The three most helpful Starfield perks to pick up early in a playthrough

Target Control Systems

Target Control Systems was a perk that I initially picked up because of my long-standing itch to play at being a space-pirate since Starfield was announced. As the perk’s name suggests, the perk itself allows for one to target certain control systems on enemy ships, such as the engines, shields, or weapon arrays. The perk is necessary if one wants to disable ships and board them, but early in the game it actually has far more utility in terms of making space combat far easier for the player.

When one first starts the game, the player’s ship, the Discovery, isn’t exactly what I would call a battle-ready space vessel. This can make space combat very difficult, especially when one is just getting the hang of it in the first place. Couple this with the fact that most times enemy vessels come in packs, the best option is often to flee instead of fight. With Target Control Systems, the player stands far more of a chance however. The perk allows for the player to lock onto an enemy ship and destroy ships much more accurately by providing the opportunity for targeted damage. So far, it’s given me a fighting chance and allowed me to complete a handful of requests that require the player to destroy hostile spacecraft to liberate systems of spacers or pirate alike.