Starfield has a ton of features and ways to experience the game. But Outpost Building remains one of the most creative ways you can chart Bethesda’s enormous 1,000-planet galaxy. While there are optimal choices you can make to build the best Outpost setup for XP and resource farming, it can be fun to try and find the most aesthetically pleasing planet to build a home away from home. This guide will take both factors into consideration.
Four essential resources for Outpost building
While you may wish to start your first Outpost on any number of planets or moons, you’ll want to prioritize finding a location(s) rich in Aluminum, Nickel, and Cobalt. These resources will let you effectively power your Outposts with wind turbines. Iron is nearly as important as you’ll need this resource to construct Adaptive Frames and storage containers for resources.
Starfield is an enormous game, so opinions may differ on which resources are essential to prioritize. But given that Iron and Aluminum are necessary to construct Adaptive Frames (which are used in any number of construction projects) and are critical components for power and mining infrastructure, you’ll want to start here.
While you will eventually need other resources to expand your Outpost empire beyond a beginner level, securing these four resources will enable you to build and store more resources, as well as give you a possible surplus to sell for credits to find other critical elements such as Titanium, Tungsten, and Copper.
Also, for the best Outpost results, you’ll want to invest points in the Science skill tree as often as you can. Geology, Surveying, Scanning, Outpost Engineering, and Planetary Habitation are critical ones to invest in.
The best planet for your first Outpost
As documented by YouTuber Vash Cowaii, one of the best locations to start your first outpost is the moon Bessel III-b in the Bessel star system. But there’s a bit of a trick to finding the best spot, as you’ll need to locate a precise spot where three biomes overlap. Set a course for the planet first so you can identify the location of specific biomes.
You’ll want to look for a spot a touch south of the moon’s equator. The location in question is found between the Rocky Desert, Mountains, and Hills biomes. You want to find a spot where you can build an Outpost that can mine for Aluminum, Nickel, Cobalt, and Iron all at once. If you’re dead set on using this planet, do yourself a favor and do a hard save before landing as it can be tricky to find this exact location.
In my experience, as easy as Vash Cowaii’s video seems to make finding this spot, I’ve personally struggled to get to the exact location where the three biomes overlap. So I typically prefer to select other planets and moons for a starter Outpost. That said, the advantage of having a single spot to mine four critically essential resources without needing to send resources between planets saves a considerable amount of time and hassle. Your mileage may vary.
Other great starter planets
If you can’t find the exact location on Bessel III-b as highlighted above, you’ll still want to prioritize finding a planet and a location rich in as many of the four essential resources mentioned above. Such planets include Tau Ceti I and V, and Eridani II. Androphan in the Narion System is another favorite.
Aesthetic and quality of life considerations
Starfield’s space vistas can seriously impress, especially on moons orbiting ring worlds which can dominate the horizon. This makes moons orbiting ringed worlds, gas giants, and planets with lots of blue ocean and forests very nice picks for a sweet vista to wake up to every morning.
You may also wish to choose a planet with a rich atmosphere and low hazards so that your daily maintenance of resource flow isn’t also burdened with a need to survive. Still, some beautiful planets might be a little hazardous. But, hey, maybe the sights are worth the risk? Such planets include Sumati in the Narion System, Hyla II in the Hyla System, Zamka in the Alpha Centauri System (Jemison also has some pretty areas, which is in the same system), and Akila in the Centauri System.
With as many planets and moons as there are in Starfield, it’s difficult to pin down the most optimal and beautiful locations in just one list. But scouting out on your own and finding your own personal favorites is one of the ways to tailor your Starfield to your liking.
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