, and you can connect these structures with each other to build your dream home. In fact, you can even add windows wherever you'd like.
Just don't forget to add airlocks next to every structure on any planet with a dangerous atmosphere. Airlocks help isolate your structures and maintain a safe atmosphere inside. Airlocks require 2 Lead, 3 Sealant, and 3 Aluminum.
How to Defend and Protect Outposts
While you can set up an outpost anywhere, it's not always safe from raiders and the local wildlife. In fact, whenever you reach a certain amount of progress on a planet with hostile wildlife, they can attack your outpost. That's why it's essential to build defensive structures around your outpost, such as Auto Turrets and walls.
Building your outpost on a high location or a location surrounded by rocks and obstacles can also be a good deterrent.
Assign Crewmates
Some companions and crewmates can offer outpost buffs that increase the productivity and efficiency of your Outpost Structures.
For example, Heller has the Rank 3 Outpost Engineering skill that boosts your outpost's overall productivity. You can navigate over to your ship's menu and assign any of your companions and crewmates to help run your outposts.
How to Use Outposts
Here are the benefits and uses you can get from your outposts
- Mining the local materials automatically
- Storage facilities for your loot and gear
- A cool place to rest and relax that you can modify how you'd like
- A hub for your favourite NPCs
- Set up Cargo links to connect outposts and automate production and manufacturing processes
- Cultivate plants and extract resources
- Perform research on various new technologies
- Build a ship landing square that lets you build and upgrade ships
That's all you need to know on how to build and design your outposts, as well as how to defend and use them. While you're here, also check out our best starting builds and advanced shipbuilding guide.
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