Erlkönig: Starfield: Backgrounds Musing

I once did a run while locked (via commands) at level one.

This means the only skills I would get would be from my choice of background, which made the selection of one a lot more thought-provoking than usual. Plus, I had to evaluate them exclusively based on tier 1 of those skills.

To me, the strongest backgrounds - exclusive of any role-playing aspects - are

• Bounty Hunter (Piloting, Targeting', Boost Pack')
• Cyber Runner (Stealth, Security, Theft) - what I chose, for Stealth

Because they unlock abilities instead of just improving somewhat existing abilities

The worst (to me) are those that unlock little or nothing skillwise, especially Diplomat and Sculptor - the others are a bit better:

• Diplomat (Persuasion, Commerce, Wellness)
• Explorer (Lasers, Astrodynamics, Surveying)
• Homesteader (Geology, Surveying, Weightlifting)
• Pilgrim (Scavenging, Surveying, Gastronomy)
• Professor (Astrodynamics, Geology, Research Methods)
• Sculptor (Medicine, Geology, Persuasion)
• Xenobiologist (Lasers, Surveying, Fitness)

Most of those skills just make the game generically easier, with only a few doing a bit more:

• Astrodynamics - increases the cargo ceiling tangibly on combat ships with 3015 engines where 100 mobility is desired, since you can use small grav drives and fuel tanks
• Gastronomy - opens up some crafting options
• Surveying - very helpful for seeing enemies in combat, complements Sense Star Stuff