While you can enjoy a great deal in Starfield with your feet firmly on the ground, you will eventually leave for outer space. The game is all about traveling to the deepest corner of the observable universe to gain first-hand experience on various planets. However, the game is so massive that everyone is bound to lose their way at some point. Fortunately, Starfield gives you the handy Starmap to find your way to various solar systems.
That’s not all; the game features three layers of the Starmap that you can zoom in or out according to your needs. For instance, if you wish to Grav Jump to a different system, you must open the galaxy map. The only problem is that there is no Starmap Legends portion to guide you about various icons that appear above the planets. Therefore, this article provides a complete Starfield Starmap guide, explaining the meaning of every symbol above the planets.
Table of Contents
Starfield Starmap Explained:
As mentioned earlier, Starfield’s map or Starmap has three different layers. You can access this map from the top left side of the pause menu. First, you will see a zoomed-in view of the current planet or moon, along with vital information on the HUD. When you zoom out a little, you will see an overall view of all planets, space stations, and moons orbiting in the current solar system. Finally, when you zoom out all the way, you will see a generic view of the entire observable galaxy, showing various star systems and much more.
Starmap Galaxy View:
When you zoom out all the way, you will see a generic view of the entire galaxy. This map shows all observable star systems, including the ones that you have already discovered and those that remain unexplored. Moreover, you will also find a few helpful icons above each system, usually referring to potential points of interest.
Furthermore, you can view the details for each icon by hovering over them, except for a few mysterious icons. Here’s what every icon means in the Galaxy View of Starfield’s Starmap:
- White Glowing Dots: White dots usually denote an entire star system. The ones that glow when you interact with them are the systems that you have already explored or visited at least once. You can quickly Grav Jump to these solar systems without any problem.
- White Dots Without any Glow: Similarly, there are solar systems that don’t glow at all when you interact with them. These systems are those that you haven’t discovered yet. However, you can easily travel to these systems with only a single Grav Jump.
- Red Dots: If you move the Galaxy map a bit to the unexplored systems, you will find quite a few red solar systems. These red dots represent undiscovered systems, and they are usually high-level areas. However, you can’t Grav Jump directly to such systems. Instead, you must travel to any nearby white system before your Giant Leap to your destination.
You will find a few other icons and symbols appearing in your Galaxy map. Don’t worry; we will explain them in the star system map, as these icons remain unchanged in all layers of the map.
Starmap System View:
The next layer of Starfield’s Starmap appears when you zoom in on an explored solar system from the Galaxy view. This map shows general information about all planets in the selected system. Furthermore, you can find out the faction that controls the system, the recommended level, and the total surveyed percentage. Similarly, you will find the same icons as the Galaxy View, but this time, it shows the exact planet of the activity.
For example, if you zoom in on a system with the civilization icon, the system view of the map will show the exact planetary location of that settlement. Next, when you examine the planet, you will get a view of the planet along with helpful information like its atmosphere, temperature, moons, name, resources, and biology. Here are the icons that appear in the System view of the Starmap:
- Bot with Raised Hands: This icon shows that the system or planet has some form of human settlement. It may be a small town, a camp, or even a grand metropolis like New Atlantis.
- Three Dots on Planet: Certain planets and systems will have three white dots on them. These dots represent one or more points of interest where you can land your ship. The dots will disappear when you explore the site after landing. In this view, you will also find temples of power and possible evidence locations.
- Hut or Trapezoid with Door: This icon will only appear on planets or moons where you have built outposts.
- Vertical Ship: Another common symbol is a vertical starship near planets and moons. This icon shows that you will encounter another vessel in this location. However, the ship can either be friendly or hostile; the only way to know is to go take a look.
- Satellite: The satellite icon has two variations. The smaller satellite icon shows a small satellite station orbiting the planet. Similarly, the larger satellite with 5 solar cells represents a bigger space station that you can dock and enter to explore.
Starmap Surface View:
The final layer of Starfield’s Starmap appears when you zoom in on the planet where you have landed. This layer shows a 2D view of the entire planet, pointing out all points of interest, shops, starports, and nearby quest objectives. This map view is only helpful in giving you directions to your marker. The icons remain the same in this layer, except for a few common ones that you can read by hovering the cursor on them.
Furthermore, you can also use the Surface view to fast-travel to already-explored destinations. In short, this map doesn’t require any explanation, as you will gradually learn about it within a few hours of gameplay. Lastly, you can’t Grav Jump while standing on a planet. Instead, you must head to your ship and open the Starmap to view other systems.
Conclusion:
Starfield is a massive open-world RPG that forces you to travel and explore distant corners of the observable universe. While you can find your way to most locations, the Starmap is handy when traveling to other planets. The good news is that you don’t need to unlock any skills to view the map. However, the game doesn’t tell you about some unique icons that appear near planets and moons. Therefore, this article provides a simple Starmap guide along with all the symbols and their meanings.
