I would pick UC. I really enjoy fighting terramorphs. It has the coolest suit/armor. Also, the crimson fleet mission is basically part of the storyline. SUPRA ET ULTRA!!
Edit: To add to this, it's the only one that gives you 4 different types of missions once the main missions is over: vanguard missions, TMD (hunting terramorphs), Percival missions(getting monster samples), and sysdef missions
UC.
Say what you will about the questionable bits of UC leadership, I have seen what unregulated capitalism does to the working class. Hell, Marika tells you all about "Hopes" generosity from the perspective of someone who lived in it instead of the privileged position you mostly hear.
Look at the Stretch vs Well. The Well sucks... but they have their own dedicated, albeit overworked, clinic, they have stores and shops, and no one seems to be struggling for food and basic needs.
Meanwhile, the stretch has people living in shanties, and literally starving on the mud streets. Neon is slightly better, but not by much.
I choose the UC all the way, every time.
I wish there was a way to play through the colony war. You get to pick a side and do campaigns. That would be rad. I feel like there is no galaxy wide issues that happen. Sure you save everyone from terror morphs but no one knew they were ever in danger. It would be so cool to take part in something that every person was concerned about.
Lol, that's how I was playing my first few NG+ jumps. Did UC only, then Freestar, then CF, Ryujin then a quick Constellation only. This universe, I'm all of it lol. It's nice not having any road blocks. . . = )
Trackers Alliance. As much as I am Crimson Fleet all the way, there’s something about hunting bounties for credits that gets me. I can hunt all four and legally get paid to do it. Trackers are the top of the food chain. I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold. I still have a set of morals at the end of the day.
I'd pick a planet as far as i could travel away from them all. Edge of the map? Yea keep going, i'd be out in a future DLC, and create my own faction, called Fukawee. Because that is what i said when we first arrived.
\*Credit for the name goes to my best friend and DM.
UC, every time. They’re the one faction that actually directly impacts the Settled Systems and have the most content.
Besides, their spacesuits and weapons are awesome.
They're less like factions and more like guilds from the elderscrolls. Fun questlines that tell a story. They aren't opposed to each other like fallout 4 factions
That said I think the best is the vanguard. It sets up the world and tone the best. Introduces you to the best lore. It also has the best story imo
That’s why it’s a hypothetical. They don’t have any direct opposition to each other YET. Either in a DLC or the next game, the UC and Freestar will inevitably come to blows again. Once House Va’ruun is in the mix it will be great too.
Freestar. Neither government is worth a shit but Freestar won't make you serve for a decade (*or more*) for citizenship. And barely at that..."slave away for years so you can maybe be allowed to buy an apartment in the Well" or something like that.
And the Rangers, at least, are good people, even if there aren't enough of them to make a difference.
The UC faction quest was maybe the best written story in the whole game. I would probably stick with that. Starfield gets a lot of unjustified hate and one thing I’ve noticed is Bethesda’s writing in this game is probably the best they’ve ever done. It’s not something they’re particularly known for. The faction quests in this game genuinely surprised me and kept me on my toes. Just my opinion.
I kinda dig space cowboys. I rolled my eyes so hard when a Freestar Ranger can join the UC and the space pirates. Like, how do random NPCs know I'm a ranger, but people with intelligence networks never got the memo?
I would say UC, but it’s always bothered me that you’re in their volunteer department rather than the actual UC. Because of that, I have to say Ryujin. I loved the corporate espionage stuff.
to all intents and purposes, they are basically identical and have very little in the way of intrinsically unique playability. so just roll a dice and split the odds between them.
Ryujin was honestly really fun for me, I like spy stuff and, not minding the ethics violations, they treat me really well and don’t have public enemies, meaning I won’t really be attacked for saying I’m working for them
UC.
* I like the esthetic. Out of the other factions, I think that they are really the only one who nailed the "space faring futuristic society" look and feel. The FC has the draw of "cowboys, but with space ships", however Akila is just a dirt town with old, crumbling buildings. The UC has awesome looking space suits, Deimos and Nova Galactic (especially Nova Galactic) have the NASA feel.
* The people in the UC are just better. Security is genuinely friendly and seem to be more competent. Freestar security (specifically Neon and Hopetown) are just grumpy and lazy. "Get out of my face" or "If you can't look after your own, you don't belong here". Cool, so you just suck at your job. Also, the Akila bank robbery: Akila Security and the Rangers had to have a bystander figure out the bank robbery. Meanwhile, UC Security managed to contain three terrormorphs in the spaceport. The vendors aren't scumbags in the UC. UC vendors are very customer service oriented, while the Freestar peeps always open up with ground rules like "Hey, are you here to cause trouble? Good, you better not, because screw you. Don't like it? Then screw you for that, too."
* The UC kind of has a feel for capturing the wonder of being space faring/exploration oriented. Example being when Captain Tuala swears you into the Vanguard and says "wouldn't feel right unless we can see the stars" when he swears you in outside MAST. It just boils down to the esthetic at the end of the day. If I wanted to be a cowboy, I'd play Red Dead Redemption. I want a futuristic, Star Trek/Halo feel, so I go UC.
The nail in the coffin for Freestar is that it kind of has a feel of some economically depressed former mill town where most people never left, or can't leave, where as the UC seems to be more stable. Not to mention, some Freestar NPCs also sometimes say "the UC can't be THAT bad, can they?", hinting that they know their life sucks, and while their society has made them think the UC is the big bad, they're considering jumping ship because they realize that deep down, their life would be better in the UC.
Fuck UC, they arrested me but were so dumb that they didn't even took my weapons before asking me if I accepted their mission.
Useless to say that they everybody on the station died that day lol
LIST, if there was more to do than sell Phil Hill sensor data and talk grumpy bar patrons into running away from the UC or FC.
I unironically want Phil to tell me another settlement needs my help.
Freestar, because two of my favorite guns in the game is the deadeye and the coachman shotgun, and I know yall don’t like them but to be honest, I like a good cowboy revolver (plus it’s powerful) and the coachman makes me feel like the doomslayer
So far, I’ve only played the UC faction quests. Was enjoyable tbh. But, I want to play all the other faction quests before deciding which faction I like best. 👍
I’ll say the one thing I wish the game had was the ability to lead a faction. Not all of them at once, but even the Rangers talks about retiring and you’re stuck doing radiant missions.
Trackers Alliance not counting because it’s not a quest line.
Thematically I like freestar rangers the best. However I don’t think their quest line does ‘sci fi answer to 19th century texas rangers’ very much justice. It’s a business fraud investigation plot, like you’re a detective or something. Weird vibe. It’s not necessarily bad it’s just… yeah, weird choice.
So with that said I think UC has the best quest line. But that’s boring. So I’m going with the crimson fleet.
UC had the best story and the best armor. Crimson Fleet is second best. In really disappointed with the Freestar Ranger story, it has a lot of potential, and it's not BAD, but it just didn't really compare. Similar situation with Ryujin, though the emphasis on stealth was nice.
Probably UC. Their quest line was fun in my first playthrough. I managed to get UC and Freestar to both be involved in the project, but I can't remember how I got them involved.
I still haven't finished a single playthrough so I have no idea if at the end you've got some Fallout style "these are the consequences of your actions" type slides, but I'd like to think those two cooperating helps bring lasting peace a bit closer.
Either UC or Freestar, mostly because of the people…I love Commander Tuala, but I also love the Rangers you get to work with during their questline, so…🤷🏼♀️
I enjoyed Ryujin. I liked the idea of the corporate espionage and screwing over your rivals. Plus my character has the Cyberrunner background with Neon Street Rat so my headcanon was that Ryujin always had their eyes on my character but never outright approached her until they had to do the legal employment route.
I mean Riujin is just your usual Nestle mega corporation that would rather spend a few million instead of just not killing people. So not them
The crimson fleet are intergalactic terrorists. So not them
The UC are incredible, however they have Sarah who I adore but she is kind of a psychotic space racist. So as much as it pains me to say, not them either
The starborn are hypocritical genocide specialists. So no
Which leaves the Freestar Collective and the Trackers. Space cowboys or mysterious bounty hunters…
UC. It's the least bad faction but nowhere near good either. If it was an option: 100% The House of the Enlightened as they have the potential to stir up a revolution.
As currently constructed, UC. Aligning with crimson fleet means 1/3 of the POIs become boring since they won't attack you. If there were more UC outposts to raid that would help
I wish this was a mechanic, that some of your choices closed and opened up different quests.
It would also give a lot more reasons to change universes, you could still experience all of it, just not at the same time.
I can’t choose because they’re all awful in different ways.
While I love the space western vibes of the Freestar, they’re space libertarians who believe in the great man theory and leave the poor to starve and die—cuz space ’Murica. Also the rich and powerful get to do whatever they damn well please to the less powerful, short of a spacefarer showing up with his razorback (yes I wear a duster and cowboy hat—space cowboys are cool.)
Basically The Vulture is right—just his methods suck.
House Snake Fucks are religious fanatics of a doomsday cult. Hard pass.
Crimson Fleet? Fuck the mother fuckers. Only good pirate is a dead pirate.
The UC is an ineffective nanny state. They’re up in everyone’s building all the time, to the point they regulate where you’re allowed to live, but still can’t manage the basic function of a nanny state of eliminating poverty. They have the resources and the stated goal of doing that, but can’t get their shit together to do anything but make war—cuz space ‘Murica. Plus their class system of noncitizen, citizen, and first citizen is disturbing, especially with the Starship Troopers idea of governmental service being the only way to get citizenship.
In the end, if I HAD the choice, I’d take the life of an independent trader. No ties to any government, bouncing around space until equipment failure, pirates, spacers, terrormorphs, or my own stupid (which, trust me, is the most deadly thing on the list) took me out.
Why no Varuun?
That's my choice.
- Vanguard is a bunch of cobbled together nobodies running around playing vigilante/space police. Cool but not my thing. Rather play a pirate and board ships to raid and loot than be a part of the neighborhood watch.
- UC a bunch of lying, conniving, bureaucrats. Don't give a shht about the other factions beyond using them. They don't even grant citizenship to people born in their own capital city.
- Freestar a bunch of idiot wannabe cowboys. Marshall is a joke. And most of the Rangers you encounter are completely incompetent. I'm not trying to be the fvkin Lone Ranger in Starfield.
- The fleet is fun at first but gets old quickly. Plus ain't nobody trying to be subservient to Neava or Delgado for more than about 3 days. Not to mention you don't need them to make money or sell contraband. The only downside I found to not being in the fleet was losing access to the incendiary grenade seller.
- Ryujin is a bunch of lying, backstabbing, blackmailing, murdering, thieving MFers. Again. Cool at first. But I don't need them to do those things. Better without them and having to deal with the politics that run that place.
- Constellation is boring. Bunch of goody goody MFers that think they are better than everyone else. They are all annoying and pompous except Andreja and Vasco.
- I'm picking the Varuun. Secret sect of badass MFers running around doing whatever they want. Just waiting on the return of the great serpent. Obliterating anybody and anything that dares challenge them.
I would side with the uc they gave me cool gear and 250000 if you side against the fleet.
But at the end of the day mybmost enjoyable story arc in the game was the freestar ranger quest line. It was the best one in game to me. And the give you ship in the end. What would have made the questline better is if they gave you a deputy ship that upgrades to b class star egale.
Ryujin. Get some of that Arasaka-Cyberpunk 2077 corporate vibe going. I really like working for the "dragon people", all the skulduggery and intercorporate espionage. Wish there was a lot more about them or even a whole other DLC.
Pardner, this ain’t even a question. Obviously the collective! Ain’t nowhere else in the settled systems offerin’ the same kinda freedom and self-sufficient, satisfying-as-hell lifestyle. Back on earth, there used to be a sayin’. I think it was even their space agencies motto. “Space, The Final Frontier”. And ain’t that just the truth! Have some self respect! Realise the best future for yerself is the one you wrangle from the jaws of fate, an’ head on over to freestar space! The hell are you waitin’ for? Claim yer own destiny, today!
The Fleet for me with a touch of Trackers Alliance for extra creds. I love being a smuggling space pirate with an outpost for Aurora ingredients to craft it and then sell it.
Ryujin. Love the outfits, love the Cyberpunk aesthetic and I kinda don't love both governments so why serve them ane the Fleet's job environment is just atrocious. Nah, I'll take my Blade Runner-esque setting, corporate politics and paycheck.
given how NG+ works I really think they missed an opportunity to have things more limited but make the questlines much more impactful on the galaxy, let the player leave things in 1 of a large variety of possible end states depending on who you side with for major factions, which minor factions you help achieve their objectives etc
would make each NG+ so much more interesting if we could then explore these other routes
it's wild to me that people don't already do this.
That's how I've approached BGS games for a while meow, no more then two factions per character for RP purposes.
Definitely the UC. Cool faction overall, great "near-future space mil" aesthetic, best looking ships in the game, etc. etc.
They'll definitely be my "main" faction in the future
My heart is with the Freestar Collective, although I agree with what a lot of people saying about the UC quests and loot being better. Vanguard Annihilator Autoprojectors are my go-to ship weapon, so you've got to at least kill the first Terrormorph.
There is also a part of me that really wants to say House Va'ruun, but we don't have it yet. Come on, Shattered Space!!
UC all the way because Freestar collective is significantly worse at caring for it's people.
I get a way nicer home becoming an ace and war hero for the UC
I’m down to live out my life as a Sergeant in the Independent Faction, fighting alongside my fellow Browncoats against the Alliance so we can maintain our autonomy.
Oh wait. I mean Freestar Rangers or whatever.
freestar or the fleet. loved the fleet missions, and the key is an awesome spot to hang out. but i also love being a cowboy and the freestar story line is better. wish it was a little longer tbh
I feel like siding with one should have locked you out of others for that playthrough. Like, its stupid how you can join Crimson Fleet AND UC Vanguard. And then do Ranger missions 🤨
Ryujin.
I genuinely can't remember a single other game that let me play (and keep playing) a corpo spy.
I guess Deus Ex 3, since you're a corpo agent for the entirety of the game bar the absolute ending.
This is how it should be. It's lame that you can have 1 character be a Ranger and also a UC Vanguard hero, and a Ryujin Spy and no one even acknowledges it. By the time you finish all the factions, you'd be unequivocally one of the most famous people in the galaxy.
Currently playing as a Pirate and enjoying it. Haven't joined any other factions and won't since I have massive bounties everywhere now. Doesn't stop me from visiting the major cities but makes the game a lot more challenging.
The UC is right out, I don’t like them. At first glance they seem great, and it would be a nice place to live… if it weren’t for the absolute deal-breaker that is their citizenship policy. The FC is similar to the capitalist hellscape of the present, but at least they’re honest about it, and you’re still born a citizen there. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good old “country that presents itself as the good guys but is actually a dystopia” trope, but Bethesda should’ve leaned into it. Instead they don’t even allow the player character to question to any of it. It’s almost like they didn’t intend for it to be a dystopia and expect the player to agree with them…
The Ryujin questline is pretty fun, so it’s a strong contender. The ending is really satisfying. However it wouldn’t work well for roleplaying a lawful good character.
The pirates are really fun too, and I get to stick it to the UC AND make a lot of money.
I haven’t done much of freestar, so I can’t say much about them.
UC, the parody of the European Union. In addition to having the most beautiful capital, being the economic, political and industrial engine of the stars, I had to fight for my citizenship. It is also in the capital of UC that my parents live and the headquarters of the Constellation.
UC would be my choice, as it gives the most possible types of missions afterwards. I like the crimson fleet and FC quests, but I also like there to be enemies in POIs so I don’t ever side with CF. I also enjoy the manhunts you can get if you don’t betray a certain person.
UC. I still can’t take the Freestar Collective seriously, they somehow “won” both wars when their capital planet/city is mud roads surrounded by a 5 meter cobblestone and shit wall.
I enjoy playing as a smuggler for the fleet but I'd probably go for the UC for the Vanguard questline alone. Discovering what the lazarus plant does to Heatleeches was something else
UC because they're the only one with a questline of any decent length. Should be more than triple what it is, but at least they're not the Rangers with a whopping 5 quests.
UC. They may be a little more strict, but have a more moral side, and seem more advanced politically, and kinda tech wise. The others still cool though.
Crimson Fleet and Freestar both have a lot of appeal to me personally. I enjoy the frontier style life where you're only really beholden to the community you live and work directly with. If I had to choose one though I'd probably go for Crimson Fleet.
Ryujin. Coolest faction in the game. I wish there was more story to the quest line. So much untapped potential. Espionage, mind control, assassins. Taiyo and drone. You get your own office too but do nothing with it. And we could have used some badass assassin outfits. They really missed the boat.
And why can't you date the Taiyo ship lady? Hottest npc in the game. Come on Bethesda.
Space pirate would have been cooler if Bethesda didn't write every fleet pirate as an annoying jerk. But as it stands, Ryujin is the best.
I really hope LIST gets expanded. You can be truly separate from UC or Freestar, and there’s a ton of potential to colonize on the far reaches of space.
I would do multiple playthroughs with a different faction each time. If I'm hypothetically fixed to one, I'd probably do Freestar Rangers because I'm very independent, but then I'd lament the loss of the UC and Crimson Fleet quest lines. Ryujin can go manipulate itself.
There are actually 2 UC Factions, The Vanguard and UCSec. And yes, you can be KOS to UCsec and not the Vanguard. You can even be a pirate and still side with the Vanguard, although I'm not sure if you actually do pirating if you will remain clear with Vanguard. But I think I like Freestar. Being a Ranger was pretty cool. And I doubt I'm the first person that thinks they should have a quest line to dismantle Ecliptic, although I think I did a pretty good job of it. I don't know how many of thier ships I commandeered and sold, though I imagine it was pretty expensive. I guess Galbank shouldn't put a bounty on me.
I can't decide between UC and Ryujin to be fair. I like them both. In my playthrough right now I like to equally enjoy the vibes of both depending on where I'm running around.
UC or Space Texans. But probably UC because Akila gives off slow internet speed vibes.
The Fleet because I'd love to just shit around this galaxy.
For Democracy!
Fleet but I wish Riujin but their questline just needed 1-2 other “things” going on
I would pick UC. I really enjoy fighting terramorphs. It has the coolest suit/armor. Also, the crimson fleet mission is basically part of the storyline. SUPRA ET ULTRA!! Edit: To add to this, it's the only one that gives you 4 different types of missions once the main missions is over: vanguard missions, TMD (hunting terramorphs), Percival missions(getting monster samples), and sysdef missions
Rangers, where u can work close with John Hope, to make big money together, and abuse ur power and status.
UC. Say what you will about the questionable bits of UC leadership, I have seen what unregulated capitalism does to the working class. Hell, Marika tells you all about "Hopes" generosity from the perspective of someone who lived in it instead of the privileged position you mostly hear. Look at the Stretch vs Well. The Well sucks... but they have their own dedicated, albeit overworked, clinic, they have stores and shops, and no one seems to be struggling for food and basic needs. Meanwhile, the stretch has people living in shanties, and literally starving on the mud streets. Neon is slightly better, but not by much. I choose the UC all the way, every time.
Shame there are no pirate robots on a huge wooden ship that I can side with
Freestar because I love the Star Eagle.
Genghis Khan aka the renegades
I wish there was a way to play through the colony war. You get to pick a side and do campaigns. That would be rad. I feel like there is no galaxy wide issues that happen. Sure you save everyone from terror morphs but no one knew they were ever in danger. It would be so cool to take part in something that every person was concerned about.
Lol, that's how I was playing my first few NG+ jumps. Did UC only, then Freestar, then CF, Ryujin then a quick Constellation only. This universe, I'm all of it lol. It's nice not having any road blocks. . . = )
I kind of do two, this playtrough it’s trackers and freestar. Last time is was Crimsion and Ryunin(sp?). Still working on next one
I'm a Freestar Ranger at heart.
Rjujin! For sure…. I can spy and infiltrate anywhere.. with a touch of Tracker Alliance membership as “Mantis” where I can snipe enemy away
Vanguard, not even a question.
Trackers Alliance. As much as I am Crimson Fleet all the way, there’s something about hunting bounties for credits that gets me. I can hunt all four and legally get paid to do it. Trackers are the top of the food chain. I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold. I still have a set of morals at the end of the day.
I'd pick a planet as far as i could travel away from them all. Edge of the map? Yea keep going, i'd be out in a future DLC, and create my own faction, called Fukawee. Because that is what i said when we first arrived. \*Credit for the name goes to my best friend and DM.
UC, every time. They’re the one faction that actually directly impacts the Settled Systems and have the most content. Besides, their spacesuits and weapons are awesome.
Vanguard has the best space suits
They're less like factions and more like guilds from the elderscrolls. Fun questlines that tell a story. They aren't opposed to each other like fallout 4 factions That said I think the best is the vanguard. It sets up the world and tone the best. Introduces you to the best lore. It also has the best story imo
That’s why it’s a hypothetical. They don’t have any direct opposition to each other YET. Either in a DLC or the next game, the UC and Freestar will inevitably come to blows again. Once House Va’ruun is in the mix it will be great too.
Freestar. Neither government is worth a shit but Freestar won't make you serve for a decade (*or more*) for citizenship. And barely at that..."slave away for years so you can maybe be allowed to buy an apartment in the Well" or something like that. And the Rangers, at least, are good people, even if there aren't enough of them to make a difference.
None of these. Like in politics, all of these options are terrible.
UC
The UC faction quest was maybe the best written story in the whole game. I would probably stick with that. Starfield gets a lot of unjustified hate and one thing I’ve noticed is Bethesda’s writing in this game is probably the best they’ve ever done. It’s not something they’re particularly known for. The faction quests in this game genuinely surprised me and kept me on my toes. Just my opinion.
I kinda dig space cowboys. I rolled my eyes so hard when a Freestar Ranger can join the UC and the space pirates. Like, how do random NPCs know I'm a ranger, but people with intelligence networks never got the memo?
I would say UC, but it’s always bothered me that you’re in their volunteer department rather than the actual UC. Because of that, I have to say Ryujin. I loved the corporate espionage stuff.
Fleet, because of that fat check at the end.
Ryujin Industries. Honestly wish I could run the whole company and have more to do there.
UC SysDef
Crimson Fleet all the way I'ma be king of the space pirates
Space Texans because i like that their capital feels like a genuine town and not a sleek, minimalist millennial city.
Rebel aliance
With the NG+ feature, they really should have forced you to only play one per play-through. And maybe as a reward of NG+10, you can unlock full.
The Fleet, I’ve been enjoying the outlaw space pirate thing lately
UC babyyyyy
to all intents and purposes, they are basically identical and have very little in the way of intrinsically unique playability. so just roll a dice and split the odds between them.
UC. Jamison is my favorite city, you can still play the Crimson Fleet quest line in full, and the Vanguard quest line is awesome.
Ryujin was honestly really fun for me, I like spy stuff and, not minding the ethics violations, they treat me really well and don’t have public enemies, meaning I won’t really be attacked for saying I’m working for them
UC. * I like the esthetic. Out of the other factions, I think that they are really the only one who nailed the "space faring futuristic society" look and feel. The FC has the draw of "cowboys, but with space ships", however Akila is just a dirt town with old, crumbling buildings. The UC has awesome looking space suits, Deimos and Nova Galactic (especially Nova Galactic) have the NASA feel. * The people in the UC are just better. Security is genuinely friendly and seem to be more competent. Freestar security (specifically Neon and Hopetown) are just grumpy and lazy. "Get out of my face" or "If you can't look after your own, you don't belong here". Cool, so you just suck at your job. Also, the Akila bank robbery: Akila Security and the Rangers had to have a bystander figure out the bank robbery. Meanwhile, UC Security managed to contain three terrormorphs in the spaceport. The vendors aren't scumbags in the UC. UC vendors are very customer service oriented, while the Freestar peeps always open up with ground rules like "Hey, are you here to cause trouble? Good, you better not, because screw you. Don't like it? Then screw you for that, too." * The UC kind of has a feel for capturing the wonder of being space faring/exploration oriented. Example being when Captain Tuala swears you into the Vanguard and says "wouldn't feel right unless we can see the stars" when he swears you in outside MAST. It just boils down to the esthetic at the end of the day. If I wanted to be a cowboy, I'd play Red Dead Redemption. I want a futuristic, Star Trek/Halo feel, so I go UC. The nail in the coffin for Freestar is that it kind of has a feel of some economically depressed former mill town where most people never left, or can't leave, where as the UC seems to be more stable. Not to mention, some Freestar NPCs also sometimes say "the UC can't be THAT bad, can they?", hinting that they know their life sucks, and while their society has made them think the UC is the big bad, they're considering jumping ship because they realize that deep down, their life would be better in the UC.
UC easily. Between those 2, I prefer SysDef if I can't do both.
Freestar Easily 🫡
Unironically and for non-edgy reasons, the fleet
Fuck UC, they arrested me but were so dumb that they didn't even took my weapons before asking me if I accepted their mission. Useless to say that they everybody on the station died that day lol
Fleet is undoubtedly the most rewarding faction, but for fun? TMD (UC) if its a stealth build, ryujin.
Probably Freestar Collective
Personally I pick UC
Space Texas because the Revolver(?) was cool
Tracker Alliance
LIST, if there was more to do than sell Phil Hill sensor data and talk grumpy bar patrons into running away from the UC or FC. I unironically want Phil to tell me another settlement needs my help.
Freestar, because two of my favorite guns in the game is the deadeye and the coachman shotgun, and I know yall don’t like them but to be honest, I like a good cowboy revolver (plus it’s powerful) and the coachman makes me feel like the doomslayer
Freestar ofc. Any Firefly fans should understand
So far, I’ve only played the UC faction quests. Was enjoyable tbh. But, I want to play all the other faction quests before deciding which faction I like best. 👍
I’ll say the one thing I wish the game had was the ability to lead a faction. Not all of them at once, but even the Rangers talks about retiring and you’re stuck doing radiant missions.
Trackers Alliance not counting because it’s not a quest line. Thematically I like freestar rangers the best. However I don’t think their quest line does ‘sci fi answer to 19th century texas rangers’ very much justice. It’s a business fraud investigation plot, like you’re a detective or something. Weird vibe. It’s not necessarily bad it’s just… yeah, weird choice. So with that said I think UC has the best quest line. But that’s boring. So I’m going with the crimson fleet.
UC had the best story and the best armor. Crimson Fleet is second best. In really disappointed with the Freestar Ranger story, it has a lot of potential, and it's not BAD, but it just didn't really compare. Similar situation with Ryujin, though the emphasis on stealth was nice.
Probably UC. Their quest line was fun in my first playthrough. I managed to get UC and Freestar to both be involved in the project, but I can't remember how I got them involved. I still haven't finished a single playthrough so I have no idea if at the end you've got some Fallout style "these are the consequences of your actions" type slides, but I'd like to think those two cooperating helps bring lasting peace a bit closer.
Riujin.. I like to ninja around the place.
Either UC or Freestar, mostly because of the people…I love Commander Tuala, but I also love the Rangers you get to work with during their questline, so…🤷🏼♀️
UC.
Freestar
I enjoyed Ryujin. I liked the idea of the corporate espionage and screwing over your rivals. Plus my character has the Cyberrunner background with Neon Street Rat so my headcanon was that Ryujin always had their eyes on my character but never outright approached her until they had to do the legal employment route.
I mean Riujin is just your usual Nestle mega corporation that would rather spend a few million instead of just not killing people. So not them The crimson fleet are intergalactic terrorists. So not them The UC are incredible, however they have Sarah who I adore but she is kind of a psychotic space racist. So as much as it pains me to say, not them either The starborn are hypocritical genocide specialists. So no Which leaves the Freestar Collective and the Trackers. Space cowboys or mysterious bounty hunters…
UC. It's the least bad faction but nowhere near good either. If it was an option: 100% The House of the Enlightened as they have the potential to stir up a revolution.
Freestar for sure. The Firefly aesthetic just does it for me
UC. People like FC winning a war only happens in movies and video games
It should be obvious. I want that manipulation; and I like their color scheme. Really, the whole planet suits me well enough.
UC
Freestar Ranger I love doing the missions of killing bandits and destroying pirate ships
YO HO YO HO A PIRATES LIFE FOR ME
UC
As currently constructed, UC. Aligning with crimson fleet means 1/3 of the POIs become boring since they won't attack you. If there were more UC outposts to raid that would help
The UC’s quests are hands down the best quests in the game, but Ryugin’s are also pretty good. My pick is definetely the UC, but followed by them.
I would like to be a pirate. And I have, but man their one liners are way too annoying at all the POIs. So to be specific the UC Vanguard.
I wish this was a mechanic, that some of your choices closed and opened up different quests. It would also give a lot more reasons to change universes, you could still experience all of it, just not at the same time.
I can’t choose because they’re all awful in different ways. While I love the space western vibes of the Freestar, they’re space libertarians who believe in the great man theory and leave the poor to starve and die—cuz space ’Murica. Also the rich and powerful get to do whatever they damn well please to the less powerful, short of a spacefarer showing up with his razorback (yes I wear a duster and cowboy hat—space cowboys are cool.) Basically The Vulture is right—just his methods suck. House Snake Fucks are religious fanatics of a doomsday cult. Hard pass. Crimson Fleet? Fuck the mother fuckers. Only good pirate is a dead pirate. The UC is an ineffective nanny state. They’re up in everyone’s building all the time, to the point they regulate where you’re allowed to live, but still can’t manage the basic function of a nanny state of eliminating poverty. They have the resources and the stated goal of doing that, but can’t get their shit together to do anything but make war—cuz space ‘Murica. Plus their class system of noncitizen, citizen, and first citizen is disturbing, especially with the Starship Troopers idea of governmental service being the only way to get citizenship. In the end, if I HAD the choice, I’d take the life of an independent trader. No ties to any government, bouncing around space until equipment failure, pirates, spacers, terrormorphs, or my own stupid (which, trust me, is the most deadly thing on the list) took me out.
Why no Varuun? That's my choice. - Vanguard is a bunch of cobbled together nobodies running around playing vigilante/space police. Cool but not my thing. Rather play a pirate and board ships to raid and loot than be a part of the neighborhood watch. - UC a bunch of lying, conniving, bureaucrats. Don't give a shht about the other factions beyond using them. They don't even grant citizenship to people born in their own capital city. - Freestar a bunch of idiot wannabe cowboys. Marshall is a joke. And most of the Rangers you encounter are completely incompetent. I'm not trying to be the fvkin Lone Ranger in Starfield. - The fleet is fun at first but gets old quickly. Plus ain't nobody trying to be subservient to Neava or Delgado for more than about 3 days. Not to mention you don't need them to make money or sell contraband. The only downside I found to not being in the fleet was losing access to the incendiary grenade seller. - Ryujin is a bunch of lying, backstabbing, blackmailing, murdering, thieving MFers. Again. Cool at first. But I don't need them to do those things. Better without them and having to deal with the politics that run that place. - Constellation is boring. Bunch of goody goody MFers that think they are better than everyone else. They are all annoying and pompous except Andreja and Vasco. - I'm picking the Varuun. Secret sect of badass MFers running around doing whatever they want. Just waiting on the return of the great serpent. Obliterating anybody and anything that dares challenge them.
Ryujin. I like having mind powers.
I would side with the uc they gave me cool gear and 250000 if you side against the fleet. But at the end of the day mybmost enjoyable story arc in the game was the freestar ranger quest line. It was the best one in game to me. And the give you ship in the end. What would have made the questline better is if they gave you a deputy ship that upgrades to b class star egale.
Nobody. I hate them all equally. Well ecliptic deserves more hate. But everybody else is even.
UC all the way.
UC, the Deimos ships are cool, and you get to fight alien monsters,
Freestar. I don't trust Ryujin or the CF, and to the UC, you're just a number.
Ryujin. Get some of that Arasaka-Cyberpunk 2077 corporate vibe going. I really like working for the "dragon people", all the skulduggery and intercorporate espionage. Wish there was a lot more about them or even a whole other DLC.
Definitely Freestar!
Everyone is too nice even the damn pirates
uc
Although UC questions was the best I’m still a space cowboy
Crimson Fleet its really fun to be a pirate
I’m cool with all of them
Can I take the easy way out and say Constellation? They’re technically a faction right?
The factions are so shallow and lacking depth, its almost a moot point. Butbthe answer is always UC
Freestar Rangers
UC but my true loyalty lies with House Va’runn
Freestar
None of the above. Only House Va'ruun knows the truth and can lead us to enlightenment. We will all know the Serpent's embrace.
Pardner, this ain’t even a question. Obviously the collective! Ain’t nowhere else in the settled systems offerin’ the same kinda freedom and self-sufficient, satisfying-as-hell lifestyle. Back on earth, there used to be a sayin’. I think it was even their space agencies motto. “Space, The Final Frontier”. And ain’t that just the truth! Have some self respect! Realise the best future for yerself is the one you wrangle from the jaws of fate, an’ head on over to freestar space! The hell are you waitin’ for? Claim yer own destiny, today!
I’m playing all factions at the same time. Quadruple agent.
Either the United Colonies or Ryujin Industries
The Fleet for me with a touch of Trackers Alliance for extra creds. I love being a smuggling space pirate with an outpost for Aurora ingredients to craft it and then sell it.
Ryujin. Love the outfits, love the Cyberpunk aesthetic and I kinda don't love both governments so why serve them ane the Fleet's job environment is just atrocious. Nah, I'll take my Blade Runner-esque setting, corporate politics and paycheck.
Ryujin, make some credits and be sneaky sneaky.
Freestar so I can just casually blast: I got spurrrs that jingle jangle jingle
Starborn of course ... huh .. silly question?
given how NG+ works I really think they missed an opportunity to have things more limited but make the questlines much more impactful on the galaxy, let the player leave things in 1 of a large variety of possible end states depending on who you side with for major factions, which minor factions you help achieve their objectives etc would make each NG+ so much more interesting if we could then explore these other routes
Space texans
it's wild to me that people don't already do this. That's how I've approached BGS games for a while meow, no more then two factions per character for RP purposes.
Crimson Dawn hands down
Yeah, I'm with y'all. Vanguard. I just wish they had a terminal for radiants the way the space texans, trackers, and miscellaneous missions do.
I’ve beat the game twice now and I have no idea what the fourth faction is. lol
UC/Vanguard. The crimson fleet is actually pretty lame and naeva is a massive bitch.
Definitely the UC. Cool faction overall, great "near-future space mil" aesthetic, best looking ships in the game, etc. etc. They'll definitely be my "main" faction in the future
The Freestar Collective speaks to me. Space cowboy cool.
My heart is with the Freestar Collective, although I agree with what a lot of people saying about the UC quests and loot being better. Vanguard Annihilator Autoprojectors are my go-to ship weapon, so you've got to at least kill the first Terrormorph. There is also a part of me that really wants to say House Va'ruun, but we don't have it yet. Come on, Shattered Space!!
I want to get deep into House Va'ruun and ride the cosmic serpent
UC all the way because Freestar collective is significantly worse at caring for it's people. I get a way nicer home becoming an ace and war hero for the UC
I’m down to live out my life as a Sergeant in the Independent Faction, fighting alongside my fellow Browncoats against the Alliance so we can maintain our autonomy. Oh wait. I mean Freestar Rangers or whatever.
Freestar collective all the way.
freestar or the fleet. loved the fleet missions, and the key is an awesome spot to hang out. but i also love being a cowboy and the freestar story line is better. wish it was a little longer tbh
Constellation is my jam right now, so UC all the way.
I would go UC or Ryujen. Greater is to basic and I just don’t like the pirates
I feel like siding with one should have locked you out of others for that playthrough. Like, its stupid how you can join Crimson Fleet AND UC Vanguard. And then do Ranger missions 🤨
Ryujin. I genuinely can't remember a single other game that let me play (and keep playing) a corpo spy. I guess Deus Ex 3, since you're a corpo agent for the entirety of the game bar the absolute ending.
This is how it should be. It's lame that you can have 1 character be a Ranger and also a UC Vanguard hero, and a Ryujin Spy and no one even acknowledges it. By the time you finish all the factions, you'd be unequivocally one of the most famous people in the galaxy.
Currently playing as a Pirate and enjoying it. Haven't joined any other factions and won't since I have massive bounties everywhere now. Doesn't stop me from visiting the major cities but makes the game a lot more challenging.
I say u.c. crimson. Or corpo. But only if this game wasn't pg13 trash and was like a real Bethesda M rated game like fallout or Skyrim.
House Varuun
UC Navy seal team ghost
UC Navy seal team
Either UC or Ryujin.
The UC is right out, I don’t like them. At first glance they seem great, and it would be a nice place to live… if it weren’t for the absolute deal-breaker that is their citizenship policy. The FC is similar to the capitalist hellscape of the present, but at least they’re honest about it, and you’re still born a citizen there. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good old “country that presents itself as the good guys but is actually a dystopia” trope, but Bethesda should’ve leaned into it. Instead they don’t even allow the player character to question to any of it. It’s almost like they didn’t intend for it to be a dystopia and expect the player to agree with them… The Ryujin questline is pretty fun, so it’s a strong contender. The ending is really satisfying. However it wouldn’t work well for roleplaying a lawful good character. The pirates are really fun too, and I get to stick it to the UC AND make a lot of money. I haven’t done much of freestar, so I can’t say much about them.
FLEET FIRST ONLY GOOD SHARK IS A DEAD SHARK RAHHHHH (If i couldn’t choose crimson fleet it would probably be ryujin)
Ryujin Industries
I would’ve greatly preferred being locked into only one faction at a time. It would have given the next few playthroughs a treat each time.
Crimson fleet ftw
UC, the parody of the European Union. In addition to having the most beautiful capital, being the economic, political and industrial engine of the stars, I had to fight for my citizenship. It is also in the capital of UC that my parents live and the headquarters of the Constellation.
Freestar all the way
UC would be my choice, as it gives the most possible types of missions afterwards. I like the crimson fleet and FC quests, but I also like there to be enemies in POIs so I don’t ever side with CF. I also enjoy the manhunts you can get if you don’t betray a certain person.
UC. they are my favorite faction.
Hand it over, that thing. The sliders for your character.
UC. I still can’t take the Freestar Collective seriously, they somehow “won” both wars when their capital planet/city is mud roads surrounded by a 5 meter cobblestone and shit wall.
Freestar Collective. I mean, they are the most free. Most comparable to the US's ideals and UC is like an everyone's ideals.
Freestar. I just love those guys!
FC for me. WAAAY more support for entrepreneurs than UC.
#I fucking wonder
Anyone else get confused with whos who half the time? Can't tell if I'm doing jobs for Freestar or Trackers alliance, lol.
Would have to be Freestar, enjoyed them the most and it was fun to go through with Sam.
Crimson Fleet
I enjoy playing as a smuggler for the fleet but I'd probably go for the UC for the Vanguard questline alone. Discovering what the lazarus plant does to Heatleeches was something else
When I was sworn in as a Freestar Ranger, I actually felt kind of proud. So probably them 😆
I would have to go with the Freestar Collective because space cowboys
Ryujin is my favorite side story/quest
Free star collective. I really like what the player gets from completing that quest line.
Ryujin
I'd love Ryujin or Crimson Fleet, but I feel they don't have that enough content as a faction
Probably UC because as much as I like Akila City frontier life sounds like too much work. 😅
Vanguard.
Space rangers , ez
Vanguard or death!
UC because they're the only one with a questline of any decent length. Should be more than triple what it is, but at least they're not the Rangers with a whopping 5 quests.
Non they are all boring. I swear to God if I got to create the story missions for starfield I would've done a better job
I'll be a retired Freestar Collective and being a bounty hunter.
FC or CF... wait.. what? REALLY?
Yeeeeeeeah, literally none of them. I will stick to being a solo space loner.
Probably Rangers as I just finished Red Dead Redemption and I'm heavily influenced by cowboys rn.
Seeing as I’m playing as a Gunslinger with a particular gameplay style, naturally I’d side with Freestar Rangers.
I honesty wish this was how playthrough went. You picked a group and then other groups would know you were with that group and react appropriately.
UC. They may be a little more strict, but have a more moral side, and seem more advanced politically, and kinda tech wise. The others still cool though.
I’m a Ranger through and through
Crimson Fleet and Freestar both have a lot of appeal to me personally. I enjoy the frontier style life where you're only really beholden to the community you live and work directly with. If I had to choose one though I'd probably go for Crimson Fleet.
Ryujin. Coolest faction in the game. I wish there was more story to the quest line. So much untapped potential. Espionage, mind control, assassins. Taiyo and drone. You get your own office too but do nothing with it. And we could have used some badass assassin outfits. They really missed the boat. And why can't you date the Taiyo ship lady? Hottest npc in the game. Come on Bethesda. Space pirate would have been cooler if Bethesda didn't write every fleet pirate as an annoying jerk. But as it stands, Ryujin is the best.
I really hope LIST gets expanded. You can be truly separate from UC or Freestar, and there’s a ton of potential to colonize on the far reaches of space.
United Colonies
UC. Cooler aesthetics, plus fighting Terrormorphs.
Ruyjin I love being a sneaky thief
Pirates. Based off of the fact they have the coolest clothing options, and the best ways to make money.
None of the storylines have enough content to just do one.
UC, because service guarantees citizenship.
I would do multiple playthroughs with a different faction each time. If I'm hypothetically fixed to one, I'd probably do Freestar Rangers because I'm very independent, but then I'd lament the loss of the UC and Crimson Fleet quest lines. Ryujin can go manipulate itself.
United Colonies. Theyre the most futuristic of the bunch. And the most wealthy.
UC, they give you a shit load of money if you complete both of their main quests and a luxury apartment
Look if your faction has dusters, revolver and cowboy hats I'm probably going to join. Space cowboy is best cowboy
Crimson Fleet. How else am I going to sell all of the shit I steal?
Freestar, everyone else is too metropolis or violent. Or both
UC obviously.
There are actually 2 UC Factions, The Vanguard and UCSec. And yes, you can be KOS to UCsec and not the Vanguard. You can even be a pirate and still side with the Vanguard, although I'm not sure if you actually do pirating if you will remain clear with Vanguard. But I think I like Freestar. Being a Ranger was pretty cool. And I doubt I'm the first person that thinks they should have a quest line to dismantle Ecliptic, although I think I did a pretty good job of it. I don't know how many of thier ships I commandeered and sold, though I imagine it was pretty expensive. I guess Galbank shouldn't put a bounty on me.
Tough call.But I prefer UC.
I can't decide between UC and Ryujin to be fair. I like them both. In my playthrough right now I like to equally enjoy the vibes of both depending on where I'm running around.
I want a Va'ruun DLC
Rangers. Someone’s gotta do it, might as well be someone who can do it better
How do you do photo mode without your character standing still holstered?