Within the Settled Systems, there are four factions available for players to join. Each faction has a series of missions to complete along with plenty of rewards.
Factions in Starfield are not mutually exclusive, so there’s no pressure about whom you join first.
United Colonies
The United Colonies is the director successor to the government on Earth. It is the oldest government in the Settled Systems, with a founding date in 2159. They are effectively rivals to the Freestar Collective, having fought two wars against them in the past. The capital of New Atlantis is a futuristic utopia on an Earth-like planet.
The storyline will require you to join the Vanguard, the main military force of the UC, as you complete missions based around fighting an alien threat.
The Freestar Collective can be described as the wild west of Starfield. Their capital of Akila City looks like it was taken straight from the set of Lone Ranger. They have a huge emphasis on freedom and have fought two wars against the United Colonies to ensure that freedom.
As a Freestar Ranger, you’ll become a galactic gunslinger working to solve a deadly mystery, interrogating people and flashing your badge when neccessary.
Ryujin is a megacorporation headquartered in Neon, a large city on the planet Volii Alpha in the Volii System. As one of the biggest corporations in the Settled Systems, Ryujin has a foot in many industries like neuroamps, spacecraft manufacturing, and weapons. They didn’t rise to that level through good graces, and their continued presence as a top dog is reliant on less-than-savory business practices, which is where you come in.
Most of the missions are on the sneakier side. When you take on the role of a junior operative, you will be stealing, persuading, and hacking to give the company an edge against its competitors and, in some instances, its own employees. Be sure to stock up on digipicks for these quests!
The Crimson Fleet is a loosely organized pirate armada whose ruthless members prowl the stars, relieving credits from their victims. Its founding dates back to the biggest jailbreak in United Colonies’ history and its main nemesis is UC SysDef, a branch of the UC Navy.
You will actually join the Fleet under false pretenses as a double agent working for SysDef. Consequently, these missions revolve around you doing typical pirate things like looting ships and looking for treasure, while reporting to your handlers in SysDef.
Membership Benefits:
Membership to Crimson Fleet / UC SysDef
Access to The Key (Spacestation) and the UC Vigilance (Command Ship)
Factions in Starfield help extend the narrative of the game beyond the main storyline. Which faction did you decide to join first? Let us know in the comments below!
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Lucky Boop
Strategy game enthusiast, especially Paradox titles and the Civilization series. Whenever he's not writing he spends his time watching sports, enjoying coffee, or studying history.
