All Ship Systems & What They Do in Starfield

With Starfield’s official release now very close on the horizon (and even sooner for Early Access), players everywhere are anxious to experience everything that Bethesda’s new epic sci-fi RPG has to offer, especially when it comes to customization. Not only can you make a completely original character, you can construct your very own spaceship exactly to your standards. You can customize just about everything on your spacecraft, and to travel to the farthest reaches of the galaxy, you need to know how every part works. On that note, here is our handy guide for all Ship Systems and what they do in Starfield.

How to Get a Spaceship in Starfield

Of course, you first need to know how to acquire a ship of your own before you can figure out how one works and how to customize it as you wish. As mentioned in the Starfield Direct showcase, at any Space Port you’re able to travel to in the game, there will be a Space Technician who can help you purchase a ship, repair it, modify it, or even sell it to get something bigger and better.

When shopping for a ship, it’s important to know that there will be a wide variety of options, depending on what type of missions and exploration you’re going for at any given point. Smaller, speedier ships with good weapons can be useful for tasks like bounty hunting, while bigger ships with plenty of storage room and good long-distance traveling capabilities can be optimal for cargo acquisitions and smuggling contraband, if you so wish. You can also hire a crew to help maintain and carry out your missions.

Once you find the one you want for a good price, you can get to work customizing it not only aesthetically, but optimizing it mechanically to suit your space-faring needs.

All Systems in a Spaceship & What They Do in Starfield

Just as the background of your character is important, so too is knowing and understanding how your ship works. From traveling, to transporting goods, to analyzing and exploring the game’s hundreds of planets. The Direct showcase also took time to explain how players can change and upgrade various systems of their ship from top to bottom. Whether you want to prioritize speed, or the amount of space you have for cargo, or the weapons you have to contend with different combat situations.

Based on what was shown, these are all of the systems you can customize in different ways and what their purpose is:

• Cowling
  • These are exterior pieces meant to alter the silhouette of your ship, and increase its overall ‘health’ or structural integrity.
• Shield Generator
  • This is responsible for supporting the shield that protects your ship from enemy attacks and debris.
• Docker
  • This is a module of the ship used to connect it with other spaceships or space stations, to safely transport crew and/or cargo from one to another.
• Fuel Tanks
  • These are used for storing gas and liquid fuel for your ship.
• Gravity Drive (or ‘Grav Drive’)
  • This module is responsible for your ship being able to hyper jump from one star system to another. More upgrades to it will allow you to travel greater distances.
• Weapons
  • Your ship can have up to three different types of weapons: cannons, lasers, and missiles. These are used to fend off enemies and deal with debris-related obstacles.
• Hab
  • An abbreviation for ‘habitation’, or modules where your crew, workstations, mess halls, sleeping quarters, etc are situated.
• Engines
  • The part of your ship that also helps determine your travel capabilities, containing your engines and boosters.
• Cockpit
  • The front module where your ship’s pilot and supplemental crew and cargo are situated.
• Cargo Hold
  • The module of your ship where you can store a variety of items, from quest-specific ones to gathered resources and contraband.
• Reactor
  • The quintessential power source of your ship that helps run all of its different components.
• Bay
  • This underside section is where you can easily depart and board while not docked at a station.
• Landing Gears
  • This module both stores and deploys your landing gear, which is pivotal to making safe landings in different terrains.

Along with being able to purchase and sell ships, and being able to make quick and efficient upgrades to all of these different systems that they come with, you can also build your ship completely from scratch in the ‘Ship Builder Mode’ and build all of those systems yourself. It makes for one of the most incredible customization experiences seen in modern gaming, and allows players to truly make this exciting journey through space their own.

That concludes our guide for all ship systems and what they do in Starfield. We hope you find this helpful for all your ship-building needs, and let us know how you’re enjoying the ship customization features.

Be sure to check out all of our other guides, such as our top 10 best ways to prepare for Starfield.