To increase the maximum crew size on your ship in Starfield, you need to consider three independent factors, and your final crew capacity will be limited by the lowest of these:
- Ship Command Skill
- This skill starts at a default crew capacity of 3.
- Investing points increases crew capacity: the first three points add 1 crew slot each, and the final point adds 2 more, totaling up to 8 crew slots at max rank.
- Assigning certain companions like Sarah Morgan can further increase this by 1, effectively giving you a free extra crew member.
- Ship Modules (Stations and Equipment that Need Crewing)
- Different ship components such as cockpits, habitation modules (habs), reactors, weapons, engines, and shield modules contribute to crew capacity.
- Larger or more advanced modules increase the number of crew your ship can support. For example, adding battle stations or extra weapon modules can add several crew slots.
- The total crew capacity from ship modules is the sum of the capacities of these individual components, but the lowest group (reactor, cockpit/hab, or weapons) will limit your total crew.
- Ship Size and Type
- Larger ships, such as Type-B and Type-C vessels, allow for more crew but require higher Piloting skill to operate.
- Upgrading to bigger ships and equipping them with larger modules is essential to increase crew size.
Additional Tips:
- You can upgrade your ship by visiting a Ship Services Technician to purchase larger modules that increase crew capacity.
- To increase crew on outposts, build more Crew Stations in the outpost's build mode and level up the Outpost Management skill.
- Recruiting crew members involves visiting bars or hubs like Viewport in Jemison, and some crew members come with unique skills and backgrounds.
- Some weapons or special modules obtained through quests can also increase crew slots.
In summary, to maximize your ship's crew size, you should:
- Level up your Ship Command skill to rank 4 for up to 8 crew slots.
- Upgrade your ship with larger cockpit, habitation, reactor, and weapon modules to increase module-based crew capacity.
- Acquire and pilot larger ship types that support more crew.
- Assign companions with Ship Command skill bonuses to gain additional crew slots.
This approach ensures you overcome the three independent limits and maximize your crew capacity effectively
