Starfield: Crafting and Research Mechanics

Starfield: Crafting and Research Mechanics

In Starfield, crafting and research enable the creation of weapon mods, base structures, buildings, space suit upgrades, medicines, and even food. Players can initiate research projects in Starfield to unlock new crafting recipes and options, which can be accessed by utilizing resources discovered while exploring. For instance, to acquire a new jetpack in Starfield, players must unlock it in the Research Laboratory, allocate the required resources to complete the research, and then craft it once the project is finished. To gain a better understanding, let’s delve deeper into what we know about Starfield’s crafting and research system.

Starfield research is divided into five primary categories that oversee various in-game activities and items, as listed below.

• Pharmacology
• Food and Drink
• Outpost Development
• Equipment
• Weaponry

In Starfield, various research domains enable the acquisition of associated equipment, upgrades, and modifications that can be utilized to enhance your gear, weapons, and facilities. For instance, delving into Pharmacology research may lead to advancements in medical equipment and the discovery of performance boosters. Focusing on Outpost development upgrades can result in increased resource extraction, while progress in Equipment research can lead to improved helmets and other gear through modifications. Similarly, Weaponry research unveils new modifications and attachments to augment firearms (more details on this later).

Character creation aspects, such as Starfield backgrounds, initial abilities, traits or skills, could potentially aid in crafting and research by accelerating timeframes, increasing efficiency, or amassing additional resources.

Starfield Crafting

Crafting in Starfield plays a crucial role in enhancing gear and serves as a primary purpose for the resources you collect. For instance, a Barrel Mod for a weapon requires the following resources to research:

• Iron (20)
• Nickel (20)
• Sealant (10)

Research Projects, which you can allocate resources to, consist of a completion percentage and specific resource requirements, thereby involving both time and cost. Furthermore, a Research Tree is available, unlocking new levels or variations for each completed research. As an example, Barrel Mod 1 leads to the discovery of Barrel Mod 2; however, it remains unclear whether this is an upgraded version or an entirely different mod. In an RPG setting, having various pros and cons to weigh and choose from allows players to customize and adapt their experience according to their preferred playstyle.

Bethesda demonstrated an example of how weapon modifications can alter gear by showcasing a pistol. The image depicts the basic model on the left, while the enhanced version on the right boasts improved features such as an iron sight, muzzle, laser sight, and extended magazine.

It appears that Starfield’s ship customization is not included in the crafting and research aspect, as it primarily involves purchasing parts rather than manufacturing them.