Starfield: First Contact Quest [Complete Guide]

The First contact quest entails a side mission initiated by a message from Chief Sugiyama of Porrima II in the Porrima star system. He implores you to investigate an unusual ship hovering near the planet, which is revealed to be the ECS Constant, a 200-year-old Earth colony vessel. Captain Diana Brackenridge will seek your assistance negotiating with the Paradiso board of directors. They oversee a luxury resort on the planet and are resistant to the idea of newcomers.

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Key Takeaways

• Visit the Porrima star system and receive a message from Chief Sugiyama of Porrima II to begin the first contact quest.
• Upon Chief Sugiyama’s request, investigate the ECS Constant, an Earth colony ship traveling for 200 years.
• Captain Diana Brackenridge will ask for your assistance in negotiating with the Paradiso board of directors, who oppose newcomers to their luxury resort on the planet.
• You will be given three options on how to deal with the ship.
• Your choice will affect your reputation, companion approvals, and karma alignment.
• Save the game before each decision.

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You will have to go to Paradiso and talk to Oliver, the CEO of the resort, who will give you three options to deal with the situation:

Option 1

Although ethically upright, this choice presents the highest challenge and expense. You must locate a suitable planet, which may necessitate exploration of other star systems and thorough planetary scanning.

Additionally, you will have to acquire or craft a Grav Drive, a rare and costly item that is imperative. To proceed with this option, you’ll require substantial persuasion skills or sufficient credits to convince Oliver.

How to find a suitable planet

To discover an apt planet for the colonists, you can utilize your ship’s scanner to identify planets with the following traits:

• Breathable atmosphere
• Moderate temperature range
• Stable gravity level
• Low radiation level
• Adequate water supply
• Varied flora and fauna

Additionally, consult your ship’s database to verify if other factions have previously colonized or claimed any of the available planets. Steer clear of planets already occupied or under dispute, which may lead to conflicts or complications.

How to get a Grav Drive

The Grav Drive is a crucial device that enables your ship to travel faster than light by manipulating gravity fields. It’s indispensable for interstellar journeys, yet notably scarce and costly. You can acquire a Grav Drive by purchasing it from a vendor or crafting one.

Purchasing a Grav Drive

Grav Drives are available for purchase from select vendors located in space stations or technologically advanced planets. It’s worth noting, however, that they come with a hefty price tag and may necessitate a commendable reputation with the vendor’s faction. Attempting to negotiate or persuade the vendor for a reduced price is an option, though success isn’t guaranteed.

Crafting a Grav Drive

If you possess the necessary materials, you can craft a Grav Drive. The required components include:

• 1x Quantum Core
• 2x Gravity Coil
• 4x Fusion Cell
• 8x Titanium Plate

These materials can be obtained through scavenging wrecks, mining asteroids, looting adversaries, or purchasing them from vendors. Additionally, ensure you have advanced engineering skills and access to a crafting station on your ship or base.

Option 2

This option is the simplest and cheapest but also the most immoral. You will force the colonists into working for Paradiso, where they must work long hours for low wages and live in crowded quarters. You must lie to Brackenridge and persuade her that this is their best option. If you do this, you will get many credits from Oliver as a reward.

How to Lie to Brackenridge

To lie to Brackenridge, you must use your Charisma and Deception skills. You must tell her that Paradiso will offer them a temporary settlement deal. They would be provided housing, food, and medical care in exchange for working at the resort until they paid off their boarding debt.

You must make it sound like this is a generous and fair offer allowing them to live comfortably and peacefully on the planet. Also, avoid mentioning any of the drawbacks or disadvantages of this option, such as:

• The colonists would have no rights or freedoms on Paradiso.
• The colonists would be treated badly and discriminated against by the resort staff and guests.
• The colonists would have no access to education or entertainment on Paradiso.
• The colonists would have no hope of ever leaving Paradiso.

You will also have to deal with any questions or objections that Brackenridge may raise, such as:

• The duration of their commitment to Paradiso.
• The nature of their work at Paradiso.
• Their compensation while working at Paradiso.
• Measures are in place to safeguard them from potential threats or hazards on Paradiso.

You must answer these questions with lies or half-truths that would make the deal seem more appealing or reasonable. Use your charm or intimidation to make Brackenridge trust you or fear you.

Option 3

This choice is the most malevolent and brutal but also promises the highest rewards. You’ll be tasked with sabotaging the ECS Constant’s life support system, resulting in the demise of all occupants. This mission requires evading or confronting security personnel, hacking, or destroying the primary console.

If successful, you will receive substantial credits from Oliver and unrestricted access to the ship’s cache, encompassing weapons, armor, modifications, consumables, and rare materials.

How to sabotage the ECS Constant

You must adeptly employ your stealth and hacking abilities to carry out the sabotage. Infiltrate the ship and navigate to the engine room, where the central console is housed. Sidestep or neutralize any patrolling security guards or console sentinels.

Utilize tools such as a cloaking device, suppressed weaponry, or diversionary items to advance discreetly. Alternatively, employ your Charm or Bribery skills to sway them to your cause.

Upon reaching the central console, you face a choice: hack or dismantle it. Hacking involves employing your hacking device or proficiency to solve a mini-game entailing symbol or numeral matching.

Destruction can be achieved via explosives, plasma cutters, or sheer force. Regardless of your method, initiating this action will trigger a countdown, leading to the ship’s life support shutdown and widespread casualties.

Following this critical act, your escape is imperative before the vessel succumbs to detonation or self-destruction. Employ your jetpack, grappling hook, or teleporter to exit the ship swiftly. In the face of potential obstructions or hostile encounters, your ship’s armaments or shields may be deployed to clear your path.

Consequences

Your decision in First Contact Quest will affect your reputation, companions’ sentiments, and moral standing. It will also influence how various factions and individuals perceive you in the times ahead. It is advised to weigh your character’s principles, aspirations, and playstyle before concluding.

Reputation

Your standing in the galaxy gauges how favorably or respectfully you are regarded by diverse factions and collectives. This can determine how they interact with you, the quests they extend, the prices they set, and the rewards they bestow. Your reputation may range from positive and negative to neutral, contingent on your deeds and choices.

• Opting for the option one will augment your reputation with the colonists and any other factions cherishing liberty, justice, and exploration. It will, however, diminish your standing with Paradiso and other factions that prioritize profit, order, and stability.
• Option two will enhance your reputation with Paradiso and factions that prize profit, order, and stability. Conversely, it will deplete your reputation with the colonists and those who regard freedom, justice, and exploration highly.
• Opting for option three will erode your standing with both the colonists and Paradiso and factions esteeming life, peace, and cooperation. Conversely, it will boost your reputation with factions that venerate power, violence, and chaos.

Companions’ Approval

The regard your companions hold for you hinges on your actions and decisions. This dynamic affects their interactions with you, the dialogue choices they offer, the perks they confer, and the romantic opportunities they unlock. Your companions’ sentiment can be positive, negative, or neutral, contingent on their disposition and alignment.

• If you go for option one, it will raise the approval of companions who embody goodwill, idealism, a spirit of adventure, or curiosity. However, it will diminish the esteem of those who lean towards avarice, pragmatism, caution, or cynicism.
• Opting for option two will heighten the regard of companions characterized by a disposition towards avarice, pragmatism, caution, or cynicism. On the flip side, it will reduce the standing of those who embody goodwill, idealism, a spirit of adventure, or curiosity.
• Option three will lead to a decline in the approval of most companions, save for those who lean towards malevolence, sadism, ruthlessness, or chaos.

Karma

Your karma is an assessment of your ethical alignment, determined by your choices and actions. It can influence how the universe responds to you, shaping luck, events, encounters, and outcomes. Your karma can assume a positive (light), negative (dark), or neutral (gray) disposition, contingent on your moral compass and ethical decisions.

• Opting for option one will bolster your karma (light), for it is a noble and compassionate choice that aids others without causing harm.
• Option two will diminish your karma (dark), as it is a self-serving and deceptive choice that exploits others for personal gain.
• Opting for option three will also erode your karma (dark), as it is a brutal and violent choice that results in the demise of others for personal benefit.

Rewards

The rewards you can get from the first contact quest in Starfield depend on the ending option you choose. Here are the possible rewards for each option:

Option 1

This choice rewards you with a distinctive pistol and various baseball memorabilia from Brackenridge.

The stats of all the rewards for this are as follows:

Weapon	Damage	Fire Rate	Accuracy	Range	Weight	Value	Special Effect
The Slugger (pistol)	45	6	75	120	3.2	450	+25% damage against human enemies
The Zapper (pistol)	12	15	65	80	2.5	200	None
The Buzzcut (rifle)	35	8	85	150	4.5	300	None

The pistol also features a special attribute that reduces damage by 25% when wielded against human adversaries. The baseball memorabilia encompasses a bat, glove, and cap. While they don’t possess specific statistics, they can be traded for a respectable sum of credits or utilized as decorations in your base.

Option 2

This alternative gives you a substantial sum of credits from Oliver as a reward. The precise amount is contingent on your charisma and persuasion skills, ranging from 10,000 to 20,000 credits.

Option 3

This decision awards you extensive credits from Oliver and access to all the plunder on the ship. Your charisma and persuasion skills also influence the exact credit amount, varying from 20,000 to 40,000 credits. The loot encompasses weapons, armor, mods, consumables, and rare materials. Some of the noteworthy items include:

• Armor Rating: 10
• Weight: 1.5
• Value: 100

Here are some tips that may help you complete the first contact quest in Starfield:

• Save your game before pivotal decisions.
• Experiment with options, and talk to companions for insights.
• Explore ECS Constant and Paradiso for clues, encounters, and items.
• Prepare for combat with suitable gear and upgrades.
• Enjoy crafting your own story in Starfield’s vast galaxy your way.

In the first contact quest in Starfield, you face a crucial decision that ripples through the narrative, affecting reputation, companion relationships, and personal alignment. Though varied in moral weight, the options carry their own consequences. It’s imperative to align your choice with your character’s ethos, bearing in mind the potential ramifications, as shared on Reddit.

With rewards that reflect the gravity of your decisions, Starfield offers a dynamic gaming experience where every choice shapes your journey in the vast expanse of the cosmos. If you need any help with guides on Starfield, here are some noteworthy guides on our site:

• Starfield Main Quest List.
• Starfield New Atlantis.
• Starfield Alternating Currents.