The importance of a well-equipped and diverse ship crew cannot be overstated in the vast expanse of Starfield, where uncharted galaxies await exploration and untold adventures beckon. Having multiple crew members on your ship serves multiple purposes.
We know that companion skills provide certain buffs based on their rank. You don’t get the full benefit of the skill’s rank (e.g., Sam Coe has Piloting Rank 4, but that doesn’t mean you can use ships with Class C reactors if you don’t have Piloting Rank 4, too), but you still get some buff for each starship related skill your companions bring to the table.
Crew Capacity, Crew Stations & Ship Command Limitations Explained
Expanding your ship’s crew size in Starfield is a multifaceted endeavor influenced by three key factors:
- Mastery of Ship Command Skill: At the heart of crew expansion lies the Ship Command skill, a tier 4 Social skill that empowers you to lead a larger crew. With each rank you attain in Ship Command, your ship’s permissible crew members increase by +4/5/6/8. You’ll need to rise to specific challenges to ascend through these ranks, such as defeating or boarding ships with a predetermined number of crew members. Prioritize allocating skill points to Ship Command to unlock the ability to command a ship of higher crew capacity and capitalize on its benefits swiftly.
- Harmonizing Cockpit and Habitat Modules: Crafting a ship layout conducive to a larger crew involves strategic choices regarding cockpit and habitat modules. While your ship accommodates a solitary cockpit, multiple habitat modules (habs) can be integrated. However, not all habs contribute equally to crew capacity, and some advanced options require heightened skill proficiency. Optimize your crew quarters with these selections:
- Kon-Tiki B-500 Bridge: Obtain this cockpit from the Stroud-Eklund Showroom in Neon to secure a commendable +6 crew stations.
- Stroud Battle Station 2×2: Also available at the same shop, this hab offers an additional +6 crew stations.
- Reactor, Weapon, Engine, and Shield Modules: The harmony between various ship modules shapes your ship’s overall crew capacity. Ensuring a balanced arrangement of these components is paramount for a larger crew:
- Reactors: Elevate crew capacity by Class C Reactors with a crew capacity of 3. Class B reactors have a crew capacity of 2, and Class A just 1.
- Weapons: While you’re limited to equipping three model types, you can add multiple weapons of the same model on your ship.
- Engines: Incorporate as many engine modules as possible, each yielding +0.25 crew capacity. However, remember the power limit indicated by pips in the upper-left corner of your screen.
- Shields: You can install a single shield module for an additional +0.5 crew capacity.
- Understanding Crew Capacity (CC), Crew Stations (CS), and the Ship Command Skill: At the end of the day, Crew Capacity, Crew Stations, and Ship Command skill work in tandem to limit the maximum crew members you can have on your crew. Even if you have 12 crew stations, your spaceship cannot hold more people than its capacity. At the same time, even if your spaceship can carry 10 people, you must have enough stations to hold those crew members. Finally, as a ship commander, you must be able to command the amount of crew members your spaceship carries. The final note is quite important as this is a hard limit to the number of crew members you can have in Starfield. Even if you can build a ship carrying more than 10 people, the Ship Command skill will only allow you up to 10 crew members. With that in mind, there seems to be no point in achieving a Crew Capacity or Crew Stations value beyond 10.
Mastery Through Application: An Exemplar Scenario
To exemplify how crew size expansion unfolds in practice, let’s explore a comprehensive scenario involving all elements:
- Reactor, Weapon, Engine, and Shield Modules Group (Crew Capacity): My current ship has a Class C reactor (3 Crew Capacity), three weapons (3x 0.5 Crew Capacity), one shield (0.5 Crew Capacity), and four engines (4x 0.25 Crew Capacity), for a total of 6 crew capacity.
- Cockpit and Habitat Group (Crew Stations): The ship’s cockpit is a Stroud-Eklund Viking CP-100 Cockpit with 4 Crew Stations, while I also have a Stroud-Eklund Control Station Hab with 4 Crew Stations. That’s a total of 8 Crew Stations. However, my ship’s crew is listed as only 6 due to the crew capacity being 6.
- Ship Command Skill (Ability to Command a Spaceship of X people): I don’t have the Ship Command Skill, so my max active crew members are 3.
- Total (Ship Command, Crew Capacity, Crew Stations -> Lowest Value Wins): Even though my ship can handle six crew members, the lack of Ship Command limits the crew members to 3.
As you dive into the cosmic expanse of Starfield, armed with this comprehensive guide, you’re poised to chart a course toward an expansive and thriving ship crew. Balancing the Ship Command skill, optimizing cockpit and habitat modules, and harmonizing reactor, weapon, engine, and shield modules are the keys to your crew size expansion journey. With a dedicated crew by your side, your cosmic odyssey will be replete with exploration and adventure and enriched by connections that span the galaxies. So, set your sights on the stars and let your growing crew propel you toward boundless exploration and triumph in the ever-expansive universe of Starfield.
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