How To Build And Utilize Outposts In Starfield

Outposts in Starfield are entirely optional, but if you really want to sink your teeth into the game, they can be incredibly useful for not only resource management, but upgrading your weapons and gear.
#gaming #Starfield #gamespot #Xbox
There's a lot to the system that the game doesn't do the best job explaining, and it's easy to make mistakes without realizing, defeating the purpose of creating an outpost entirely. I've spent several hours with the system and have put together my findings into these thorough steps, so that you too can maximize your efficiency while also hopefully avoiding some of the pitfalls. Here's what you need to know about creating outposts in Starfield.
Timestamps:
00:47 - What outposts are for
01:14 - How to pick your planet
03:09 - Where to place your outpost
04:31 - Building extractors
05:08 - Power explained
07:29 - Building storage
09:23 - Building defenses
10:16 - Linking multiple outposts
12:14 - Increasing production

[@EmperorOfMan]

Another tip. If you delete an outpost you get all the resources back so you can set it up again elsewhere. It lets you / your ship go over carry capacity to do it so don't have to be married to any one place.

[@lostliberty9913]

Finally! Useful advice! 👍

[@giraffenuzZ]

Great tip! Thank you 🙏

[@rimbusjift7575]

Including if your resources are in cargo link limbo.

[@cabanaho]

Great tip thanks I was afraid of deleting outposts no longer needed. Just tried it and yup it automatically returned all the mats into my ship’s cargo hold 😊

[@emperorpalpatine6500]

I chose the Dream home trait and built my first outpost around the house where you can actually harvest 3 resources. It was actually a good choice since the Olympus system has all the resources in it making it the perfect outpost system

[@brysontyler128]

Thanks for this, I was using a guide that had planets all over the separate systems, I'll check this out. Would definitely be easier keeping things in a single system.

[@AFKMan123456]

- Keep separate storage groups for your extractors and your ship transfer unit, otherwise your extractors will just fill up all of your storage. - Your first outpost should be Al & Fe, this can be done by finding the biome boundary and running along it until you find them both. - Elements have families that occur with each other (lead & titanium, nickel & cobalt), once you have your initial outposts setup you can build in the right places to capture that entire family on a planet. - Planet resources are exactly the same for everyone, so you can look up planets with the resources you want. - Have separate storage for generators (~2 small extractors: 1 generator) & systems links with dedicated extractors to ensure they keep running. - inter system cargo links only need to be powered from one side. - Use a powered switch the turn your fabricators off, by default they just run, you can configure what it makes on the terminal. - Chests are useful for normal goods, all of the containers are only for resources (exc cooking resources) - Storage containers are the following sizes: 75, 150, 300. They’re unlocked using manufacturing research, you only have access to small (75) without investing into outpost engineering. - You unlock better power options with outpost engineering, including generators that don’t use fuel. - The output links can overload/bug out, sometimes you’ll need to remove and recreate the links to get them working again. (Unsure of root cause, I think resource extractors connected to cargo links never stop producing?) - The last node in an output chain fills up first.

[@dutchff7908]

Thank you sir.

[@brysontyler128]

Thanks for some of these points, I especially like the point about generators that use no fuel!

[@Verchiel_]

A lot of the systems in starfield are absolutely overwhelming, especially the outpost building. Will definitely make use of this once i get to it.

[@kennwilliams860]

No lie. I was just wondering how to add power to she harvester because I haven't been getting any option for Power, and this just blew my mind, dude just made like 5 different full blown circuts. Had nooo idea it was THIIS involved 🤯

[@joshuagcwong734]

Agreed, but once you understand how it works it's rewarding af. Took bout 3 hours to understand it 😅

[@BetterChoicesNeeded]

Yeah I felt slightly overwhelmed with ship building at first but once you get used to the systems ( and quicksave loading) it becomes cool. I still haven’t quite got outposts yet

[@aaronb7949]

I haven't bothered with outpost building personally. It's a time and resource sink and outposts require skill point investment to reach their full potential that can be spent elsewhere. The game throws credit's at you and if you're a looter like me, at level 27, less than 75 hours in i'm currently sitting on 1,000,000 credits and that's after purchasing a narwhal and upgrading the shield, cargo, engines and missiles which cost around 500k total. Just buy what you need for crafting/upgrades/research and funnel the extra skill points into more useful categories than outpost engineering, planetary habitation etc if you don't want to spend hours setting up outposts and have to keep checking them and gathering resources to sell for pocket change. I also have been stacking resources inside The Lodge basement in the storage box behind the research station, every ore, organic and engineered resource i find goes in there, it's unlimited free storage, in a room that contains every workbench in close proximity and that is extremely easy to fast travel to as it has it's own fast travel point and you load in just outside the front door.

[@ramonehenry8491]

Wow, this game is huge. This is a lot of info just for outpost building.

[@d_Hamrick13]

I got 7 resources in 1 spot in the Linnaeus system on Linnaeus 4b moon. Iron, aluminum, beryllium, hydrogen, alkanes, water and ytterbium.

[@eagleshadow101]

Same! It's not easy to get, but it is possible.

[@tommyboismenu4451]

i got a (h3-al-be)on top of a flat top moutain moon of erebus in olympus and harvest iron on erebus and (cu) on ourea that mix made me upgrade and evolve so much love this game so far very beautiful and so mindblowing in every way😅

[@Mark-mu4pj]

Great vid, haven't started outpost building yet but thanks for the the tutorial.

[@mattliddon3509]

I started to build my 1st outpost today because of the story part you spoke about in the video. It's a lot to think about, even just getting the required resources to build the initial harvesters, storage containers & power sources. I've had to make shopping lists for a game.

[@brysontyler128]

Your better off just keeping it on the ship. I started to expand my crew so destroying ships and having them come after your ship is a good thing. The Kepler R ship is powerful enough to take on 3 without severe damage and you'll build your ship command skill. Also I don't find that they come after you as much as I thought they would.

[@joshuagcwong734]

Pro tip: For helium-3, depending on the location you can use smaller energy sources (solar panels) to power helium-3 extractors that themselves can then be connected to helium-3 generators that provide greater amounts of energy for other operations.

[@sapphyrus]

I was able to create an outpost with access to five resources but it took several visits till I got lucky. What I did was choosing a spot looked as close as it can be three common materials on the planet map and I was lucky with the two rarer elements.

[@camus25555]

wow 5 you are lucky, finding materials are so times consuming i consider myself lucky if i find a 3 ressource spot.

[@StephenYuan]

I've played for like over 80 hours. I did a 60+ hour playthrough and now I'm 20ish hours into a new game plus. I haven't touched outpost building, or ship building. Barely engaged with ship combat. I'll save that for playthrough 3, I think. What I have done a lot of is combat, persuasion, speech checks and stealth. This game is huge.

[@trevianclardy1965]

Thanks man this was very helpful

[@cabanaho]

Pro tip: write down which solar system and planet you build an outpost on… and what resources they are extracting 😖 even with the little markers I would lose track of where my bases are

[@misterbigness5957]

Appreciate the spoiler free hint :)

[@ytm23ak]

This is super usefull thank you

[@JAZZYLGPRODUCTIONSLLC]

If you have a main hub, you can bypass building storage on your exterior (outgoing) outposts and create the red wire connection directly to the interlink. All the incoming resources will then be stored in your primary outpost storage.

[@kam6642]

Found a spot with 4 resources on Adrophon. Gotta look where the white ground meets the red ground.

[@rickhutzell4527]

Skink has 4 different resources and 60 hour days its an op spot for an outpost

[@henrycarlson7514]

If you have an outpost with Fe and Al build Adaptive frames for xp. and sell them for credits, there are mane videos showing how

[@JAZZYLGPRODUCTIONSLLC]

Fallout 4 prepared me for this, as I've basically rebuilt the entire commonwealth

[@elroyhavoc]

I just built my first outpost last night. A very simple Aluminum extraction outpost. So now that it’s chugging away I’m curious what the heck to do with all my aluminum! Is there a vendor I should be selling it to? Or cargo missions I should be linking it to? Halp!

[@LoneWolf0568]

How do you move everything around the way you do in arial mode? I try moving the mouse and all it does is zoom in or out on the map? And also when I try to set up my airlocks and habs, 2/3 of it is underground. How do you move them so they build correctly with their base on the ground instead of buried?

[@Szo-me9uv]

i found a spot showing 3 available resources (aluminum, iron, and helium3) but there were no veins nearby of any of these resources?

[@DaFactMan]

Danny McBride taught me how to build in starfield

[@hangmanmatt2598]

My first outpost is on a planet with 5 total resources, I have a single outpost that is harvesting four of them.

[@fabiomendes3545]

Can you build outposts on a dead planet?? I'd like to build one on Earth, just for the sake of it and imagining getting Earth getting some transit and actually having some sort of life

[@Brahmiluff]

You can do, but remember, earth is essentially a mass grave yard 😅

[@LegendaryGames420]

The fact that starfield has Tetris (ship building) is amazing 😂😂😂

[@BradLaCroix]

I’m confused about two seemingly contradictory statements: you can only build 3 cargo links on a planet but you said the hub setup is the way to go… wouldn’t that mean that you can only connect that hub to 3 other planets?

[@EmperorOfMan]

Still trying to figure out how to stop outpost B from taking ALL THE HELIUM from outpost A when I send it over via cargo link to power the inter system transfer

[@tollbomb]

Only connect some of your buildings to the cargo link then. That way it'll only send as much as you want to transfer while keeping some of the extractors for local needs.

[@MossNada]

Build a Gas Container next to your Inter-System Cargo Link. Connect the incoming helium to that gas container. Then connect that gas container to the blue box at the back of the Inter-system Cargo Link. If you are also trying to store some of the incoming Helium, try building a second gas container and connect the Incoming to that as well. But I have no idea if that will work. I only ever do the fist part as the only thing I use Helium for is linking outposts (I've never build a powered generator - just upgraded Solar and Wind ones)

[@Austinarcher10]

So I am having the hardest time trying to get a door into my hab. I had an air lock built but none of the habs would connect to it and allow me to go inside. So now I have a hab built, but not way to get into it......

[@thermalrain_yt9725]

I can't wait for a game like this but multiplayer. Like we just created ftl travel and everyone gets to go. Like the farther you go the slower you get information and if you die you have to start from earth so it makes pvp very very dangerous. Less police and stuff out far. Like planets that take 3 real world weeks to reach. Maybe the NASA equivalent steadily moves out starting locations as the game goes on. It'd be hard to balance the game because some people get to play games for a living. You can't just let them rule just because they play all day. Idk I've been dreaming of a game similar my whole life.

[@sergiikozak4750]

Elite Dangerous?

[@thermalrain_yt9725]

@@sergiikozak4750 I tried to play that when it first came out and I hated it. I meant to go back and try it later but aren't you stuck in the space ship the entire time? Idk I can't remember that was over a decade huh?

[@sergiikozak4750]

@@thermalrain_yt9725check out inara(can’t post a link) - it’s a well known community hub for ED and now they have a section for Starfield as well

[@Jack-jz4ls]

I hate the cargo link system. Fallout had a better link system

[@goodsephiroth001]

i can’t even drop an outpost beacon anywhere, what resources do i need to build one? or how do i get outpost beacons?

[@jimmywaessman]

LB/open scanner. Hold X (on a planet surface or moon and it should pop up. I dont think the beacon needs anything

[@VincentX709]

you keep saying harvester while it says extractor so...is that what theyre called or are you using the word to describe what you mean even though it's not in game??

[@Nineteen1900Hundred]

Can you build walls? Like, to make a fortress or bunker?

[@Deathglove101]

No

[@stevenchazz53]

You can get everything in jemison

[@MSzat888]

Silly question here - How do you build structures higher above ground? The game does not show that but I'd like to elevate my buildings above ground. How do you do that?

[@MossNada]

When you go to place a Habitat, after you hit the confirm button once, you can then use W and S on a keyboard (Up and Down on controller) to set the height of that building. Once you are happy, hit confirm a second time. But it's only an option on Habitats - not extractors/storage/power/etc etc They all have to start at ground level.

[@MSzat888]

@@MossNada Ok, thanks

[@TAPriceCTR]

I have iron, aluminum, nickel, cobalt and water in one outpost.

[@Yinzermakesvids]

Hoping modders make a mod where you can bring settlers to unsettled places

[@xil3ntkha0s]

incoming Preston Garvey mod lol

[@SchwererGustavThe800mm]

Do you need to unlock an outpost skill to make an outpost? When I opened my scanner to try & make one it wouldn't let me :(

[@ShakeitTilitPees]

Make sure you're on a planet that doesn't have an extreme environment. You can't build on those without a later perk.

[@MossNada]

Nope - but in addition to the Extremem Environment, if you are too close to any other sort of location (like a landed ship or a factory or cave) you cannot do it. You have to be approximately 250 - 300m away fom any other point of interest to place it.

[@SchwererGustavThe800mm]

@@MossNada I figured it out, I was building to close to a point of interest + I was on an extreme environment planet lol

[@meepmeepvroom2200]

Oh my god, it's a silly annoyance, but people who build ships where the cockpit is massively recessed bug me so much. You reduce your practical visibility so so much. It's just a narrow cone.

[@meepmeepvroom2200]

Also, mid gravity, not low gravity. Low gravity leaves you hanging forever. High gravity wrecks stamina. Slightly below earth grave means you get a nice jump and can skim the surface with your boost.

[@joeycampbell5680]

All I see is red.. it won't let me build..bug?

[@Volf1916]

Do locations of interest have benefits within your beacon area? Civilian outpost, cave, geological point of interest?

[@me5969]

I don't think it will let you place one there, at least not from my experience

[@bgcorporation]

Harvest most? Lol I got an outpost that has 5 resources. Aluminum, Cobalt, Iron, Nickel, and Water. Then there's a video that has 6 resources.

[@joshuaDstarks]

Don’t put too much into them, folks. You’ll just lose them in NG+

[@gtabro1337]

Now that’s a shame considering how much work goes into them

[@amanpradhan02]

​@@gtabro1337No you get the option to do ng+ or continue so it won't get deleted. It depends on the choice you take in the ending.

[@joshuaDstarks]

@@amanpradhan02that’s actually huge news to me. I had no idea you could just bypass NG+ if you wanted.

[@amanpradhan02]

@@joshuaDstarks You do , you'll get an option from a character to continue the game how it is or basically reset. It will make sense when you finish the main story. Really cool and unique way to do a new game plus that is in-built to the core game itself.

[@iorn9814]

Not gonna lie I wanted to hate it but it’s basically fallout 3 so fun

[@SamButler22]

Surely, it's just a drop symbol; not a teardrop. Unless you're harvesting them from the eyes of some sort of creature???

[@chaos4000]

i had to connect power cords to my stuff or else it would not work i think it might be a bug because some people have to connect but some people dont

[@sonredeemedarose7648]

Console needs connecting maybe? I have to on Xbox.

[@chaos4000]

@@sonredeemedarose7648 i am on pc on steam with constant connection soo yee

[@nookoo753]

With the exception of a greenhouse, outposts are pretty much useless.

[@tonybeaumont8289]

Yup. Can't craft gear ammo or meds, just vendor junk that you have to hop all over the place to sell because of arbitrary vendor credit limits. Not bothering with them until modders give me a reason to.

[@CosmicInvert]

​@tonybeaumont8289 just use the trade authority kiosk right outside your ship in New Atlantis. After maxing creds with vendor sit somewhere for 24 hours, or sleep on your ship for 24 hours. Go back and credits will be max again

[@xFitzMan91x]

So I chose a moon with 5 different resources, and when I was trying to place an outpost beacon it said no resources available. WTH?!?

[@jackie2645]

When you scanned over the area, did it say the resources were located there? Sometime I land, but have to walk a little to get to the actual spot I need to build

[@Doi-]

I have to link my power.

[@EmperorOfMan]

you don't have to link any power unless you want to put in a power switch to control stuff on demand

[@EvilGeniusGaming84]

You done lost me at 30 seconds into the video 😂these are way too over complicated...

[@xil3ntkha0s]

You right. I just wanna press a button or two and watch the enemies burn haha

[@mikensam]

You sound English but speak American 🤔

[@mtownpyro7198]

building outpost is absolutely worthless..why do you need a outpost when you fast travel everywhere in seconds..

[@richardterry3000]

MAYBE. Because it save money and time in the long run???? Or MAYBE it's FUN???? Just poking at you a little bit. But it does have good points if you need it.

[@badrhetoric5637]

Ah-lu-min-e-um. Not -aloo-minum

[@JosieJOK]

Neither are wrong: Aluminum is American (and maybe Canadian); in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand (Ireland? Don’t know about that one) it’s Aluminium.

[@badrhetoric5637]

@@JosieJOK it's wrong when you're not american.

[@Android811]

@@badrhetoric5637 American scientists pronounce it correctly, it's just the everyday muppets who are wrong.

[@MikeDoherty-wq5ie]

well I usually start by taking Starfield out of the xbox and putting any borderlands in so that I might actually enjoy my gaming experience 😮