Cracking the Code: What’s the Best Background in Starfield?

Choosing the “best” background in Starfield is like picking your favorite star in the night sky – it depends on what you’re looking for! There’s no single answer, as the ideal background is entirely dependent on your desired playstyle. However, if forced to pick a generally advantageous option, the Ronin background stands out due to its versatility and early-game benefits. It grants starting skills in Stealth, Swordsmanship, and Persuasion, offering a solid foundation for a range of approaches, from sneaky assassin to charismatic negotiator. The added benefit of finding extra credits certainly doesn’t hurt either, giving you a financial head start. Ultimately, it’s a balance of understanding what each background provides and how it synergizes with the type of adventure you envision.

Decoding Starfield Backgrounds: More Than Just Flavor Text

Beyond the narrative flavor, each of the 21 backgrounds in Starfield directly impacts your gameplay. They provide three starting skills, which essentially determine your initial strengths and influence how you approach challenges. These skills aren’t just nice-to-haves; they can be the difference between successfully persuading a stubborn merchant, picking a crucial lock, or getting the drop on a hostile alien. Careful consideration of these starting skills is paramount.

Analyzing Popular Background Choices

Let’s delve into a few of the frequently mentioned “best” backgrounds, and why they resonate with different players:

• Ronin: As mentioned earlier, this background offers a blend of stealth, combat, and social skills. It’s perfect for players who enjoy a more subtle approach, but also want the option to engage in close-quarters combat.

• Cyber Runner: An excellent choice for those who love the stealth build. Starting with Stealth, Security, and Theft skills allows you to become a master of espionage, bypassing security systems and pilfering valuable loot.

• Bounty Hunter: If you envision yourself as a spacefaring lawman (or lawbreaker), this background grants skills in Piloting, Targeting Control Systems, and Boost Pack Training. This emphasizes the spaceship part of the game and allows for creative starship designs. It’s tailor-made for those who want to dominate the skies.

• Diplomat: For players who prefer to resolve conflicts through words rather than weapons, the Diplomat’s skills in Persuasion, Diplomacy, and Negotiation are invaluable. This is ideal for a roleplaying experience where charisma and intellect are your primary tools.

• Explorer: The Astrodynamics, Surveying, and Botany skills granted to Explorers make this background fantastic for players who enjoy venturing into the unknown, discovering new planets, and scanning for valuable resources.

Traits: Enhancing Your Character’s Identity (and Quirks!)

While backgrounds provide your initial skillset, traits offer a unique layer of customization, adding both benefits and drawbacks to your character. These traits are entirely optional, but they can significantly shape your gameplay experience. It’s critical to read each trait carefully and understand the potential ramifications.

Highlighting Top-Tier Traits

• Kid Stuff: This trait gives you parents who occasionally send you gifts and visit you. The downside is that you have to send them 10% of your credits each week. Despite the financial burden, the unique interactions and content make it a worthwhile choice for many players.

• Dream Home: Provides a luxurious player home early on, offering a great base of operations. However, you’ll need to pay a weekly mortgage of 500 credits to GalBank. Despite the debt, the value of having a spacious and well-equipped home from the start can be huge.

• Extrovert/Introvert: These traits affect your companion gameplay. Extroverts perform better when adventuring with human companions, while Introverts excel when going solo. Choose based on your preferred playstyle.

• Faction-Specific Traits (Freestar Collective Settler, Neon Street Rat, United Colonies Native): These traits provide unique dialogue options and interactions within their respective factions. They’re excellent for roleplaying, but can limit your interactions with other factions.

• Raised Enlightened/Raised Universal/Serpent’s Embrace: These religious traits offer unique dialogue options and access to faction-specific content. The Raised Universal trait is generally preferred for its bonus to O2 recovery, which is beneficial for aggressive playstyles.

Considering the “Best” Stealth Build

If you’re determined to become a master of stealth, the Cyber Runner background is unequivocally the best choice as it provides Stealth as a starting skill. Maxing this skill early, along with the Concealment skill from the Physical tree, will make you virtually undetectable. Prioritizing skills like Security and Theft will further enhance your ability to infiltrate secure locations and acquire valuable items.

Starfield FAQs: Everything You Need to Know

Here are 15 frequently asked questions regarding backgrounds, traits, and character building in Starfield:

1. How many backgrounds are there in Starfield? There are 21 unique backgrounds to choose from.

2. Can you change your background after starting the game? No, your chosen background is permanent and cannot be changed once the game begins.

3. What is the best background for making money? While no background is strictly “best” for making money, the Ronin and Industrialist backgrounds can provide a slight early-game edge due to increased starting credits or access to resource-gathering skills.

4. Is the Dream Home trait worth it? Yes, for many players, the Dream Home is well worth the weekly mortgage. The size and quality of the home far exceed other early-game housing options.

5. Is Kid Stuff a good trait for Starfield? Many players find Kid Stuff to be a very fun and rewarding trait, adding a unique element of familial connection to the vastness of space.

6. What skills should I prioritize early on? Persuasion, Security, Medicine, and Boost Pack Training are generally considered excellent early-game skills.

7. How many ships can I own in Starfield? You can own a maximum of 10 ships at any given time.

8. What is the best ship to acquire early in the game? The Razorleaf is an excellent early-game ship, offering a good balance of firepower and maneuverability.

9. Can I romance characters in Starfield? Yes, you can romance specific characters in the Constellation faction: Sarah Morgan, Barrett, Sam Coe, and Andreja.

10. Can you get divorced in Starfield? Yes, you can get divorced by speaking to your spouse and ending the marriage.

11. What is the most expensive house in Starfield? The Sky Suite in Neon’s Trade Tower is the most expensive, costing 235,000 credits.

12. Is Starfield bigger than Skyrim or Fallout 4? Yes, Starfield is significantly larger than both Skyrim and Fallout 4, boasting around 1,000 explorable planets.

13. What is the level cap in Starfield? There is no level cap in Starfield, allowing for continuous character progression.

14. Is Alien DNA a good trait to take? Alien DNA can be beneficial early on for the extra HP, but it can also hinder future builds if you rely heavily on healing items.

15. Which faction should I join? It depends on your preferred playstyle. The United Colonies are a popular choice due to their questline involving infiltrating the Crimson Fleet.

Final Thoughts: Crafting Your Starfield Legend

The most important takeaway is that there’s no inherently “bad” background or trait. It all comes down to crafting a character that aligns with your desired gameplay experience. Experiment, explore, and don’t be afraid to embrace the quirks and challenges that your choices present. Starfield is a vast and open universe, and the best way to experience it is to create a character that resonates with you. Learn more about the power of learning through games at the Games Learning Society by visiting https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. After all, every choice you make shapes your unique Starfield legend.