Starfield: How to Build an Outpost

Are you trying to construct an outpost in Starfield, but being told you can’t? Are you having trouble finding the perfect planet to host your companions and expand your cargo capacities? Making a base is a pretty straightforward affair, but meeting certain requirements when picking a suitable location can make it seem difficult. Here’s how to build an outpost in Starfield.

How to Build an Outpost in Starfield

An outpost is a customizable base similar in design to those present in Fallout 4. While you’re not necessarily starting a settlement where there previously was one, you’ll be creating a habitable area for your companions to manage. These manned areas will allow you to trade cargo with your ship, harvest both organic and inorganic resources, and act as stopping points if you need one on the planet.

Constructing an Outpost

If you’re on a planet where the number of buildable outposts left shows up in white, you can drop a beacon there. This starts your base, and acts as your construction terminal. Interacting with the beacon lets you choose from the different categories of craftable technology, including robots, Water Extractors, and preconstructed units.

To make all of these items, you’ll need resources, especially aluminum, lead, and iron. Make sure you’re stocked up on those if you’re exploring specifically to plant a flag in some territory of your own.

If you’ve selected a background that doesn’t have the Planetary Habitation skill when starting the game, you’ll only be able to place eight outposts. The number of bases you can have, as well as the types of planets you can build on, increases as you develop the Planetary Habitation skill. Note that you can use console commands to gain levels quickly or get this perk if you choose, but they some do disable achievements.

Planetary Habitation Skill Detailed

• Rank 1: You can build outposts on planets with extreme temperatures (Deep Freeze and Inferno). Increase the maximum number of bases you can build by 4.
• Rank 2: You can manufacture habitats on planets with extreme pressure. Increase the maximum number of you can build by 8.
• Rank 3: You can build outposts on planets with toxic or corrosive atmospheres. Increase the maximum number you can build by 12.
• Rank 4: You can build outposts on planets with extreme gravity. Increase the maximum number you can build by 16.

When you reach Rank 4, you’ll be able to have a total of 48 outposts throughout the systems.

Best Planets to Build an Outpost On

Since outposts can be taken care of by companions you assign there, as well as robots you craft to collect resources, they can become very profitable as you get into the late game. These are the best planets and moons to build when starting out and when looking to tap into rarer resources.

• Andraphon orbiting Sumati in the Narion system: This is a great place to start your first Outpost.
• Zanka in the Alpha Centauri system.
• Codos, orbiting Akila in the Cheyenne system.
• Pyrocyon III in the Pyrocyon system: High amount of resources, making it great for a late-game base.
• Titan, orbiting Saturn in the Sol system.

Related: Should You Travel With a Companion in Starfield?

Outpost Engineering Skill Detailed

Similar to Planetary Habitation is the Outpost Engineering skill. Instead of dictating what planets you can build on, it steers what you can place in those habitats. You’ll be able to craft better technology to further increase your output, as well as the appearance of your base.

• Rank 1: You can construct improved outpost modules, and research additional modules at a Research Lab.
• Rank 2: You can research and construct superior outpost modules.
• Rank 3: You can research and construct cutting-edge outpost modules.
• Rank 4: Modules now cost 50% fewer resources to build.

If you really want to go all out, you can also work towards Rank 4 of the Special Research skill.

• You can craft unique manufactured components at an Industrial Workbench. Outpost extractors have a chance to produce additional resources

Starfield Outpost Management

The last skill you can focus on to increase the usefulness of your outposts is Outpost Management. Each settlement can have a cargo link that connects all the items stored there to your spaceship. This makes items easy to sell or put toward research projects and crafting. It also lets you transport those items from one area to another as long as they’re all connected.

This skill also allows you to have more robots and crew at the location. The final rank of it even gets your extractors working double time to produce resources. For late-game farms, this is one you need to have.

• Rank 1: Additional cargo links can be placed.
• Rank 2: Additional robots can be constructed.
• Rank 3: Additional crew can be assigned.
• Rank 4: Outpost extractors produce twice as fast.

Related: How to Increase Your Ship’s Cargo Capacity

Assigning Companions to Outposts

Once your quasi-settlement is up and running, you’ll need people to take care of it. You can assign a specific number of companions to manage the facility, depending on the size of it. Build the Crew Station to assign companions to the location. You want to look for those that have Outpost Management, Leadership, and some sort of weapons training to be able to run the place. Simply select the name of the outpost when speaking with the companion to assign them there.

That’s how to build an outpost in Starfield. Explore the different planets and moons to find one to your liking, set up base camp, and craft extractors to start raking in the credits. If you’re looking for more help, take a look at our expanding guides vault. We’ve got a bit of romance, quest walkthroughs, and skill magazine locations.