Science Skills
- See also: Skills
There are 16 Skills in the Science Skill tree. 5 Tier 1 (Novice) Skills, 5 Tier 2 (Advanced) Skills, 3 Tier 3 (Expert) Skills, and 3 Tier 4 (Master) Skills.
Skills
| Skill | Tier | Description | Rank 1 | Rank 2 | Rank 3 | Rank 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surveying | 1 | Humanity now has access to untold alien worlds, and the ability to decipher all that data while on the ground has become an essential skillset. | Adds an optional zoom to the hand scanner, and scan distance is increased to 20 meters. | Adds another level of zoom to the hand scanner, and scan distance is increased to 30 meters. | Adds another level of zoom to the hand scanner, and scan distance is increased to 40 meters. | Adds another level of zoom to the hand scanner, and scan distance is increased to 50 meters. |
| Geology | 1 | Newly discovered minerals mined from alien planets and moons have directly led to some incredible technological advancements. | Get more common and uncommon inorganic resources from surface objects. | Get more rare inorganic resources from surface objects. | Get more exotic inorganic resources from surface objects. | Occasionally harvest additional rarer resources from surface objects. |
| Research Methods | 1 | By skilfully employing both new and time tested methods, a researcher may complete projects faster, and even gain unexpected insights. | Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 10%. | Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 20%. | Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 40%. | Sudden developments during research are twice as common. Resources required to craft items and complete research projects is reduced by 60%. |
| Medicine | 1 | Only through advancements in medical training and technology has humanity been able to withstand the galaxy's many dangers. | Med Packs, Trauma Packs, and Emergency Kits restore 10% additional Health 10% faster. | Med Packs, Trauma Packs, and Emergency Kits restore 20% additional Health 20% faster. | Med Packs, Trauma Packs, and Emergency Kits restore 30% additional Health 30% faster. | Med Packs, Trauma Packs, and Emergency Kits restore 50% additional Health 50% faster, and have a chance to cure an affliction. |
| Astrodynamics | 1 | Advanced technology is one thing, but it takes skill, patience, and a little bit of love to coax even more capability out of a ship's grav drive. | Increase grav jump range of jump drives by 15%. | Reduced fuel cost of jump drives by 15%. | Increased grav jump range and reduced fuel cost of jump drives by 30%. | Reduced fuel cost of jump drives by 50%. |
| Spacesuit Design | 2 | While a basic spacesuit can protect one from the vacuum of space, it takes a specialized design to withstand the rigors of many alien worlds. | You can craft improved spacesuit, helmet, and pack mods, and research additional mods at a Research Lab. | You can research and craft superior spacesuit, helmet, and pack mods. | You can research and craft cutting-edge spacesuit, helmet, and pack mods. | Construction of spacesuit, helmet, and pack mods occasionally doesn't cost resources. |
| Zoology | 2 | No one could have expected the number of new species encountered on alien worlds, or the Importance of those skilled in their behaviour and domestication. | Get more common organic resources from creatures and harvest from them without harming them, learn additional info about them from the scanner, and allows you to produce animal resources at your outposts. | Get more uncommon organic resources from creatures, and learn information about them more quickly using the scanner. | Get more rare organic resources from creatures, and learn information about them more quickly using the scanner. | Occasionally harvest additional rarer resources from creatures, and learn information about them more quickly using the scanner. |
| Botany | 2 | The scientific study of flora, while important on Earth, became even more essential as humanity began exploring alien worlds. | Get more common and uncommon organic resources from plants, learn additional info about them from the scanner, and allows some plants to be cultivated at your outposts. | Get more rare organic resources from plants, and learn information about them more quickly using the scanner. | Get more exotic organic resources from plants, and learn information about them more quickly using the scanner. | Occasionally harvest additional rarer resources from plants, and learn information about them more quickly using the scanner. |
| Weapon Engineering | 2 | Life in the 24th century can be exceedingly dangerous, and the ability to maintain and modify personal weapons can be essential to one's survival. | You can craft improved weapon mods at a Weapon Workbench, and research additional weapon mods at Research Lab. | You can research and craft superior weapon mods. | You can research and craft cutting-edge weapon mods. | You can research and craft master-level weapon mods. |
| Scanning | 2 | While anyone can use a ship's scanner, it takes a specially trained operator to detect hard-to-find planetary resources, or uncover the details of nearby ships. | You can detect uncommon inorganic resources on planet and moon surfaces, and more information about ships in space. | You can detect rare inorganic resources on planet and moon surfaces, and more specific information about ships in space. | You can detect exotic inorganic resources on planet and moon surfaces, and gain better combat information on ships in space. | You can detect unique inorganic resources on planet and moon surfaces, and gain a complete list of cargo on ships in space. |
| Outpost Engineering | 3 | Proper construction of habitation modules is essential to one's survival on any alien world. | You can construct improved outpost modules, and research additional modules at a Research Lab. | You can research and construct superior outpost modules. | You can research and construct cutting-edge outpost modules. | Outpost modules now cost 50% fewer resources to build. |
| Astrophysics | 3 | A ship's scanner receives vast amounts of data, but It takes a trained mind to efficiently analyze it all. | You can scan the moons of your current planet. You have a 10% chance to discover a trait when scanning. | You can scan any planet or moon in this system. You have a 20% chance to discover a trait when scanning. | You can scan any planet or moon within 16 Light Years. You have a 30% chance to discover a trait when scanning. | You can scan any planet or moon within 30 Light Years. You have a 50% chance to discover a trait when scanning. |
| Chemistry | 3 | When crafted by the skilled and safety conscious, chems can be used to enhance health and performance across the Settled Systems. | You can create improved chems, and research additional chems at a Research Lab. | You can research and create superior chems. | You can research and create cutting-edge chems. | Crafting chems occasionally triples the amount created. |
| Special Projects | 4 | Big guns are great, but in the Settled Systems, sometimes the best weapon is simply an old adage: "Knowledge is Power." | You can research experimental projects at a Research Lab. | You can craft rare manufactured components at an Industrial Workbench. | You can craft exotic manufactured components at an Industrial Workbench. | You can craft unique manufactured components at an Industrial Workbench. Outpost extractors have a chance to produce additional resources. |
| Aneutronic Fusion | 4 | It is possible to maximize a ship's energy output by specifically directing the unique nuclear processes that occur within its reactor. | Ship reactors produce 1 extra unit of power. | Ship reactors produce 2 extra units of power. | Ship reactors produce 3 extra units of power. | Ship reactors produce 5 extra units of power. |
| Planetary Habitation | 4 | While outpost building is always challenging, doing so on a world with a dangerous environment requires specialized training. | You can build outposts on planets with extreme temperatures (Deep Freeze and Inferno). Increase the maximum number of Outposts you can build by 4. | You can build outposts on planets with extreme pressure. Increase the maximum number of Outposts you can build by 8. | You can build outposts on planets with toxic or corrosive atmospheres. Increase the maximum number of Outposts you can build by 12. | You can build outposts on planets with extreme gravity. Increase the maximum number of Outposts you can build by 16. |
Overview
In the realm of Science Skills, there are various categories to explore. Beginning with those centered around the vastness of space, we find skills like Astrodynamics which optimizes grav jumps for fuel efficiency. Then, there's Celestial Cartography, enhancing our ability to unveil additional systems with a star map. On the more terrestrial front, skills like Geology, Surveying, Botany, and Xenobiology aid in detecting advanced resources, understanding environmental traits, cataloging flora, and identifying unique fauna.
Venturing further down the science tree, there are abilities tailored for building efficient outposts. The outpost system in the game Starfield represents an evolutionary leap from prior games. Players can craft diverse outposts using a mix of modules and can site these establishments virtually anywhere across the 1000 planets and moons that populate the Settled Systems.
The scale of possibilities is vast; players can devote endless hours searching for that ideal world for construction. More intriguingly, the game isn't restricted to merely one or two outpost designs. My research suggests that gamers can set up entire colonies on a single planet, consisting of numerous outposts. Assisted by the Outpost Management skill—previously categorized under the Social tree—a few settlers can grow into a bustling settlement.
To foster inter-outpost connectivity, supply chains can be established for resource allocation. Additionally, for safeguarding, Star Stations can be built to orbit the colonized planets. The game also introduces features to streamline the operation, expansion, and location scouting for new outposts.
Yet, there's more in store. Skilled players can network multiple colonized planets or remote outposts using interstellar and interplanetary trade pathways.
Shifting the lens to the last batch of Science Skills, the emphasis is on crafting. This includes a supplementary utility skill. Key crafting skills comprise Research, Spacesuit Engineering, Weapon Engineering, and Chemistry. These empower gamers to undertake numerous research projects, customize their spacesuit, adjust weaponry, and concoct a plethora of chemicals, drugs, and healing products.
Additionally, it's worth noting the Gastronomy skill from the Social tree, as it equips players to craft food and drink items utilizing ingredients discovered during their journey.
Integrating these skills with those geared towards exploration amplifies their utility. Beyond scavenging for salvageable items like adhesive, players can mine mineral resources and gather various ingredients from the native flora and fauna. This collected bounty can be utilized in crafting, exemplified by the showcased weapon mod in the provided image.