Starfield has the unique asset of adding easy-to-use jetpacks to the game, not too dissimilar from Borderland’s prequel title. Keeping this in mind, you can easily skip, bounce, and fly your way around a battlefield with ease. Make short work of your enemies through upward mobility and confusing flight paths. Boost packs can also provide the player with a new way to overcome obstacles and rough terrain! Although boost packs are one of your strongest weapons, don’t forget boost pack training!
While boost packs can be considered akin to the modern idea of a jetpack, they are functionally quite different. For one, boost packs are meant to give the player short bursts of propulsion from one location to another without worry. Each boost pack has different abilities and classifications, some for smaller more repetitive jumps, and others for longer higher ones. The main difference between jetpacks and boost packs however is the fact that boost packs use O2 to operate. Rather than an explosive propellant like rocket fuel which most jetpacks would be using to jetisan you from A to B.
*Spoiler Warning for Kids Stuff Perk Rewards*
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The Addition Of Boost Packs
Boost packs are a unique addition to Starfield that wouldn’t quite work in most atmospheres. They aren’t the first time we’ve seen the idea of forward propulsion as Fallout 4 and 76 brought with them the Jetpack modification. The difference here is that these boost packs are a staple of the game, being accessible after an easy first-tier perk. These boost packs are a decent means of overcoming your opponents with swift and hard attacks from the air. It’s notable as well that these boost packs are functionally more versatile than the jetpacks of Fallout as you can use them in or out of your armor.
Each boost pack can be upgraded and customized based on the user’s personal choice, adding stylization to your armor. Of course, these can be upgraded via the spacesuit design perk, but even on their own, they are a useful asset. In all honesty, one of the best ways to overcome a strong opponent is simply to propel them above and beyond them. These boosts mixed with explosives or energy weapons can be especially potent against alien threats. Even better, these boost packs can get you farther when encumbered albeit at the same level of exhaustion.
Boost Pack-Related Perks
There are two major perks you can get to increase your boost pack’s viability. The first one is the ever-simple boost pack training in the purple skill tree which grants the ability to use them. From there, you can increase the effectiveness of your boost packs with each rank you Take. The second perk you can acquire is spacesuit designing which will allow you to modify your boost packs with added benefits. This latest perk is in the tech tree and allows you to modify all of your space suits helmets and boost packs. Together they make the boosting mechanic incredibly useful against any range of threats you might encounter while exploring Starfield!
Boost pack Training
You can upgrade both of these perks through pretty simple methods making them easier than most to finish. You can upgrade boost pack training by attacking enemies while boosting. Jump around and avoid most of the fire directed at you, and you’ll be fine. The spacesuit design perk can be upgraded by upgrading your armor, helmet, and boost packs. These upgrades will require the player to acquire a fair amount of resources for a pretty big payoff!!
Pack Types
There are three major pack types that you can acquire in Starfield, each having its specific purpose. First, there’s the non-boosting variety that you can find early on; these are generally good for environmental conditions or have perks to compensate for the lack of boosting. Following that are basic boost packs that will get you high for a long time. Finally, skip packs give you several smaller jumps meant to travel ground quickly. While all three are helpful for one reason or another, generally skip packs are the most useful for what you’ll want them for.
Once you get later into the game you’ll come across a variety of boost packs such as the balanced and power packs. These are even more potent varieties that can be considered advanced models. These advanced models grant the user either more powerful jumps that can send them farther. Additionally, you can get something that gives them a free float mechanic such as the balanced model. Both are great ways to improve your boost pack efficiency and work ultimately the same as their more basic variants. Either way, you can make both of these advanced models and find them with higher-tier enemies, especially later in the game.
Space Suit Design is a key perk for any play style as it allows you to upgrade your armor, helmets, and boost packs.
Non-boosting Packs
Non-boosting packs can be both a rarity late game and a commonplace thing early on. They are mainly used for environmental protection or carrying equipment and aren’t very useful in combat. Besides their innate lack of flight, they can add some added armor in a pinch that does give them some merit. The most useful variety of this is your childhood backpack which can be acquired if you take the kid’s stuff perk. Otherwise, you can find these in places where hostile environments are about, or at lower levels. These non-boosting packs can be a great way to make some extra credits as selling them gives you a decent payout.
Basic Boost Packs
Basic boost packs can be found throughout the colonized systems, and come in many shapes and sizes. They are affectionately one of the best means of dealing with aliens or getting to difficult terrain. Basic boost packs are perfect for hard-to-reach places because they’re made for height over distance. Basic Boost Packs can help you get out of persistent gunfire or Xenos. You can also bypass ladders or get to difficult positions with these basic boost packs. As they’re usually lightweight and worth a few hundred credits, basic boost packs are great for making money!
Skip Packs
Skip packs are the premium versions of the boost pack options, granting the player the ability to move long distances through small jumps. These skips are especially great because they generally have a fast regeneration time, unlike basic models. Finding skip packs usually means visiting vendors or defeating high-level enemies as they can be rarer to find. Whenever you find a skip pack you should probably take it as these premium boost packs can fetch a high price. Finally, mechanically they have a faster oxygen regeneration time and focus on forward motion instead of upwards motion.
The High School Backpack is one of the better non-boosting packs you can acquire in Starfield as it ups your carrying capacity!
Balance Packs
Balance Packs are a specialized premium model of boost pack that gives the player a free float style boost. What this means is that the player will be able to jump a decent height, and slowly descend towards the ground. These packs give you the ability to maintain your shooting angle even when making upward motion. This can be a vital trait for any sniper, or machine gun build as you get out of the way, while having good fire control. Acquiring a balanced pack can be done through various shops, crafting, or encountering high-level opponents who may have one. They fetch a decent price but also offer the player the most air time for their jumps.
Power Packs
The most potent form of boost pack is the power variety which can give the player long-distance jumps at the price of lower jumps per charge. These are great for when you need to escape a heavy fight or gain some ground from a melee combatant. Unfortunately, power packs can be hard to use in tight spaces as well as have limited use before recharging. Typically these recharge times can be made better, however, they are more taxing than the average boost pack. You can find power packs on heavy-grade enemies or from vendors at higher levels. They are most useful for escaping an enemy as they give you one big forward leap rather than short burst ones like the skip pack.
Boost Pack Mechanics
There are a few things to keep in mind when dealing with boost packs to make the most of the mechanic itself. First and foremost, the boost pack can offer two forms of mobility; forward, and upward. This is followed by the fact every time you use your boost pack you will use a bit of its intended charge. This charge will drain so far before it is eventually depleted and refused any further jumps. Luckily, after each jump your boost pack will begin collecting more fuel to make the jumps. This fuel comes passively and thus doesn’t need to be worried about too harshly.
Boost Packs: Skip Pack Variants
Jumping with a boost pack can be affected by weather, gravity, and the environment of the world around you. For instance, if you are in a world with zero gravity, you will be able to jump quite far with minimal issues. On the other hand, high gravity or confined spaces can make the boost pack practically useless. It’s important because of this to keep in mind what kind of pack you’re using, what the conditions of the planet are, and where you are. Either way, the boost pack can be a great method for traversing large ships, ruins, or other obstruction-filled areas.
Once you have all of this down there are the combat mechanics that become accessible through using your boost pack. For one, you can easily evade grenades and melee attacks by boosting away from your opponent. Secondly, you can traverse the battlefield with astonishing speed given the ability to maintain a decent pack charge. Third, you can use your pack to get to ideal positions like high places that keep your enemies away from you for longer.
Mobility
While Boost Packs are one of the easiest ways to stay away from an enemy, it’s important to know exactly how they manage to do that. Basically, boost packs grant you two forms of movement, forward-directional, or upward. They either move in one direction very quickly or go very high very quickly. In this sense, you can easily maintain distance from an opponent by using your boost pack with this in mind. In this way, you create an omnidirectional movement that can’t be undermined by most of the A.I. in Starfield. It grants the player a level of movement which is only ever found in a few games which is nice to see for a Bethesda title.
Boost Packs: Balance Variants
Charging/ Recharging
When using your boost pack, you’ll notice that every jump will drain the pack’s initial charge. This charge can be located above the ammunition counter and shows how long the pack has been before it’s depleted. These packs always recharge over time, so you can plan out these jumps by timing the recharge-to-jump ratio. It’s possible to stretch out a basic boost pack of about three to four jumps by being mindful of your recharge rates. As you level up, these boost packs will recharge more quickly, and become more effective. In particular, the skip pack can recharge relatively quickly and is optimal for these types of jumps.
Weather/ Conditioning
Several things will impact both the height of your boosted jumps, as well as the frequency at which you can use them. For one, weather conditions like thunderstorms, ice, rain, snow, and heat all affect how your boost pack will react. Secondly, the gravitational force on the planet greatly impacts the height and frequency of boost packs as they require less or more work. Finally, the presence of atmospheric pressure or not can make boost packs more or less effective. For instance, a space station is a much better place for these items rather than say mercury with a high gravitational pull.
Combat Mechanics
When using a boost pack in combat, you should always try to remember that evasion and distance are your best friends. After this is timing and accuracy with any firearm you choose to carry. The name of the game when using a boost pack is evading the enemy, and counter-attacking them for doing so. In a sense, you are trying to always attack second and hit harder. When you attack, you can either burst towards or away from the enemy or fly over them with explosives dropped below. With the boost pack, Starfield gives you a lot of options for dealing with enemies.
-source: ConCon
Modifying Boost Packs
Finally, one of the best ways to make your packs more effective is to modify them after you’ve acquired the space engineering perk. By doing so, you can greatly increase their shelf life, efficiency, and value. While upgrading your equipment isn’t mandatory, in any Bethesda game it is the key to creating relatively overpowered playstyles. Modifications that will help you get the most out of these items are height, distance, and oxygen retention! Remember when you modify your equipment it will have a material cost, which may cost you credits.
Boost Pack: Power Variants
