Starfield weapons play a pivotal role in ensuring your survival against hostile entities. But what makes these weapons even more intriguing is the ability to modify them for enhanced performance and customization. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how weapon mods work in Starfield and how you can craft formidable weapons tailored to your playstyle.
How To Craft Weapon Mods In Starfield
In Starfield, Weapon Mods are craftable items that can be added directly to your primary weapon. They aren’t separate items that you carry in your inventory. Instead, they serve to upgrade various parts of your weapon, such as the muzzle, laser, barrel, magazine, among others. When you use a Weapon Workbench, it showcases all the components of your weapon that can be modified.
To create a mod, you must first discover its blueprint. This is achieved by finishing the relevant Research Project. You can locate these projects under the Weaponry section of the Research Lab terminal, which might be on your spaceship or in specific spots like the basement of the Constellation’s Lodge. However, gaining access to all Research Projects isn’t immediate. Some necessitate unlocking certain character skills. The Weapons Engineering skill is especially crucial for this purpose, but it requires a substantial investment in the preceding tiers of the skill tree.
Crafting a Weapon Mod in Starfield requires a visit to a Weapon Workbench. Once there, select the weapon you wish to modify, and a list of available mods will be presented. Crafting these mods demands physical resources, which can range from natural materials like rocks to synthetic ones such as polymer, adhesive, solvent, and lubricant. If you’re missing the necessary materials for a mod, it will appear greyed out in the menu. It’s worth noting that any material in your ship’s cargo hold is accessible at any workbench. However, you can’t access materials from other storage containers or your companion’s inventory.
But research isn’t solely about skill acquisition. You also need to gather particular resources to serve as research materials for project completion.
Where To Find The Workbench In Starfield
Begin by fast traveling to the Alpha Centauri system. From there, head to the planet Jemison and choose the landing site labeled “The Lodge.” This site serves as the primary base for The Constellation faction. If you’re following the main storyline, you’ll be directed to this location during the initial Main Mission, making it an easily recognizable spot. Once you’ve marked it, you can always return using fast travel.
Upon arriving at The Lodge, make your way inside. As you enter, take a right turn and proceed downstairs to the basement area. This section houses several workbenches and a dedicated research lab, providing all the tools you need for crafting and modifications.
How To Craft Upgrades And Mods in Starfield
Crafting upgrades and mods in Starfield is an essential aspect of enhancing your gameplay experience. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate this process:
- Accessing the Workbenches: Begin by interacting with any of the available workbenches. Once you’ve done that, select a weapon or a part of your spacesuit. This will display all the upgrade mods that are currently available for that particular item.
- Unlocking New Mods: If you’re looking to expand your mod options, head over to the Research Lab located in the same room as the workbenches. To access higher-grade mods, you’ll need to have certain Science Skills activated. Specifically, the “Weapon Engineering” and “Spacesuit Design” skills are crucial.
- Resource Management: Crafting upgrades and conducting research both require resources. If you’re running low or need specific materials, the quickest way to acquire them is through a merchant. Here’s how:
- Travel to the Alpha Centauri system and land on the planet Jemison.
- Choose the “New Atlantis” landing site.
- From the landing pad, walk straight ahead until you come across an open area with a train station.
- Take a left turn and look for the “Jemison Mercantile” shop.
- Inside, speak to the merchant and browse through the Resources section. The resources are reasonably priced, making it easy to stock up on essentials.
- If you find that the merchant is out of a particular resource, there’s a simple solution. Just sleep for 48 hours, either on your ship or at the lodge. This will refresh the merchant’s stock, allowing you to purchase what you need.
General Weapon Modding Tips
Crafting and Dismantling Mods: Crafting the “No Mod” variant or reverting your weapon to its original form is considered as mod crafting. This tactic can boost your Weapons Engineering skill. To dismantle mods, you’ll typically need basic materials like Iron and Nickel.
Collecting Modified Weapons: Acquiring modded weapons from fallen foes and then expending resources to strip those mods can further enhance your skill level. Some weapons might have labels such as “Calibrated,” signifying they possess superior base damage.
Resource Tracking: If you’re short on a particular material, employ the ‘Track’ feature in the Research Category view. An items bearing the needed material will be marked with a blue magnifying glass symbol.
Planetary Resource Exploration: Prior to descending on a planet, inspect the resources listed on the star map’s left panel. When you’re on the planet’s surface, utilize your scanner to pinpoint the exact locations of specific resources.
Leveraging Synapse Alpha: Before heading to the Research Lab, activate the Synapse Alpha aid. This will temporarily reduce the quantity of resources needed for Research Projects.