Starfield has one of the most intricately designed marketplaces available of any Bethesda title. Granting the player a true sense of immersion in their economy in such a way few could fully critique. However, there are quite a few things that are left for players to learn on their own rather than being told. Some of these things include system rates, interplanetary trade, contraband, and more. Each tip is meant to help players better maximize their time interacting on this galactic market! Through the subtle use of perks, property ownership, citizenship, and more you can become a millionaire in no time.
Everything you learn here can be used from the beginning of the game to the finish, giving the player access almost immediately. Some of the key things you’ll want to consider when interacting with the economy will be your status, reputation, and where you’ve traveled. Once each of these is taken into account, it’s very easy to maximize how you pace the galactic economy. First, you’ll need to learn about the major players, and then learn how to use them against each other. As with everything, the economy is just another battleground in the journey to truth!
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Galactic Market
Starfield has a complex and in-depth marketing system that focuses on every system trading with each other simultaneously. Because of this, this market is constantly fluctuating with the events of the story itself. Whenever you are in a major crisis on a planet or system, the prices will represent rising scarcity. Likewise, if you can lower that sense of scarcity, then you can see lower prices in the long run. This is a similar system to what you’ll find in the real world and allows the player to make likewise realistic decisions for gain. The majority of things in the galaxy are items that exist or could exist in our modern world. Because of this, we can create a sense of demand akin to what we might buy in the real world economy.
The economy at large is made up of three groups that depend on each other in one aspect or another. The United Colonies, Freestar Collective, and House Va’Ruun system states have created the threads for corporation-dominated trade. Thus by interacting with these factions, we can not only influence trade at large on a minor level, but on a minor section to a greater degree. This means that you can ultimately impact the markets to your advantage by continuously doing work for these factions. Of course, this market is also dominated by a back-door black market controlled by the Crimson Fleet.
Legal Trade
The main form of trade most people will be conducting is those overlooked by the three factions and private corporations. As space is a large and vast place, multiple super corporations have sprung up that seek to corner their prospective markets. Because of this trade in legal areas can fluctuate greatly at any given point. This means that even though you are in an area that’s regulated, you may be paying a significant markup per item. This is generally easier when you’re in settled systems like the United Colonies and Freestar Collective.
a great way to offload contraband any anything else really, the Trade Authority is a no questions asked type of merchant faction.
Once you venture into areas controlled by corporations and major companies you start to run into issues. Places like resort planets have these conditions the worst as they are designed for tourist attractions. Mining installations and factory planets tend to have more controlled prices to match the worker wages they are tailored to. The best place to buy things overall is in a settled system, and at that, the Freestar Collective is generally the cheapest. Discounts in these areas of the economy depend highly on your standing in these locations and your citizenship. Generally, you’ll get a better discount in locations that you are a general citizen of, let alone if you reach first class.
Black Market
The black market is a great way to make money in Starfield if you have access to contraband you want to unload. There are several systems where the black market takes its form including Neon City, The Kryx system, and the Wolf System. Each of these has its form of underground market which works independently of the main colonies and corporations. Of them, Neon City is the most unique given the fact that it tries to ride itself on the line between legal and black market goods. You can find whatever you couldn’t normally find for goods in these markets at a generally cheaper price. The only downside is that selling to these organizations will lead to a smaller payout in exchange for anonymity.
The Trade Authority
One of the major organizations responsible for trade in the galaxy is the Trade Authority. These folks will be found on any settled system and allow themselves to make a trade with anyone. They may not sell illegal goods, but they will take them off your hands without asking too many questions. Granted the Trade Authority is one of those organizations that you can easily work with to gain a tidy profit. The more friendly you are with them, the more likely they are to look the other way. The one downside to the trade authority is that they are always going to mark up their prices to foot the bill for new items they get. However, if you are looking for a legal no-questions vendor, The Trade Authority is the way to go!
The Emporium is a great place to sell your goods
Citizenship Discounts
When you start your playthrough of Starfield, you’ll have access to quite a few perks you can start with. By choosing a citizenship perk for any of the colonies, you’re able to receive a discount in these areas. The upside of these perks is that you’ll be treated like a neighbor for whatever faction you have joined. This means generally your price will go down by about five percent in these regions. Of course, the only downside to citizenship is that you will have to pay More for goods outside of your citizenship. Additionally, by taking on these perks you adopt the politics and biases of that prospective nation. However, these discounts increase dramatically if you’re able to get your hands on first-class citizenship through the quest lines.
Reputation Discounts
It goes without saying, but you will receive discounts from organizations you build a reputation with. For instance, the Crimson Fleet can reduce the costs of black market vendors. You can do similar quests to increase your standing with almost every major faction available. By doing quests and allowing them to accomplish their goals, these groups will be more likely to help you along as well. Not only does your reputation grant you better discounts but it can also open doors to better shops and items. In this way, you could level up infinitely and still never find some of the items in the game if you never worked up these relationships. So by building up your hero or villain status, you stand to make an easier impact on the galactic economy.
Property Ownership
By owning property in a faction’s space you’ll be able to receive additional discounts from vendors on that planet. This can be a great method of building up your wealth once you’ve become a citizen of a nation. Unfortunately, purchasing property in Starfield requires that you spend a lot of time doing quests for that particular faction. Additionally, there are plenty of apartments, shipping containers, and storage areas you can purchase for these effects. For instance, if you purchase a cargo container in Neon City you will have a discount of five percent with all vendors there. In this way not only will you have a place to store all your stuff, but many more credits will go back into your pocket.
Whetstone is a great place to unload your gear and pick up new stuff; it’s located in New Atlantis
Deep Space Vendors
One of the most beneficial means of making quick credits in Starfield is to interact with vendors between planets. If you hail ships that are marked as trade vessels, you’ll be able to initiate trades with them. In space, most traders will cut you unique deals that you won’t receive once you’re on the planet side. The best time to do these kinds of trades is if you come across vendors outside of settled systems. A lot of the time traders will resort to scavenging or mining to get their goods, leading to great finds if you can get to them first. Just remember that usually, they’re more interested in selling their stuff than buying yours, leading to reduced selling rates.
System Rates
When discussing the three major factions and how they charge those who enter their borders, there is a clear-cut obvious difference. The United Colonies will charge people the most for entering their systems for trade purposes. To this end, you’ll be looking at about a five percent markup on all goods you try to purchase unless you’re a citizen. Meanwhile, members of the Freestar Collective only add about a two percent tax on all goods bought in their systems. House Va’Ruun will typically have the second highest rate at three percent for all goods bought In their territory’s economy. As you assist these groups these rates will fluctuate based on the issues presented at hand.
High-Ticket Items
The best things you can buy in Starfield are those you’ll need to explore. In general, ammunition, weapons, armor, starships, and medical supplies are the best ways to make money. If you have a shielded cargo hold, you might consider contraband goods as an alternative profit margin. When compared to the mass of the object, each of these groups usually has the highest value items. You can make a lot of money collecting and selling stolen starships. It’s easy to capture high-level ships early on, and then sell them for high credits. Crimson Fleet or the trade authority are the best places to offload these goods. You won’t have to pay registration costs this way, so you’ll get more money!
U.C. Distribution is a great place to stock up on ammunition, and sell your goods if you’re a citizen of the united colonies.
Persuasion And Commerce Perks
Two major ways to improve your chances of making a profit in Starfield are through persuasion and commerce. These both attribute themselves to the perks you can acquire through leveling up. Commerce will directly lower the prices of items you have access to, while also increasing the amount you can sell them for. Meanwhile, persuasion will allow the player to access more lucrative deals through dialogue. There are quite a few instances where by having both you can talk your way into extreme discounts you wouldn’t otherwise have access to. One of the best ways these two perks help is by lowering the costs of crew and companions. In this way, you can save a small fortune by simply negotiating their price ranges.
Resource Values And Crafting
Resources are one of the major crafting component needs in Starfield along with research and their stations. Because of this, resources in general tend to go for a much higher rate than junk or food items. While collecting as many resources as possible for crafting might be a good idea to get ahead, they’re also useful for selling. You’ll eventually get to the point when you’re crafting items that the resources left over will be more than what you need. By selling them back to vendors, or just mining them for profit, you can make a steady amount of credits quickly from the resource economy. One of the best ways of doing this is to just go to an uninhabited moon and start cracking at the resources it has. So when you need to make a large amount of credits quickly, consider setting down an outpost or two.
