How to Pick the Best Traits and Perks in Starfield

Bethesda Softworks released Starfield on September 6, 2023, to much fanfare. Role-playing game fans worldwide clambered over one another to jump into Bethesda's first new intellectual property for 25 years. Starfield had over six million players one day after its release, making it Bethesda's biggest launch. Incredibly, the game reached ten million players within a fortnight of hitting PCs and the Xbox Series X/S.

In true Bethesda style, Starfield is a massive open-world role-playing game packed with lore. The sheer size and scope of the game have led to the Bovada online betting site installing Starfield as one of the favorites for the coveted Game of the Year award. While some critics may disagree with that lofty expectation, everyone agrees that Starfield is one of the most immersive video game titles ever.

That deep level of immersion explodes into action immediately after you start a new game. The character creation is one of the most in-depth seen in a video game title. In addition to being able to fully customize what your character looks like, there are a plethora of traits and perks to choose from, each opening a new way to play Starfield. Having so many choices can be overwhelming to even the most seasoned role-playing game players, so we have created this handy guide for choosing Starfield's best traits and perks.

Starfield Character Creation

Spending too long tweaking what your Starfield character looks like is not worthwhile. Your character's looks have no bearing on how the game plays or how non-player characters (NPCs) react to you; plus, you are likely to spend a lot of time in first-person anyway. Furthermore, each major settlement has a place called "Enhance!" that allows you to enjoy a total makeover for only 500 credits, should you wish to change your appearance.

You can also choose any background you like because, aside from some unique dialogue, your background does not influence any gameplay.

Best Starfield Traits

You can select up to three traits from a list of 16 when creating your character, and these traits come with positives and negatives, or buffs and nerfs, as gamers call them. Some Starfield players opt not to choose a trait, which is fine, but there are some valuable traits to consider.

For example, Extrovert is one of the best traits in Starfield. You are a people person as an extrovert, so choosing this trait decreases the amount of oxygen your character uses when exerting themselves whenever they are traveling with a human companion. However, the opposite is true when traveling alone. Many of Starfield's main story missions require you to work with companions, making Extrovert a solid choice.

Raised Enlightened or Raised Universal are two of the game's religious traits. Choosing either trait grants you access to a unique chest full of loot and other goodness. Being Raised Enlighted locks you out of the Raised Universal chest and vice-versa. However, not selecting either trait prevents you from opening those special loot chests. The chests aside, there is not much difference between these traits. Enlighted are atheists who believe in being good to everyone, while Universal are firm believers in God.

Kid Stuff and Hero Worshipped are two other popular Strafield traits. The Kid Stuff trait means that your parents are alive and well and give you free stuff like healing items and weapons. You have to pay them 500 credits per week, but the cost is worth it for the value of the freebies you receive, particularly early in the game. Ensure you visit your parents when they leave a note for you at The Lodge.

Hero Worshipped sees you gain an adoring fan, although Bethesda should have called them an annoying fan. This character incessantly talks to you, telling stories and jokes, but they offer gifts and will offer to join your crew. If the fan becomes too annoying, consider assigning them to an outpost or ship you rarely visit!

Some players choose the Dream Home trait, which grants you a luxurious mansion on a peaceful planet; it also unlocks some side mission content. However, the house has a 125,000 credit mortgage that must be paid in full to the GalBank. You can enter your dream home without paying off the entire mortgage, but it costs you a 500 credit fine each time.

Which Are the Best Starfield Perks?

You are given a skill point each time you level up in Starfield, which is spent on various skill trees. The perks they give you are unlocked and permanently applied to your character after completing challenges related to them. All perks add something positive to your character, and you should invest in the skill trees that complement your playing style. That said, you should focus your attention on the following Starfield perks before branching out into others.

Boost Pack Training is essential and should be one of the first perks you unlock. Using your boost pack not only makes traversing the massive Starfield worlds much easier, but it also comes into its own during combat, allowing you to flank around enemies and get the jump on them.

Starfield has a stealth meter that is only shown when you activate the Stealth skill. Investing in stealth makes you up to 75% more difficult to detect when sneaking, in addition to increasing sneak damage by up to 15%. 

Pickpocketing and lockpicking are helpful skills for obvious reasons. Some NPCs have valuables on their person that you can only get your hands on by stealing them. Furthermore, you will stumble across locked doors and checks that you can only open with Digipicks and the lockpicking skill.

Conclusion

Starfield is a massive, immersive game that allows players to tailor it to their liking. There are no right or wrong ways to approach the game regarding traits and perks, but spending some time planning your choices is worthwhile. Consider how you want to approach Starfield and select the traits and skills to help you on your quest. Will you be a sneaky thief lurking in the shadows or a gung-ho hero who shoots everything in their path? The choice is yours.