Starfield base building explained

Little has been shown about base building in Starfield so far, but we know that you’ll be able to set an outpost on any planet in order to set a regular production of materials and resources.

Bases are called outposts in Starfield. You can use them as a home, but it seems the focus is more on resource generation, management, and automation.

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How do outpost and base building work in Starfield?

The first thing you’ll need to do is set an outpost beacon to define the place you can build upon. Based on the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022, you can move the beacon around if you regret where you put it.

You can scan the planet to learn what resources, fauna, and flora you can find on the planet to know if they will be useful to you.

Once you decide where to set your outpost, you can check the Cargo, Crew, Power, and Production statistics. Although we can’t see a description in any showcase, teaser, or trailer, here is what we believe each stat means:

Cargo

You’ll probably be able to store raw resources you extract from the planet and other items you get from exploring Starfield‘s universe.

Crew

The characters you meet on your travels can be recruited to work on these outposts and keep them running while you are away. They’ll possibly be the ones who automate the production of your base.

Power

Power is an operating cost when placing facilities. You’ll need to generate power so the buildings can operate and keep running. The power system will likely be similar to the one in Fallout 4. We’ve already seen wind farms, and it’s highly possible that solar power and other energy sources can be used.

Production

Production is shown to be measured in items per minute, which implies an automated production of either resources or other items you can produce and later use or sell.

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What can I place in my base and outpost in Starfield?

We can expect a huge variety of structure types with different designs to be available to place in your base once the game is released. The building system is modular, it works by attaching the facilities to the sides of already placed buildings, similar to the shipbuilding system.

Each structure can have a function or aesthetic, but we don’t know for sure yet. For example, a Military Habit structure might have the same function as a Hydroponic Habit structure but a different aesthetic. Or both can have different functions, such as storing your weapons or collecting flora resources.

Here is every facility you can place in your base we’ve seen are available from Starfield trailers and teasers so far:

• Outpost Airlock
• Four Wall Hab
• Hydroponic Hab A
• Science Hab Small
• Military Hab
• Hydroponic Hab Round
• Small Hex Hab
• Hallway – Industrial
• Watchtower

Each structure will require building materials like Aluminum and Iron, plus have an operating cost such as power. It’s possible that you can unlock better facilities as you research and collect rarer resource materials to upgrade the stats of your base.

It’s also implied that your outpost can be attacked because of the “Integrity” stat, so we can expect some defense and attack mechanisms to be available in the outpost build mode.