Starfield <\/strong>is finally on our horizon and early access is now live! The game launches on Xbox Series X|S and PC (with Game Pass) on September 6 \u2013 or on September 1 with the Starfield Premium Edition, Starfield Premium Edition Upgrade, or the Starfield Constellation Edition \u2013 and we at Xbox Wire have been lucky enough to play it early. This is an enormous game, full of overlapping systems, mysteries, and mechanics.<\/em><\/p>\n We\u2019re sure you want to know more and, in the spirit of getting you ready to play it yourself, we\u2019ve put together a series of articles focused on getting you out into the galaxy prepared for what\u2019s to come. Allow us to present Starfield Starters<\/strong>, a four-part, spoiler-free guide to some of the game\u2019s most important, complex, and lesser-known features \u2013 and how to succeed with them.<\/em><\/p>\n Creating your character isn\u2019t quite the first thing you do in Starfield<\/em>, but it\u2019s close. So, what better way to launch the Starfield Starters<\/em> series than with a guide to creating your perfect starship captain?<\/p>\n Character customization is where you will name your character, design their physical appearance, select a background (your occupation, not a wallpaper), and optionally choose up to three traits. The process is straightforward and not unlike your typical character customization feature, and Bethesda is known for having some of the best.<\/p>\n There are generally two methods to designing your character\u2019s physical appearance. One involves spending hours to painstakingly pore over every option, carefully tweaking each setting right down to the color temperature of your complexion and the amount of dirt on your face (yes, that\u2019s an option). The other technique is to opt for one of the forty existing profiles, so you can hop right into the game and start exploring this beautiful new frontier. Either method is acceptable.<\/p>\n Creating your character is extremely easy and intuitive, but there are some tips and tricks to know in advance, that may save you from having to restart the process (or saving up enough credits for the in-game plastic surgeons located in major hub cities). This guide will help ensure you\u2019re aware of everything you need to know.<\/p>\n TIP:<\/strong> Starfield<\/em> will create a saved game file labeled Vectera \u2013 Vectera Level 1 just before you enter the character customization screen. If you want to go back and redo your character without having to replay through the introduction, you can reload this file.<\/p>\n TIP:<\/strong> You can have multiple character profiles. When you select load from the options menu, there is an option to select the character you want to load.<\/p>\n From the Biometric ID tab, you initially select a character from one of the forty available profiles. These vary in age, gender, and appearance and can be used as-is or as a base model to customize further in the other sections.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the body section, you will have a few different options to work with. The first is a circular scale allowing you to choose between degrees of muscular, thin, and heavy physiques. Selecting a dad bod won\u2019t impact your stamina \u2013 so no pressure to create a crossfit champion. You can choose that if you\u2019d like, but for my build, I started in the center and moved it up a click or two on the muscular scale. And maybe a tad on the thin side while we\u2019re at it. I mean, if I\u2019m imagining myself as bounty hunter off exploring the galaxy, I might as well be thin and muscular while I\u2019m at it. They say spacesuits add ten pounds, so keep that in mind. From here, you can choose your body type, walk style, and skin tone to perfect your overall look.<\/p>\n The face section has by far the largest number of customization options and allows you to modify several different facial features. Some of these options even include the option to refine the setting, providing even more precision to your character\u2019s customization. There are far too many individual facial settings (over 30) for me to cover each one individually, especially since the quantity and types vary depending on the body type you select, but suffice it to say you have a plethora of customizations to explore. These options are clear and depend on personal preference, so have fun tinkering!<\/p>\n Here\u2019s where things start to get more unexpected. The background portion of your personal record is essentially your occupation and starting skills, and one of the few things you\u2019re absolutely required to choose before finalizing your character. There are 21 different backgrounds to choose from \u2013 20 are identified, but there is also a unique one that is named [File Not Found] for those looking for a character with a more mysterious past.<\/p>\n Each background type includes three starting skills, and some of these skills are available in different backgrounds (for example, the Bounty Hunter and Soldier both have Boost Pack Training as one of their starting skills, which is necessary to start jetpacking around).<\/p>\n One of the biggest takeaways I hope you get from this guide pertains to those skills. When you first start playing Starfield<\/em> and you\u2019re browsing the background section of the character customization screen, you won\u2019t have access to the skill tree yet, which includes the specific benefits of each skill. Instead, you will see a brief summary of that skill. The specific benefit of a starting skill is revealed after you pick it and start the game.<\/p>\n The key thing to know is that certain abilities are locked behind skills \u2013 you won\u2019t be able to use a boost pack without a point in Boost Pack Training, and you won\u2019t get a stealth meter if you haven\u2019t invested in Stealth. If you definitely want to be able to access these from minute one, pick a background that contains them.<\/p>\n My best advice would be to focus on the kind of roleplaying you want to do when choosing your background, as opposed to picking based on specific skills. The flexibility of Starfield<\/em>\u2019s skill tree is such that you\u2019ll be able to take any path you choose and allocate a skill point to any ability you want fairly quickly, so if there\u2019s a backstory you like, but the skills don\u2019t feel quite right for your playstyle, don\u2019t worry! It won\u2019t be long until you can pick up the ones you like (and we\u2019ll cover skills in more detail later in our Starfield Starters<\/em> series).<\/p>\n The other area where your background comes into play is with dialogue options. Depending on the conversations you have, your background choice may be referenced, and sometimes you\u2019ll be provided with a dialogue option fitting your background \u2013 and some of these can change the course of conversations significantly. It\u2019s always a pleasure to see your background pop up in the dialogue menu, and knowing you\u2019re getting an experience that fits your particular path, so choose yours with care.<\/p>\n Traits are optional and you can select up to three of them from a list of seventeen. They\u2019re designed to add a little flair to your character\u2019s story, should you choose one or more of them. If you have big plans to own your own mansion in Starfield<\/em>, the Dream Home trait may be the one for you, but it comes with a hefty 125,000 credit mortgage that has to be paid weekly.<\/p>\n Paying a big mortgage sounds too much like real life for me, so I passed on that one, but I did like the tribute to The Elder Scrolls IV: <\/em>Oblivion<\/em>\u2019s Adoring Fan with the Hero Worshipped trait. It took all of a few days of in-game time before this fellow showed up standing right behind me. I didn\u2019t even hear him come into the room, and the unintended jump scare made me think I was going to have to change my spacesuit. I won\u2019t share the details of his fate in my game, but let\u2019s just say you have\u2026 options with how to respond to your overly passionate follower.<\/p>\n Aside from their stat changes, traits can also appear as additional dialogue options during conversations. I put my United Colonies Native trait to good use and now I get free drinks at a local bar. Some traits are incompatible with others (for example, you can\u2019t select the Introvert and the Extrovert traits), and there are traits with both positive and negative effects. Think of these as roleplaying choices \u2013 some traits may lead you to certain locations a little earlier than you otherwise might have expected, and others may actively cause you difficulties, but offer you extra stories to tell as a result. That said, you may soon discover the impact of a trait isn\u2019t always permanent, if you have the credits to spend. We\u2019ll let you discover the results for yourself.<\/p>\n You have your physical appearance done, your background and optional traits selected, so all that\u2019s left to finish up and begin your journey is naming your character and selecting your pronouns if you need to change them.<\/p>\n Your character\u2019s default name is Player and you will have to enter a name in order to continue (yes, you can name your character Player if you want, but you will still have to type it in the box). One neat thing \u2013 many common names are included in the Starfield<\/em>\u2019s files, and picking a recognized one will have your robot companion VASCO actually refer to you by name throughout the game. Once all that is done, your journey begins!<\/p>\n If you thought that was the end of Customizing Your Perfect Captain, it\u2019s actually only the beginning. You\u2019ll soon be choosing what apparel to wear, spacesuits and helmets to equip, weapons to carry, spaceships to captain, and so much more! We\u2019ll be covering several of these Starfield <\/strong><\/em>topics in future installments of Starfield Starters<\/em>.<\/p>\n \t\t\t Bethesda Softworks<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\u2606<\/span>\u2606<\/span>\u2606<\/span>\u2606<\/span>\u2606<\/span> \n\t\t\t\u2605<\/span>\u2605<\/span>\u2605<\/span>\u2605<\/span>\u2605<\/span>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n\t\t\t\t$99.99<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n\t\tStarfield is the first new universe in over 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity\u2019s greatest mystery.
\t\t\t Bethesda Softworks<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\u2606<\/span>\u2606<\/span>\u2606<\/span>\u2606<\/span>\u2606<\/span> \n\t\t\t\u2605<\/span>\u2605<\/span>\u2605<\/span>\u2605<\/span>\u2605<\/span>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n\t\t\t\t$69.99<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \n\t\tStarfield is the first new universe in over 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning creators of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. In this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars, create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity\u2019s greatest mystery.
\t\t\t Bethesda Softworks<\/p>\n![\"Starfield](\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Starfield-Starters-Character-Creation-3-d53e1091d206c1c2ff03.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Starfield](\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Starfield-Starters-Character-Creation-4-821387b122aedc824f21.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Starfield](\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Starfield-Starters-Character-Creation-11-31303d417e5277c15b34.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n
\nBiometric ID<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\nBody<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Starfield](\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Starfield-Starters-Character-Creation-5-e0430751f0b0140cef8c.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nFace<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Starfield](\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Starfield-Starters-Character-Creation-6-95edd8e037eca38e241d.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nBackground<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Starfield](\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Starfield-Starters-Character-Creation-7-b11ac79a417ffc20371d.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Starfield](\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Starfield-Starters-Character-Creation-10-cfd107da7907e5ce79a3.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Starfield](\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Starfield-Starters-Character-Creation-9-5a63bf2a9dbe93bf5c6a.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nTraits<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Starfield](\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Starfield-Starters-Character-Creation-8-eea678c238856f31da2f.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n
\nWe\u2019re Almost There<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n![\"Starfield](\"https:\/\/news.xbox.com\/en-us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/08\/Starfield-Starters-Character-Creation-2-481d8f31ead75d4a878c.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n
\nSpace is Calling<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Xbox](\"https:\/\/assets.onestore.ms\/cdnfiles\/sfw-service-web-onestore-onerf-2017-11-8-12\/store\/common\/images\/xbllogo_black.png\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n![\"Xbox](\"https:\/\/assets.onestore.ms\/cdnfiles\/sfw-service-web-onestore-onerf-2017-11-8-12\/store\/common\/images\/xpalogo_black.png\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\nStarfield Premium Edition<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t14<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\n***
\nPre-order now and receive \u201cOld Mars Skin Pack\u201d in-game bonus skins:
\n\u2013 Laser Cutter
\n\u2013 Deep Mining Helmet
\n\u2013 Deep Mining Pack
\n
\nPremium Edition includes:
\n\u2013 Starfield Base Game
\n\u2013 Shattered Space Story Expansion (upon release)
\n\u2013 Up to 5 days early access*
\n\u2013 Constellation Skin Pack: Equinox Laser Rifle, Spacesuit, Helmet and Boost Pack
\n\u2013 Access to Starfield Digital Artbook & Original Soundtrack
\n
\n* Actual play time depends on purchase date and is subject to possible outages and applicable time zone differences.
\nCloud play not available during Early Access
\n***
\n
\nIn the year 2330, humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. You will join Constellation \u2013 the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy \u2013 and navigate the vast expanse of space in Bethesda Game Studios\u2019 biggest and most ambitious game.
\n
\nTELL YOUR STORY
\nIn Starfield the most important story is the one you tell with your character. Start your journey by customizing your appearance and deciding your Background and Traits. Will you be an experienced explorer, a charming diplomat, a stealthy cyber runner, or something else entirely? The choice is yours. Decide who you will be and what you will become.
\n
\nEXPLORE OUTER SPACE
\nVenture through the stars and explore more than 1000 planets. Navigate bustling cities, explore dangerous bases, and traverse wild landscapes. Meet and recruit a memorable cast of characters, join in the adventures of various factions, and embark on quests across the Settled Systems. A new story or experience is always waiting to be discovered.
\n
\nCAPTAIN THE SHIP OF YOUR DREAMS
\nPilot and command the ship of your dreams. Personalize the look of your ship, modify critical systems including weapons and shields, and assign crew members to provide unique bonuses. In deep space you will engage in high-stakes dogfights, encounter random missions, dock at star stations, and even board and commandeer enemy ships to add to your collection.
\n
\nDISCOVER, COLLECT, BUILD
\nExplore planets and discover the fauna, flora, and resources needed to craft everything from medicine and food to equipment and weapons. Build outposts and hire a crew to passively extract materials and establish cargo links to transfer resources between them. Invest these raw materials into research projects to unlock unique crafting recipes.
\n
\nLOCK AND LOAD
\nSpace can be a dangerous place. A refined combat system gives you the tools to deal with any situation. Whether you prefer long-range rifles, laser weapons, or demolitions, each weapon type can be modified to complement your playstyle. Zero G environments add a chaotic spectacle to combat, while boost packs give players freedom to maneuver like never before.\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\nStarfield Standard Edition<\/h2>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t14<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n
\nIn the year 2330, humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. You will join Constellation \u2013 the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the galaxy \u2013 and navigate the vast expanse of space in Bethesda Game Studios\u2019 biggest and most ambitious game.
\n
\n***
\nPre-order now and receive \u201cOld Mars Skin Pack\u201d in-game bonus skins:
\n\u2013 Laser Cutter
\n\u2013 Deep Mining Helmet
\n\u2013 Deep Mining Pack
\n
\nStandard Edition Includes:
\n\u2013 Starfield Base Game
\n
\n***
\nTELL YOUR STORY
\nIn Starfield the most important story is the one you tell with your character. Start your journey by customizing your appearance and deciding your Background and Traits. Will you be an experienced explorer, a charming diplomat, a stealthy cyber runner, or something else entirely? The choice is yours. Decide who you will be and what you will become.
\n
\nEXPLORE OUTER SPACE
\nVenture through the stars and explore more than 1000 planets. Navigate bustling cities, explore dangerous bases, and traverse wild landscapes. Meet and recruit a memorable cast of characters, join in the adventures of various factions, and embark on quests across the Settled Systems. A new story or experience is always waiting to be discovered.
\n
\nCAPTAIN THE SHIP OF YOUR DREAMS
\nPilot and command the ship of your dreams. Personalize the look of your ship, modify critical systems including weapons and shields, and assign crew members to provide unique bonuses. In deep space you will engage in high-stakes dogfights, encounter random missions, dock at star stations, and even board and commandeer enemy ships to add to your collection.
\n
\nDISCOVER, COLLECT, BUILD
\nExplore planets and discover the fauna, flora, and resources needed to craft everything from medicine and food to equipment and weapons. Build outposts and hire a crew to passively extract materials and establish cargo links to transfer resources between them. Invest these raw materials into research projects to unlock unique crafting recipes.
\n
\nLOCK AND LOAD
\nSpace can be a dangerous place. A refined combat system gives you the tools to deal with any situation. Whether you prefer long-range rifles, laser weapons, or demolitions, each weapon type can be modified to complement your playstyle. Zero G environments add a chaotic spectacle to combat, while boost packs give players freedom to maneuver like never before.\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\nStarfield Premium Edition Upgrade<\/h2>\n