When to Plunder the Stars: Timing Your Crimson Fleet Adventure in Starfield
The Crimson Fleet questline in Starfield offers a thrilling descent into the criminal underbelly of the galaxy, packed with intrigue, moral dilemmas, and lucrative rewards. But when is the right time to embark on this piratical path? The short, definitive answer is: after completing the main questline. This approach minimizes potential bugs, avoids an early and sizable bounty with the Crimson Fleet that can complicate the main story, and allows you to fully appreciate the faction’s content without narrative interference. While it’s tempting to dive into the faction early, the benefits of delaying are significant.
Why Delay the Crimson Fleet Questline?
Avoiding Bugs and Bounties
Engaging with the Crimson Fleet questline too early can lead to complications. Primarily, you risk incurring a significant bounty with the Crimson Fleet faction if you engage them in combat during the main story missions prior to joining them as a faction. This makes navigating certain main story missions more challenging. Starting the Crimson Fleet storyline after the main narrative ensures that your interactions with the Crimson Fleet remain isolated to their specific storyline. It allows the questline to unfold with the least amount of frustrating glitches and bugs, giving you a smoother and more enjoyable experience.
Narrative Consistency
The main questline of Starfield is a grand narrative arc. Inserting the Crimson Fleet’s activities into the mix can sometimes feel disjointed, particularly if you are trying to play as a good, neutral, or lawful character. Waiting allows the main plot to unfold naturally, without conflicting with the Crimson Fleet’s more morally ambiguous missions. Completing the main quest first provides a solid foundation and context for your piratical choices and how you want to shape your experience.
Maximum Reward
The Crimson Fleet questline is rich in rewards. By waiting until after the main quest, you’ll often have higher skills, better gear, and a more well-equipped ship. This allows you to tackle the questline’s challenges more efficiently and fully appreciate the benefits. For example, The Key, the Fleet’s main hub, is far more valuable when you can fully capitalize on the vendors and their available items.
Companion Considerations
Your companions in Starfield often react to your choices. Siding with the Crimson Fleet may displease some companions, but by waiting until later in the game, you will have already established a base relationship with them and the negative impacts of your choices will have less of an impact on their opinions.
Should You Join SysDef or Crimson Fleet?
This is a key decision within the questline, but it ultimately comes down to your preferred playstyle and desired reward structure.
Joining the Crimson Fleet
If you value money, loot, and access to unique shops, aligning with the Crimson Fleet is the better choice. The Key is one of the best locations in the game to sell contraband due to the absence of scans when you arrive, making it highly beneficial for smuggling operations. Additionally, you gain access to the Crimson Fleet headquarters and their resources.
Joining UC SysDef
Siding with UC SysDef provides an opportunity to dismantle the Crimson Fleet and is more suitable for players who prefer a more lawful gameplay. However, you will lose out on the various vendor options and the access to smuggling options that the Crimson Fleet provides. Choosing this path also sets you on a path to a major conflict with the Crimson Fleet.
Kryx’s Legacy: The Final Choice
The culmination of the Crimson Fleet questline involves the decision of who receives Kryx’s Legacy. This choice has major consequences.
Giving Kryx’s Legacy to SysDef
Handing over Kryx’s Legacy to Commander Ikande at SysDef will lead to an assault on the Crimson Fleet. This is the path to dismantling the faction completely and removing them from the game.
Giving Kryx’s Legacy to Delgado
Choosing to give it to Delgado at the Crimson Fleet will result in an attack on SysDef, allowing the Crimson Fleet to triumph and cementing your place in their ranks. This solidifies your affiliation and access to their resources and base of operations.
Choosing a Path
Ultimately, both choices yield benefits, but the most important thing is choosing a path that aligns with your player character’s moral compass and your personal preferences for the rest of the game. Both choices result in a different final battle and a specific outcome that drastically changes your playthrough.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I join the Crimson Fleet without going undercover for SysDef?
Yes, you can join the Crimson Fleet without being a double agent for UC SysDef. If you get arrested and refuse Ikande’s offer, you can choose to join the Crimson Fleet directly.
2. What are the main benefits of siding with the Crimson Fleet?
Key benefits include 250,000 Credits, access to The Key, favorable treatment in Crimson Fleet territory, a large amount of useful vendor and smuggling options, and access to the powerful Crimson Wight ship.
3. Does joining the Crimson Fleet mean I can no longer do bounty quests?
No, you can still undertake bounty quests that involve killing Crimson Fleet ships. They will not be immediately hostile to you, but you are free to attack them.
4. Can I romance characters in Starfield?
Yes, you can romance companions in Starfield. Building a relationship with a companion is a feature and may lead to rewards.
5. What is the best ship the Crimson Fleet offers?
The Crimson Wight, particularly its upgraded versions (II or III), is the best ship that the Crimson Fleet offers.
6. How many missions are in the Crimson Fleet questline?
There are eight main missions in the Starfield Crimson Fleet questline.
7. Can I steal Kryx’s Legacy for myself?
No, you cannot keep Kryx’s Legacy for yourself. The game forces you to give it to either SysDef or the Crimson Fleet.
8. Where do I pay my Crimson Fleet bounty?
You can pay off your Crimson Fleet bounty at any bounty kiosk in space controlled by the Freestar Collective or United Colonies. This is the same method as paying off other faction bounties.
9. What is The Key, and why is it important?
The Key is the main headquarters of the Crimson Fleet. It’s a key location for selling contraband because it does not scan ships upon arrival, which makes smuggling very easy. It is also home to numerous unique vendors.
10. Can I join both the Crimson Fleet and UC SysDef?
You can join UC SysDef to infiltrate the Crimson Fleet, but you will need to choose which side to align with. You cannot be on both sides at the same time.
11. What are the consequences of having my companions dislike my actions in the Crimson Fleet?
Your companions may become unhappy with your actions, but ultimately it doesn’t heavily impact the game.
12. What happens if I attack a Crimson Fleet ship while being a member?
You will gain a bounty with the Crimson Fleet if you attack their ships. However, if no one is around to witness it, you may avoid the bounty.
13. Should I use persuasion or fight the Crimson Fleet captain?
It’s usually better to fight the captain as you can collect additional loot from their corpse.
14. Can I complete the main quest and then return to join the Crimson Fleet?
Yes, you can complete the main quest and then proceed to join the Crimson Fleet. This order is recommended for the smoothest gameplay experience.
15. Is Sebastian Sallow from Hogwarts Legacy evil?
This is unrelated to Starfield, but Sebastian’s motivations are complex. He doesn’t consider himself evil but he is on a path that many see as harmful due to his actions and goals.
By waiting until after the main story, you’ll be well-equipped, informed, and ready to make the best choices for your piratical adventure in the stars. This will also allow you to fully immerse yourself in the story of the Crimson Fleet without narrative conflicts and the worry of early game glitches or issues. Happy pirating!