One of the most exciting aspects of Starfield is piloting my spaceship. You can't travel the cosmos without a proper ship and discover new planets. But piloting a ship is more challenging than pointing in a direction and heading that way. You'll need to learn ship combat, how to pilot a ship, and how to manage your subsystems, as shown by the three-letter acronyms. But you may be wondering what these abbreviations mean.
All Starfield Subsystems Explained
| Subsystem | Meaning |
| LAS - Laser | Laser refers to your ship's laser weapons. More power in this subsystem increases your laser's power, allowing you to destroy enemy shields quickly. |
| Bal - Ballistics | Ballistics refers to your ship's ballistic weapons. Ballistics weapons are more efficient at breaking through an enemy's hull. Increasing power here increases Ballistic damage inflicted. |
| MSL - Missiles | Missiles refers to your ship's missile system. Increasing power here increases the damage your missiles do. |
| ENG - Engine | Engine refers to your ship's engine power, which affects speed and maneuverability. Increasing this makes your ship faster and more agile. |
| SHD - Shields | Shields refers to your ship's shield capability. The more power in your shields means you can withstand more damage before your hull is threatened. |
| GRV - Gravity | Gravity refers to your ship's Grav Drive. Increasing this allows you to jump to other star systems, but this charges in relation to this subsystem's power level. |
| Hull | Hull simply refers to your ship's health. |
Starfield Ship Combat and Piloting Explained
Piloting your ship can be challenging in Starfield, especially during combat. Managing your subsystems while fighting is tricky, but I've got some tips to help you pilot your ship in and out of combat. Here are some tips and tricks for piloting your spaceship in Starfield.
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While not in combat, I typically route my ship's power to ENG to increase speed, allowing me to explore and travel quickly. However, you'll want to manage your subsystems differently if attacked. The most important subsystem during combat is SHD, which prevents your hull from taking damage and death.
When firing at an enemy, I keep power in my LAS to quickly destroy the enemy's Shield. Once I've dropped this, I divert power to my BAS and MSL subsystems. With the enemy's Shields down, I can unleash a barrage of Ballistics and Missiles to quickly destroy their hull.
If you feel you are taking more hits than you'd like, increase your ENG to increase your speed and maneuverability. I also recommend keeping energy in your GRV subsystem in case you need to escape quickly. Ship combat takes some getting used to, so don't be afraid to experiment or run away if needed.
How to Upgrade Your Ship in Starfield
Upgrading your ship in Starfield is done by a Ship Servers Technician. You can usually find these at launch pads, such as the Space Port in New Atlantis. Here, you can purchase new modules, which increase your ship's reactor or subsystem capability. Shipbuilding in Starfield opens up endless possibilities for how your ship performs, so tweak it to better suit your needs.
For more information on Starfield, check out All Starfield controls for PC and Xbox and Starfield Decisions Guide: Dialogue Choices, Consequences, & Persuasion, Explained on Pro Game Guides.
Justin has been diving into fantasy worlds since he can remember. He is a certified nerd who has a deep love of reading, writing, and hiking. He has been writing since his college days, but specifically in gaming for two years. His favorite games are The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Hollow Knight, Celeste, and Banjo Kazooie.
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Starfield LAS, BAL, MSL Meanings – Ship Combat
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