Outposts | Starfield Wiki

How do Starfield Outposts Work?

Starfield Outposts are unique and can be customized to adapt to the needs and available resources on that territory. Outposts in Starfield usually feature at least one Power source that will produce and provide power to the facilities and in return, the facilities will generate resources through Extractors and Builders, or provide Defenses using Turrets. There is an Operation Cost for these facilities to run to continue production and is the upkeep that you have to maintain. The operation cost varies depending on the module that you are constructing.

The path to building your first Starfield Outpost will begin after speaking to Vasco, one of your possible companions in Starfield. You will first encounter them at The Lodge in Jemison, and they will be the one to give you the activity 'Start an Outpost on a Planet' and give you brief information about how Outposts work. After that, you may continue exploring Planets or do your Missions. Once you find a Planet to build on, you will need to place down an Outpost Beacon. This will define the area that you can build on including the Power Source, Outpost Modules, Facilities, and other Miscellaneous buildings and items. From there, players can now decide the look and resources to gather or materials to produce.

Before beginning to build an Outpost, make sure to survey the Planet that you are building on to see what Resources you can gather from them. Some planets are rich in Minerals and have various types that can be collected from them. You can check the Resources you can gather by viewing them from the Star Systems or by using the Scanner once they land on the planet.

How to Unlock Starfield Outposts

As you play Starfield, you will come across multiple NPCs and Companions that can help you in your journeys across Systems. One of the important ones that you will meet is an AI called Vasco. Vasco is a possible companion that you can have in Starfield and is also the one responsible for giving you an activity so you can start building Outposts. This initial contact will happen at The Lodge in Planet Jemison. Aside from offering you their services, they will give you the activity 'Start an Outpost on a Planet'.

During this conversation, Vasco will also inform you about the importance and benefits of building Outposts as you discover new Planets and territories. The next time that you are traveling, you will get the prompt to begin your activity of building Outposts. Your first objective is to place down an Outpost Beacon which serves as a guide that will mark the area where you can place your buildings, facilities, and Modules.

Where to Build Outposts in Starfield?

Players can build an Outpost on any Planet that they can land on. However, some of the things to consider are the resources available and if the planet is abundant with resources. It is important to note that building Outposts will require resources, so it is important to perform a survey of a planet before you proceed to build an Outpost. Instead, opt to construct a Scan Booster, which is a Miscellaneous building that doubles the range of your hand scanner, making surveying more efficient. Building a Scan Booster doesn't require much, and only requires a Power of 3 to operate.

Investing in a Scan Booster on planets you visit will make the stay worthwhile and will let you finish surveying a planet quicker. Once you have surveyed the planet, then, you can decide on the layout and the facilities needed for that specific planet.

How to Build Starfield Outposts?

Building Outposts in Starfield requires specific resources. These resources will vary from one module/facility to another, and they can usually be gathered while exploring a Planet/Moon, or by purchasing them from the various Vendors that you will meet in different locations. Then, once you have built the facility, make sure to check that you have the resources needed to operate them.

The main thing to consider when building an Outpost is producing enough power to maintain it. To begin, first put down your Outpost Beacon, then, identify the type of Power suitable for that planet. Once you have that built, you can now move on to the Extractors, or your resource generators, then to other facilities and Modules. See the list of categories that you can build on Starfield Outposts:

• Extractors - These facilities offer Resource Generation and require Power to operate
• Power - Generates Power and provides it to the Outpost
• Storage - Store any kind of resource such as solid, liquid, gas, or manufactured goods
• Builders - Manufacture simple goods
• Structures - Simple Buildings that you can connect and construct
• Crafting - Build your own stations to accommodate research, upgrades, and more
• Defenses - Modules that can provide defense to your Outposts
• Robots - Increases the production rate of organic, inorganic, manufactured resources
• Furniture, Decorations, Display - Design your own outpost with these Modules
• Miscellaneous - Outpost Improvement

Each of the categories provides a specific feature for your Outposts. Initially, players can choose to build an Outpost on any habitable planet. This refers to planets that have milder conditions. However, investing in Planetary Habitation skills is recommended if you want to be able to construct in Planets with more extreme conditions.

What are the Starfield Outpost Stats?

You can see these stats while you are on Build mode and making sure that you have enough power is essential to creating a long-lasting and sustainable Starfield Outpost. Pay attention to the traits of the planet such as sunlight exposure, atmosphere, and available resources.

Building Basics: Starfield Outposts

To create an Outpost on your chosen Planet, the first thing you will do is to place an Outpost Beacon. A good tip for placement is a wide location preferably a levelled area. Once you have found the spot, if you're using a controller, press LB, and press X to begin placing the beacon. Then, press A to finalize it. Once your Outpost Beacon is placed, you can now begin building and adding modules, structures, and furniture to your Outpost.

In Build Mode, press LB and RB to navigate the available categories that you can build. The required materials will be shown on the left panel of your screen. On the image below, you will see the red highlighted resource which is Membrane. This means that the resources are incomplete and the construction will not be started for the Extractor - Water Vapor. Resources in Starfield can be gathered from Planets or by purchasing from Vendors. To help navigate while in Build mode, you may opt to switch to 'Flycam' mode by pressing the Menu Button. This will give you a bird's eye view of your Outpost. This is particularly helpful when building large structures.

When it comes to constructing habs, these are smaller structures that can be linked together with Hallways and will create a cohesive structure. Starfield features an automatic link between habs and entrances into these modules are automatically created. Moving around and deleting modules is also made easy in Starfield. All you have to do is to highlight or select any Outpost object and if you choose to delete it, you will be given a full refund of the building cost. 

Additionally, some color schemes may be changed as well by higlighting the object and pressing LB. This will show you the color options for that specific item. For clearing the building area, players can simply move the screen around and press A to remove rocks and unwanted obstacles. This will give you a free-zone to build on. Another thing to keep in mind is that there is a limit to placing Outpost Beacons, if you manage to reach the limit, you will need to remove an existing beacon to replace another one. 

Solar Array

• Solar Array is a type of Power source that gets energy from sunlight. This type of power is best used on Planets that get enough sunlight. 
• Provides 4 Power

Resources Needed:

• Beryllium 2
• Aluminum 4
• Copper 3

Wind Turbine

• Wind Turbine is a type of power source that generates more power on planets with a thicker atmosphere.
• Provides 3 Power

Resources Needed:

• Cobalt 2
• Nickel 3
• Aluminum 5

Fueled Generator

• Fueled Generator is a type of power source that doesn't depend on the environment but instead, require Helium-3 (He-3) as fuel.
• Provides 20 Power

Resources Needed:

• Isocentered Magnet 1
• Tungsten 4
• Austenitic Manifold 1
• Tau Grade Rheostat 1

Generate Resources on Starfield Outposts

Starfield Outposts can generate resources by constructing Extractors- this is a type of building that consumes power for it to run. Extractors depend on a constant supply of Power to make sure that you will be able to generate resources continuously.

There are many different types of Extractors available in Starfield Outposts. Some of these extractors need to be constructed on top of a resource vein. A good example is the Benzene extractor, this type on needs to be placed on top of a Benzene resource to begin extraction. These resource veins will be highlighted when you are pre-building any extractor in Build Mode. On the other hand, an Atmospheric Extractor pulls resources from the atmosphere. This means that it is not necessary to construct it on top of a resource vein and can be placed anywhere. However, all Extractors have a radius around them preventing you from Building another Extractor within each other's radius.

There is no limit to how many Extractors you can build aside from managing your power supply and the building area provided by the Outpost Beacon.

Recruiting Crew for Starfield Outposts

Crew Members on Starfield can be recruited and assigned to Starfield Outposts where they can provide various effects depending on their skills. With the right members, they will be able to maintain the selected Outposts. Make sure to hire and assign crew members as needed, and look at the skills that they offer to maximize their handling and provide a buff depending on the companion/crew's skills.

To begin recruiting crew for your Outposts, you need to build a Crew Station. This is a miscellaneous type of Outpost module that lets you assign a crew or companion. After building your first Crew Station, simply pull up the Crew Menu and choose the crew or companion that you'd like to work on the specific task. Then, you will see a list of available outposts and ships and available slots for assignment. Go ahead and select your desired outpost and that will assign them to the task.

Decoration, Furniture, and Displays

Starfield Outposts provides customization that will let you decorate your Outposts to make it feel like your 'home away from home'.  Players can fully make a base their own by adding finishing touches and additional objects that will make it unique.

Customize your Starfield Outposts

Starfield Structures are an essential part of an Outpost. The Outpost Structures are habs (short for habitat) and these parts will dictate the type of crew you can recruit and need as well. These are not only for decoration but they are also functional in Outposts. There are Science Habs, Hydroponic, and Military habs. These buildings can be freely built and connected provided that you have the required resources. Aside from that, Outpost Structures in Starfield require a combination of Airlocks and Hallways to create entrances and exits.

Outposts Improvement: Miscellaneous & Robots

Exceptionally prosperous Starfield Outposts will have Robots and Miscellaneous Items to improve the quality of life and produce more resources. There are various types of Robots that you can build in Starfield called Mini bots that will increase the production rate of all organic, inorganic, and manufactured resources. These mini-bots do not consume power but are limited to a build number of 3 per category.

Miscellaneous buildings on the other hand, while they are not required to maintain your Outposts in Starfield, these buildings aim to improve the quality of life in Starfield. They can allow the transfer of goods within a system, or even across systems. You can also install a Landing Pad so you can directly land on your Outpost when traveling. 

You can get more modules and items to construct on your Outpost by doing Research projects on the Research Laboratory.

Build Storage Facilities on Starfield Outposts

Storage Facilities on your Starfield Outposts will let you store any kind of materials and resources. This includes any solid, liquid, or gas and they have each of their own containers. On your Outposts, you may also construct facilities that can manufacture goods and store them, or by building a Transfer Container, you can access the cargo on your Outpost while on board your ship. 

How to Transfer Goods Using Link Cargo in Starfield

Link Cargo is one of the best things that is featured in Starfield. It not only links your Outposts from one Planet to another, but you can even link them between Systems. So this means that wherever you have stationed your outpost, as long as you have set up 2 Link Cargo, then you are good to have your goods transferred, and connected. To understand how it works, first, you have to note that there are 2 kinds of links:

• Cargo Link
• Cargo Link - Inter System

The first one, Cargo Link, refers to the transfer of goods between two outposts on the same System and does not require fuel to function. On the other hand, the Cargo Link - Inter System, will let you transfer goods between two outposts, in two different Systems, and needs fuel to function (Helium-3). Helium-3 is a resource that can be collected from various planets or purchased from Vendors.

Additionally, an Output Link also allows the automatic transfer of your goods from Extractors. You can do this by going into Modify mode and highlight any of the extractor, storage container, or builder. Then, press RT and select 'Output Link', and select the storage container or builder you'd like to link to and press A. By doing this, any resource extracted with automatically move into the container.

Transfer Container in Starfield Outposts

Moving cargo from your Outposts to your ship is made easier by building a Transfer Container. This will allow you to access the cargo of your Outpost from the transfer menu while on board your ship and the good thing is that only one of the Transfer Container can be built per outpost. Moreover, a Transfer Container may still be used like a regular storage by using a Cargo Link,  and linking it to builders, extracts, containers, or cargo links. 

Build Crafting, Labs, and Workbench on Starfield Outposts

At the start of the game, players will get to use a pretty accessible Research Station in their ship any time they need to use one. Additionally, The Lodge will also have workstations ready for use at any time as well. Then, players can also choose to construct workbenches on their Starfield Outposts making it the everything-in-one station. This is optional but a great addition to your Outpost, so that way, you can stop at one place and have everything you need there. Players can choose to construct any of the available Workbenches, Stations, and Labs available in Starfield Outposts. 

Research plays a major aspect in Starfield's progression. This allows players to learn new mods for their personal weapons and improvements for their ships. Not only that, Crafting in Starfield also grants you access to limitless possibilities in terms of weapon mods, aid items, medical supplies, equipment upgrades, and more. 

How to Build Defensive Modules

The initial set of blueprints that you will receive from Vasco will contain 3 types of Defense Modules. These will provide defense to your Outposts and all you have to do is to gather the materials required, and then construct it on your Starfield Outposts. These Defense Modules have an operation cost of 3 Power, so you need to make sure that your Outpost will be able to provide and sustain the needs all throughout for protection against hostiles even while you're out traveling on a different system.

When Vasco first gives you the activity 'Start an Outpost on a Planet', he tells you that the blueprints will be on the watch given to you. You can access the blueprints you can build by going into build mode after placing an Outpost Beacon, and navigating the available categories.