What Happens to Your Old Ship Cargo in Starfield?
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When you acquire a new ship in Starfield, whether by purchase, theft, or reward, your old ship doesn’t vanish with all its contents. Instead, the game employs a straightforward system for handling your cargo. The short answer is: all the items in your old ship’s cargo hold are automatically transferred to your new ship’s cargo hold. However, there are crucial limitations and nuances you need to understand to manage your ship inventory effectively. If your new ship has a smaller cargo capacity, the game allows the transfer but does not allow you to add anything new to it until you remove enough items to get you under the limit of the new ship. For example, if your old ship had 1500/2000 capacity and your new ship has a 200 capacity, your new ship’s cargo will show as 1500/200, and you will have to manually move the items.
Understanding Cargo Transfers in Starfield
The automatic transfer system is designed for convenience, ensuring that you don’t lose precious resources when upgrading your vessel. The game’s primary focus is on maintaining a smooth and uninterrupted gameplay experience, so there is no need to worry about losing your hard-earned loot, materials, or other items that have been stored.
Cargo Hold Capacity Limits
The critical aspect is the cargo capacity of your new ship. If the new ship’s capacity is smaller than the amount of cargo in your old ship, the transfer still occurs, but your new ship will be considered over capacity. You will be shown an inventory that exceeds the actual ship’s capacity, however, you will not be able to add any more items until you have reduced the stored items to below the ship’s maximum capacity. This can sometimes be a hassle, requiring you to transfer items to an outpost or sell them, but it prevents you from losing your items.
The Impact of Over Capacity
Being over capacity doesn’t directly hamper your ship’s performance or speed; rather, it locks you out from adding anything new until you clear the excess. It’s essentially a soft cap that ensures you manage your resources effectively. This system encourages you to periodically organize your cargo, transfer excess items to outposts, or sell unnecessary materials.
Ship Acquisition Methods and Cargo Transfers
There are several ways you can acquire new ships in Starfield, each with its own subtle considerations regarding cargo transfer.
Buying New Ships
When you buy a new ship at a spaceport, the cargo transfer is seamless. Your old ship’s inventory will automatically move over to your new ship. The only thing to keep an eye on is, as mentioned previously, the new ship’s capacity compared to the old one.
Stealing Ships
Stealing ships is a common activity in Starfield, and the cargo transfer process is the same as when you buy a ship. Your old ship is sent to some hidden part of the universe and you can always switch back to it from any Ship Services Technician. When you steal a ship, the cargo automatically transfers from your old ship to the new one, even though the game visually shows your old ship flying away.
Reward Ships
Acquiring ships as rewards from quests or factions also follows the same transfer process. Whether it’s the Razorleaf obtained through the Mantis side mission or the Star Eagle earned by completing the Freestar Collective questline, you’ll find all your old items loaded on board your new reward ship.
New Game Plus
When starting a New Game Plus, your inventory, including ship cargo, typically gets reset. This means any ship cargo you had in your old save will not carry over when you enter NG+.
Managing Your Ship Cargo
Efficiently managing your cargo is crucial for a successful Starfield experience. Here are some tips:
- Regularly Check Your Cargo: Keep an eye on your cargo hold, especially after making big changes to your ship or looting several locations.
- Utilize Outposts: Use Ship Transfer Containers at your outposts to move large quantities of items into storage.
- Sell Excess Goods: Periodically sell excess resources or items to vendors at spaceports to clear space.
- Prioritize Valuable Items: Focus on keeping essential materials or high-value items that you need for crafting, research, or selling.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does ship cargo transfer automatically when I switch ships?
Yes, the game automatically transfers all items from your old ship’s cargo hold to your new ship’s cargo hold when you acquire a new vessel, provided the new ship has the capacity to store everything.
2. What happens if my new ship has a smaller cargo capacity?
If your new ship has a smaller cargo capacity than your old ship’s content, your cargo will still transfer, but you will have an over-capacity situation that prevents you from adding new items until you remove enough to be below the limit.
3. Where does my old ship go when I get a new one?
Your old ship is simply stored by the game, and it will remain stored until you need to make it your home ship again.
4. Can I lose my cargo when switching ships?
No, you will not lose any items during a ship transfer. The game ensures all your items move from your old ship to your new one.
5. How can I see my ship cargo?
You can view your ship’s cargo by opening the inventory menu and then cycling over to the ship’s inventory. You can view this cargo from inside your ship or even on the ground in a city.
6. Can I store items in my outposts instead of my ship?
Yes, you can transfer items from your ship to your outposts using Ship Transfer Containers, which are part of the outpost building mechanics.
7. How do I use Ship Transfer Containers?
Create an output link from the Ship Transfer Container to various storage containers (solid/liquid/gas/warehouse). Then, press the inventory key to cycle to your ship inventory and select the items to store.
8. What happens to all the loose items in my ship when I modify it?
When you make any modification to your ship in the ship builder interface, Starfield sends all loose items in your ship to the cargo hold. This includes any mugs, board games, or random items you might have placed on shelves and other areas.
9. Is there a way to increase my ship’s cargo hold capacity?
Yes, you can increase your ship’s cargo hold capacity by purchasing ship parts, modules and upgrades from ship technicians or at your own Outpost’s ship builder.
10. Can I sell cargo items?
Yes, you can sell any items in your cargo hold to vendors at spaceports and other locations. Be aware there are some vendors that will not purchase contraband.
11. What are shielded cargo holds?
Shielded cargo holds can be used to hide contraband items from security scans. These can be useful if you are looking to transport illegal goods.
12. Can I keep stolen ships?
Yes, you can keep stolen ships. Once you interact with the ship’s pilot seat, it becomes yours. You must, however, Grav Jump or land on a planet to make it your home ship.
13. Can I sell stolen ships?
Yes, you can sell stolen ships at any ship services technician or outpost shipbuilder kiosk. If the ship has contraband, you need to go through extra steps in the sales process.
14. How many ships can I own?
You can own up to ten ships at once. Once you reach this limit, you will need to sell a ship before acquiring another one.
15. What is the best way to get more ships?
You can acquire ships through multiple means, including buying them, stealing them, and receiving them as rewards for traits, missions, and in-game activities.