Want to know how to use ship engines in Starfield ? This is a great way to improve your combat prowess by quickly dodging. Considering all the threats that the galaxy holds, you should master this as early as possible to be ready for tough fights.
How to use ship engines in Starfield
There is a prerequisite to unlock ship engines, so don’t bother until you master the piloting skill . You will find it in the “Technology” branch of the skill tree. It’s at the top level, so you won’t have to spend a ton of extra skill points to access it. After activating the “Piloting” skill, your ships will automatically have access to thrusters. Bethesda does a good job of explaining Starfield’s controls , but oddly enough, the ship’s engines are not mentioned. The lack of guidance makes the issue of using engines unnecessarily confusing.
To use the engines on your ship, hold the right bumper on the controller or press the spacebar when using the mouse and keyboard. Combine thrusters with directional and propulsion controls for tighter turns or to quickly change course before accelerating.
The difference when using thrusters should be night and day. If you find that you still need a general overview of ship flight controls and combat basics, check out our other ship guide. Once you’ve mastered space legs, try some advanced maneuvers until you feel confident performing such moves in live combat.
Early in the game, when you’re facing weaker enemies, there won’t be much need for thrusters. However, strong opponents hit your shields and hull hard. Whenever I encounter dangerous enemies, several ships seem to rush straight at me, firing lasers and missiles. The engines allow me to deviate from their path and take them out one at a time without rushing. In general, you want to avoid damage even if you have a ship that can withstand those early explosions. This way, you don’t waste credits and resources on expensive hull repairs.
The extra maneuverability that the engines provide is a good reason to unlock and learn how to use the engines early in Starfield . Ship combat may seem a little overwhelming at first. You want to become a professional in dogfighting sooner than you want.
