Starfield has a variety of weapons you can outfit your ship with, including automated weapon systems. Compared to more traditional manual weapon systems that place the burden on the players, there are plenty of benefits and disadvantages.
Space ship combat is a massive element in Starfield. Various faction missions, side quests, and the main storyline will involve huge space battles that will put your ship to the test. While shielding, hull, and engines are all core functions of your vessel, you won’t be doing much damage without an efficient weapons system.
Automated weapons may sound appealing, as they take care of the actual combat for you, but there is plenty to know before purchasing any automated weapons.
What are Automated weapons in Starfield?
Automated weapons are a type of weapons system you can build onto your ship in Starfield. Normal fixed weapons require you to aim, lock on, and fire yourself, however, automated weapons will automatically fire at any hostile ship that enters your range.
While you can occasionally purchase pre-built ships already outfitted with automated weapons, you can speak with any ship technician across the major cities to purchase one to apply to any ship in your fleet. Automated weapons require power much like fixed weapons, so you will need to make sure your ship’s power source has enough room to spare.
Should you use Automated weapons in Starfield?
Automated weapons are a useful tool in Starfield. You have a high chance of scoring critical hits on enemy ships and you target your weapons onto specific parts of enemy ships. A fully unlocked Automated Weapons Skill tree can make automated weapons systems some of the best choices in Starfield, however, there are still disadvantages.
With automated weapons, you cannot prioritize targets as your vessel’s targeting is based solely on proximity. Your automated weapons will always fire at the closest target. Your ship’s turrets will also need time to recharge. Automated weapons are also far less accurate than the Targeting Control Systems skill on manual weapons.
I recommend using automated weapons if you find yourself struggling with space combat encounters. The proximity-based weaponry can reduce the mental load, as you can simply focus on piloting during a fight.
If you want more precision then you should stick with manual.
