Starfield has a fairly robust research and crafting system, which is nice to see. For all the ways I ended up feeling somewhat unsatisfied with Fallout 4, I think its crafting system was still one of the best in any Bethesda game.
And it seems like we'll have even more options and freedom when we blast off in Starfield on September 6. You can even build your own bases, though we went over that in our Starfield outposts guide.
Here's what we know about Starfield's crafting and research systems.
Starfield Research Laboratory
Here's where it all begins. You've assembled the finest minds available—which is to say, you, your pet robot, and some guy you picked up on the moon—to develop the advanced technology that will lead to the betterment of humanity tomorrow. Or, okay, let's be honest, more likely you just want a bigger shotgun. That can be used for the benefit of humanity too, I guess? In any case, it all starts at the Research Laboratory, a skill table at which you can study new tech in each of five different categories:
Pharmacology: Better drugs! The projects we've seen so far include improved Medical Treatment and Performance Enhancement. Because there's no law against injecting your crew with alien bug hormones to make them stronger in space. That we are aware of currently.
Food and Drink: Better meals! Because let me tell you, those alien bug hormones can really make you build up an appetite. And you do not want to wait until it's too late and have to check the security cam footage to find out who ate all the miniature giant space hamsters you were transporting for a crime lord on Neon.
Outpost Development: Better bases! So far the one project we've seen is improved Resource Extraction, allowing you to harvest more raw materials passively.
Equipment: Better gear! The project we saw in the trailer is for Helmet Mods. What are mods? Read on!
Weaponry: Better guns! Yeah, this is what you were probably here for, right? That's what science is to you? Hundreds of years of scientific study and you just want to know how it can help you put lots of holes in your enemies. Fine. Okay? Fine. We got to see this screen in a bit more detail, which includes research projects for Barrel Mods, Grip Mods, Optics and Sight Mods, and Muzzle Mods. So it seems every gun will have at least four different slots for customization. That is pretty cool, I will grant you.
Research takes time, and some projects also have a skill requirement to even get them started. We're not sure if the amount of time it takes to complete research is affected by skills. In the trailer, the Research Laboratory appears to be onboard the player ship, though it's possible you can access it from multiple locations as we also saw a "Science Hab" available in the Outpost construction menu.
Starfield Crafting
It looks like you can craft anything you've researched as long as you have the materials, which include the likes of nickel and iron. We've seen that these can generally be gathered on-foot, purchased, or produced by an industrial outpost. There are no specific crafting skills for personal gear items—only ships and outposts. So you won't need to specialize in gunsmithing or armorsmithing or anything like that. As long as you've researched it, you should be good. I guess the 3D printers in the Starfield universe are advanced enough that assembling a boomstick by hand is a lost art.
