The Outer Worlds: Ultimate Master Strategy Guide 🚀🪐

👋 Introduction: Welcome, Space Traveler! 👋

A hearty, Board-unapproved welcome to the Halcyon colony! So, you’ve just been… unexpectedly revived from a super-long cryo-sleep nap. 😴 On behalf of… well, us… welcome! Think of this doc as your ultimate guide to surviving and thriving in the Outer Worlds. We’re here to help you maximize your fun and make sure you don’t get eaten by Raptidons 🦖 or, even worse, get stuck with a lifetime subscription to Spacer’s Choice. 🤢

This guide is packed with tips from seasoned space adventurers to turn you from an “unplanned variable” into a “total legend.” 🌟 Pay close attention! Your awesome space-faring future depends on it!

💖 It’s Not the Best Choice, It’s YOUR Choice! 💖

Here in Halcyon, we believe in choices! While The Board has a plan for everything, your journey is yours to navigate. This manual, therefore, isn’t a boring checklist. That would be no fun! Instead, we’ll focus on the why—the smart thinking behind every decision you make. We’ll equip you with the logic to handle any situation, whether it’s “negotiating” with a hostile lifeform (with a plasma rifle 🔥) or “optimizing” your bank account (by looting everything that isn’t nailed down 🤫).

The goal is to empower YOU to make informed, strategic decisions. Whether you want to be a silver-tongued diplomat 💬, a ruthless enforcer 💥, or a sneaky scientist with a shrink ray 🔬, this guide will provide the framework for success. Remember, every choice has a consequence, and we’re here to help you choose the most awesome one.

✨ A Quick Note on the Spacer’s Choice Edition ✨

As a premium player, you’ve got access to the Spacer’s Choice Edition of the Outer Worlds experience! This is the definitive version, remastered for the most discerning space travelers. You’ll immediately notice the “enhanced” visuals, with all sorts of luxurious lighting effects 💡 that really bring the corporate-owned worlds to life. Plus, the level cap is higher, giving you even more chances to grow! 📈

You might also notice… certain… “unplanned atmospheric challenges.” 😆 These are not “bugs,” as some might claim. They’re character-building immersion features, perfectly on-brand for Spacer’s Choice! That occasional frame rate stutter? It’s just a reminder of how fragile existence is! 😅 Scenes that seem “inexplicably too dark” 🔦 are just opportunities to practice your navigation skills. They aren’t flaws; they’re features! Embrace them. It’s not the best choice, it’s Spacer’s Choice!™️

🛠️ Chapter 1: Building Your Hero – First Day in Halcyon! 🛠️

Character Creation: You’re the Wild Card!

Your new life begins with a standard intake form. This is the most critical stage! While you can change many of your future decisions with a machine on your ship, the choices you make here are, for the most part, permanent. You’re the wild card Phineas Welles unleashed on this orderly system! 🃏 How you define yourself now will shape your talents for your whole adventure.

It’s vital to know the difference between your core Attributes and your professional Skills. On your ship, the Unreliable 🚀, you’ll find a machine to respec your Skill and Perk points for a few Bits. 💰 However, your core Attributes—the very fabric of your being—are immutable. They’re the permanent ink on your contract, so choose them with care!

🧠 Attributes: The 6 Big Stats That Stick! 💪

You’ll get to put points into six core Attributes. These define your natural talents. Don’t just look at the minor skill boosts; focus on the unique, passive benefits each one gives!

Body Attributes

Strength 💪: This is all about raw power. Its main job is to give you a percentage-based increase to all melee weapon damage. It’s the only way to get this bonus, making it a non-negotiable, mandatory investment if you plan on hitting things up close. 🔨 A small bonus is more carrying capacity, which is nice.
- Strategic Mandate: If your plan involves smashing things with big, heavy objects, you must invest in Strength.
Dexterity 🏃‍♂️: This is about speed. It gives minor increases to melee attack speed and ranged reload speed. In the grand scheme, it’s an “efficiency” stat, but its returns are pretty small.
- Strategic Mandate: Dexterity is a luxury, not a necessity. For most builds, this is the first stat to face “budget cuts.” Consider this your primary “dump stat” 📉 unless you have a very specific build in mind.

Mind Attributes

Intelligence 🧠: This is the single most important Attribute for maximizing your damage. It directly increases your Critical Hit Damage. 💥 This is a HUGE deal! As you level up any weapon skill (Handguns, Long Guns, etc.), you’ll passively gain more Critical Hit Chance. This means the better you get with a weapon, the more you’ll crit. And every crit is then multiplied by your Intelligence bonus! It’s a beautiful, powerful cycle.
- Strategic Mandate: Unless you plan to talk your way through the entire game (good luck!), a high Intelligence score is the cornerstone of a successful and high-damage career. It’s a universal force multiplier. 📈
Perception 👁️: This is the “precision” stat, giving you bonus damage when you hit an enemy’s weak spot (like a headshot 🎯). This is a powerful bonus, but it’s conditional. It only rewards you for well-aimed shots.
- Strategic Mandate: For snipers, assassins, and other precision-focused players, Perception is a high-value investment. For those who prefer a “spray and pray” approach with automatic weapons, its value drops.

Personality Attributes

Charm 😎: This is the ultimate social tool. Its main job is to manage your professional relationships. It increases the positive reputation you get from quests, but more importantly, it significantly reduces the negative reputation you get from… “unauthorized activities.” 🤫
- Strategic Mandate: If your plans include theft, assassination, or general corporate espionage, Charm is your best friend. It lets you play both sides, being a hero in public while pilfering the company coffers in private. It’s the key to a profitable double-life! 🕵️
Temperament ❤️: This governs your natural toughness, specifically your passive health regeneration. 🩹 While healing without using supplies is nice, it becomes less useful on higher difficulties when enemy damage is massive.
- Strategic Mandate: Temperament is a reliable, if unexciting, choice for new players. It provides a safety net. However, seasoned pros will likely invest in Attributes that neutralize threats before they can do damage.

📚 Skills: Leveling Up Your Talents! 📈

Your Skills are your professional training. You get 10 skill points per level (plus extras from Intelligence!), which you can invest in seven core skill groups.

The system is simple: for the first 50 points, investing in a group (e.g., “Ranged”) raises all its sub-skills (Handguns, Long Guns, Heavy Weapons) at the same time. After a sub-skill hits 50, you have to invest points directly into it. This encourages you to be a generalist early on and a specialist later. 🎯

The real strategic depth comes from the game-changing abilities unlocked at specific point thresholds. Think of these as utility gates; reaching them is often more important than maxing out a single skill.

⭐ Crucial Skill Milestones ⭐

Ranged Skills @ 20: 🎯 Unlocks Tactical Time Dilation (TTD) Location Hit Effects. This is your gateway to advanced combat, letting you Blind, Cripple, or Maim enemies!
Melee Skills @ 40: ⚔️ Unlocks TTD Location Hit Effects for melee weapons. A must-have for any brawler.
Hack @ 20: 💰 Unlocks the ability to sell items to Vending Machines. This is an enormous quality-of-life and economic boost!
Hack @ 40: 🎁 Unlocks access to restricted (and better!) items in Vending Machines.
Science @ 20: 🔧 Unlocks the “Tinker” ability at workbenches, letting you upgrade your gear.
Science @ 40: 💸 Reduces Tinkering cost by 50%. This is a fundamental skill for managing your money.
Science @ 80: 🤑 Reduces Tinkering cost by a staggering 90%! This milestone makes keeping top-tier gear affordable.
Engineering @ 20: 🛠️ Unlocks “Field Repair,” letting you repair your gear from your inventory, anywhere, anytime.
Inspiration @ 20: 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Unlocks Companion Abilities, turning your crewmates from pack mules into powerful tactical assets!
Inspiration @ 60: 🤩 Doubles the skill bonus your character gets from companions. This is one of the most powerful milestones in the game, giving you tons of “free” skill points!
Sneak @ 150 (DLC Required): 🤫 Sneak attacks that kill their target do not alert other enemies. This transforms you into a true phantom, letting you clear entire outposts without ever being seen.

Hot Tip! 🔥 Your early-game strategy should be to reach these critical utility gates across multiple skill trees. A character with 20 Hack, 40 Science, and 20 Inspiration has unlocked a ton of gameplay systems and is way more effective than a character who just pushed one combat skill to 80. Specialization comes later; foundational utility comes first!

💥 Chapter 2: The Tools of the Trade! 💥

In Halcyon, most disagreements are settled through “aggressive negotiations.” A firm understanding of the tools and tactics is essential for your survival!

🌈 Damage Types: Hit ‘Em Where It Hurts! 🌈

Your standard weapons deal Physical damage. This is your all-purpose solution, but it’s not great against armored targets. 👊 True professionals diversify! There are four additional damage types, each designed to dismantle a specific opponent:

Plasma (Green) 🔥: Super effective against unarmored flesh. Most of Halcyon’s creatures and lightly-armored marauders hate this.
Corrosion (Blue) 🧪: The best choice for deconstructing armor. This is your go-to for heavily armored corporate soldiers, Mantisaurs, and even robots.
Shock (Purple) ⚡: Specifically designed for disabling Automechanicals. Corporate security bots, drones, and turrets are all highly vulnerable to it. ZAP!
N-Ray (Pink) ☢️: A unique and insidious damage type that bypasses most armor to damage targets directly. It also radiates, hurting the target and anyone nearby (including your companions, so be careful!).

A savvy player keeps a varied arsenal and switches damage types to exploit enemy weaknesses.

Corporate Threat Assessment: Damage Type Effectiveness

Enemy Type	Physical 👊	Plasma 🔥	Corrosion 🧪	Shock ⚡	N-Ray ☢️
Flesh (Unarmored)	Effective	Very Effective	Ineffective	Effective	Very Effective
Flesh (Light Armor)	Effective	Effective	Effective	Effective	Very Effective
Flesh (Heavy Armor)	Ineffective	Ineffective	Very Effective	Effective	Very Effective
Automechanicals	Ineffective	Ineffective	Effective	Very Effective	Ineffective
Creatures (General)	Effective	Very Effective	Varies	Effective	Very Effective
Mantisaurs	Ineffective	Ineffective	Very Effective	Ineffective	Very Effective

⚔️ Melee 101: Up Close & Personal! ⚔️

For those who prefer a hands-on approach, melee combat is high-risk, high-reward!

Power and Sweep Attacks: Holding the attack button 💨 charges a powerful overhead strike for massive single-target damage. Doing this during a combo results in a wide Sweep Attack, hitting multiple enemies!
Perfect Block 🛡️: This is the hallmark of a true melee master. By timing your block to perfectly match an incoming melee attack, you’ll not only negate the damage but also stagger your attacker, leaving them wide open for a devastating counter-attack!

⏳ TTD: Your Built-In Superpower! ⏳

Due to your long nap, your perception of time is… unique. This “Tactical Time Dilation” (TTD) lets you slow the world around you. It’s your single greatest tactical asset! 🤩

TTD is far more than a simple slow-motion aiming tool. Its primary strategic purpose is to apply location-based debuffs. By investing just 20 points into a ranged skill (or 40 into melee), you unlock the ability to cripple your opponents while in TTD. Aiming at a specific body part and firing will inflict a debilitating status effect:

Head 😵: Can cause Blind, reducing enemy accuracy.
Torso 🚶‍♂️: Can cause Stagger, pushing an enemy back.
Arms 💪: Can cause Maim, reducing the enemy’s damage output.
Legs 🦵: Can cause Cripple, drastically reducing movement and attack speed.
Groin 😳: Can cause Weaken, lowering all enemy skills.

The best combat loop involves using TTD to tactically dismantle your opponent. Activate TTD, apply a crippling debuff (like crippling a fast-moving Raptidon 🦖), and then use the remaining slow-mo time to target their weak spot for massive damage.

🤕 The Flaw System: Get Perks for Being Badly Hurt! 🤕

In the Outer Worlds, every setback is an opportunity! If you repeatedly suffer from a specific type of misfortune—like taking too much plasma damage 🔥, falling from great heights 😱, or getting mauled by Canids 🐶—the system may offer you a permanent Flaw.

Accepting this Flaw will saddle you with a permanent debuff related to that trauma. In exchange, you will be immediately compensated with one valuable Perk Point! 💡

The strategy here is simple: only accept Flaws whose downsides are irrelevant to your build.

“Free” Perks: A sniper who fights from a kilometer away has no reason to reject Acrophobia (fear of heights). 📉
Manageable Flaws: Drug Addiction 💊 causes withdrawal, but just carrying Adrena-Time makes it harmless.
Career-Ending Flaws: Avoid these! Permanently Maimed (reduces move speed 30% and disables dodge 🚫) is a death sentence.

You can even “farm” Flaws. If you want an extra perk, you could intentionally let yourself get beaten up by Primals to trigger Pithecophobia. This turns the Flaw system from a punishment into a proactive (if dangerous) way to optimize your character!

🌟 Perks: Your Awesome Upgrades! 🌟

Perks are significant, permanent upgrades you get every two levels. They’re divided into three tiers.

Tier 1: Foundational Investments

Toughness ❤️: +50% base health. An essential survivability boost for every playstyle.
Cheetah 🏃‍♀️: +20% sprint speed. Mobility is life! Gets you around the beautiful Outer Worlds landscapes faster. A massive quality-of-life perk.
Pack Mule 🎒: +50kg carrying capacity. More carry weight means more loot, which means more Bits. 💰
Quick and the Dead ⏳: +50% TTD recharge rate. A must-have for any build that uses TTD.

Tier 2: Specialization & Synergy (Requires 5 Tier 1 Perks)

Harvester 🩹: Restore 15% health on kill. This provides incredible sustain in long firefights.
Weird Science 🧪: +50% damage with Science Weapons. Mandatory for any Science Weapon build!
Scanner 🎯: +20% bonus damage to weak spots while in TTD. Essential for snipers.
We Band of Brothers 🧑‍🤝‍🧑: 25% chance to reset a companion ability cooldown on a critical hit. A cornerstone perk for any Leadership build!

Tier 3: Capstone Abilities (Requires 10 Perks Total)

Confidence 💥: Your first attack after killing an enemy is a guaranteed critical hit. For a sniper, this lets you chain devastating criticals from one target to the next.
Wild Science 🧪: +50% damage with Science Weapons. This stacks with Weird Science for a total of +100% damage! 🚀
Armor Master 🛡️: +10% Armor Rating and +100% to any skill bonuses your armor provides. This turns skill-boosting armor into a powerful tool.
Tit for Tat 👊: +15% of melee damage returned as health. This provides immense survivability for melee builds.

💡 Chapter 3: Awesome Character Build Ideas! 💡

To help you get started, here are a few pre-approved “career paths.” These blueprints are designed for maximum fun and show off how to combine Attributes, Skills, and Perks for awesome results!

👻 The Ghost: Stealth Sniper Build 👻

Philosophy: Eliminate threats before they can impact your day. A target that’s neutralized from a kilometer away never had a chance. 🎯
Initial Attributes:
- Perception: Very High 👁️ (For weak spot damage)
- Intelligence: Very High 🧠 (For massive crit damage)
Core Skills:
- Long Guns 🔫: Your primary tool. Get it high for crit chance.
- Sneak 🤫: Essential for positioning and that devastating opening shot.
- Science 🔬: Get to 80 for the 90% Tinkering discount to keep your rifle top-tier.
Key Perks:
- Scanner (Tier 2): +20% weakspot damage in TTD.
- Harvester (Tier 2): 15% health on kill, just in case you’re found.
- Confidence (Tier 3): The lynchpin! Your next attack after a kill is a guaranteed crit.
Operational Loop: The synergy is amazing! You start from stealth, activate TTD, and line up a headshot. 💥 After the kill, Confidence activates, guaranteeing your next shot is a crit. You can chain these devastating shots, clearing a room in seconds.

👊 The Brawler: Hostile Takeover Build 👊

Philosophy: Be the blunt instrument. You’re the final “no” in a failed negotiation. This build is about wading into the thick of combat and dispensing overwhelming force. 💥
Initial Attributes:
- Strength: Very High 💪 (Mandatory for melee damage!)
- Temperament: Very High ❤️ (Passive health regen for sustain)
Core Skills:
- 2-Handed Melee 🔨 or Heavy Weapons 💣: Your main damage skill.
- Block 🛡️: Essential for melee survival.
- Inspiration 🧑‍🤝‍🧑: Your companions are your frontline! Buff them!
Key Perks:
- Toughness (Tier 1): +50% base health. You’ll need it.
- Tit for Tat (Tier 3): +15% of melee damage is returned as health. This lifesteal is your survival engine! 🩹
- Last Stand (Tier 3): +30% damage when you’re low on health.
Operational Loop: Your strategy is simple: CHARGE! 💨 Send your companions to attack first, then close the distance and start cleaving. Use wide Sweep Attacks and Perfect Blocks. Your health will jump around, but the combo of regen and lifesteal will keep you fighting.

🧑‍💼 The Leader: Talk & Delegate Build 🧑‍💼

Philosophy: Why do the work yourself when you can delegate to a team of highly-motivated (and expendable) subordinates? This build focuses on maximizing your companion power and talking your way out of problems. 💬
Initial Attributes:
- Charm: Very High 😎 (For companion ability cooldowns and reputation)
- Intelligence: Very High 🧠 (For smart dialogue options and companion crits)
Core Skills:
- Dialogue (Persuade/Lie/Intimidate) 🗣️: Your primary “weapon.”
- Inspiration 💖: The absolute heart of the build. Get to 60 ASAP to double companion skill bonuses!
- Determination ❤️: Increases companion health.
Key Perks:
- All for One (Tier 1): +50% XP from companion kills (they’ll be doing most of it!).
- We Band of Brothers (Tier 2): Your crits have a 25% chance to reset a companion ability cooldown.
Operational Loop: In any situation, your first action is to talk. Use your high Dialogue skills to de-escalate. If that fails, you’re a tactical commander. 👑 Stay back, identify threats, and command your companions to use their abilities. Thanks to your high Charm and perks, their abilities will be available almost constantly!

🧑‍🔬 The “Mad” Scientist: Wacky Weapons Build 🧑‍🔬

Philosophy: Progress requires experimentation! This build ditches conventional weapons in favor of Halcyon’s bizarre and wonderful Science Weapons, using their unique effects to control the battlefield. 🔬
Initial Attributes:
- Intelligence: Very High 🧠 (Science Weapons can crit!)
- Perception or Dexterity: A good secondary investment.
Core Skills:
- Science 🧪: This is your primary stat! Push it to 80+ for the Tinkering discount and to maximize Science Weapon damage.
- A Ranged or Melee skill: Pick one to unlock TTD debuffs.
Key Perks:
- Weird Science (Tier 2): +50% Science Weapon damage. Mandatory!
- Wild Science (Tier 3): ANOTHER +50% Science Weapon damage. Also mandatory! Together, they double your damage.
- Applied Science (Tier 1, DLC): +25% magazine size for Science Weapons.
Operational Loop: You are a battlefield controller! 🎮 Your goal isn’t just raw damage, but sowing chaos. Open a fight by shrinking the biggest threat with the Shrink Ray 🤏, drastically reducing its damage. Then, switch to the Gloop Gun to levitate a group of enemies 🎈, leaving them helpless! Finish them off however you like.

❤️ Chapter 4: Your Awesome Crew! (AKA Your Best Friends) ❤️

Companion Philosophy: Assets and Friends!

Welcome to Human Resources! The individuals you recruit to crew the Unreliable are your friends, your pals, and your valuable assets! 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

Their primary strategic value is twofold. First, they’re powerful combatants. Second, and more importantly, they are walking skill-sticks. Each companion provides a passive bonus to several of your skills, giving you a large number of free skill points just by having them in your party! 📈

Pro-Tip: Investing just 60 points into your Inspiration skill will DOUBLE the bonus you receive from your companions’ skills! This is one of of the best returns on investment in the entire game!

You can also manage their combat behavior. Set them to be Aggressive, Defensive, Ranged, Melee… whatever you need!

👋 Meet the Team! 👋

Here’s a spoiler-free dossier on the six potential employees you can recruit in the Outer Worlds!

Parvati Holcomb 🔧
- Recruitment: In the Edgewater Cannery. She’ll join you as part of the main story.
- Personality: A kind-hearted and shy engineer with a strong moral compass. She’s the sweetest! 🥰
- Skill Bonuses: Engineering, Lockpick, Persuade.
- Ability: Overload: Slams her hammer 🔨 to shock and stun enemies. Amazing against robots! 🤖
Vicar Maximillian DeSoto ⛪
- Recruitment: In the church in Edgewater. Do his recruitment quest, “The Illustrated Manual.”
- Personality: A conflicted and intense Vicar on a quest for “truth.”
- Skill Bonuses: Hack, Intimidate, Science.
- Ability: Trickshot: Fires his shotgun 💥 to knock down and weaken an enemy.
Ellie Fenhill 👩‍⚕️
- Recruitment: In the Medbay on the Groundbreaker. Talk to her to start her quest.
- Personality: A pragmatic, cynical, and self-interested mercenary surgeon. Morally flexible and very funny.
- Skill Bonuses: Medical, Lie, Engineering.
- Ability: Quick Draw: Fires a rapid succession of shots from her pistol. 🔫 Her CPR perk can literally save you from death!
Felix Millstone ✊
- Recruitment: Arguing with a guard at the Groundbreaker docking bays. After you get your ship back, he’ll be waiting to join!
- Personality: A rebellious, anti-corporate idealist with a love for tossball.
- Skill Bonuses: Persuade, Sneak, Lockpick.
- Ability: Dropkick: He charges an enemy and delivers a flying two-footed kick! 👟 It’s awesome.
Nyoka 🐯
- Recruitment: In the bar in Stellar Bay on Monarch. You’ll need to help her with her “Passion Pills” quest first.
- Personality: A grizzled, hard-drinking big-game hunter. She’s tough and knows Monarch’s wildlife.
- Skill Bonuses: Lie, Sneak, Medical.
- Ability: Barrage: Unloads her modified LMG 🔥, dealing heavy damage and setting enemies on fire.
SAM 🤖
- Recruitment: Found deactivated on the upper floor of your ship! Inspect him to start “The Cleaning Machine” quest.
- Personality: A cleaning robot. It has no personality, just corporate-approved sanitation slogans.
- Skill Bonuses: Intimidate, Hack, Science.
- Ability: Decontaminate: Leaps and slams down, spraying caustic cleaning fluid (Corrosion damage 🧪) on enemies.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Building Your Dream Team! 🧑‍🤝‍🧑

An effective manager knows that the right team composition can produce amazing results!

Combat Synergy: Specialized Task Forces

The Demolition Crew (Parvati & SAM): The go-to team for fighting robots. Parvati’s Overload stuns them 🤖, and SAM’s Decontaminate melts them! 🧪
The Control Group (Felix & Vicar Max): This pair excels at controlling the fight. Felix’s Dropkick 👟 can interrupt a charging beast, while Max’s Trickshot 💥 can knock down a dangerous marauder.
The Kill Squad (Nyoka & Ellie): For pure, unadulterated damage! 🔥 Nyoka’s Barrage softens up groups, while Ellie’s Quick Draw picks off stragglers.

Skill Synergy: The Universal Problem-Solvers

The Master Key (Parvati & Vicar Max): This is the ultimate utility combo. 🔑 Together, they provide massive bonuses to Persuade, Lockpick, Engineering, Hack, Intimidate, and Science. This duo can open almost every door, hack every terminal, and pass most dialogue checks in the game!
The Covert Ops Team (Nyoka & Felix): The team for aspiring spies 🤫. They provide bonuses to Sneak, Lockpick, Lie, and Persuade.

Banter Synergy: Improving Workplace Morale

Parvati & Felix: The innocent engineer and the fiery rebel. A super wholesome “big sister, little brother” dynamic. 🥰
Ellie & Felix: The cynical pragmatist and the wide-eyed idealist. Their constant bickering is hilarious! 😆
Parvati & Nyoka: The gentle soul from a sheltered town and the hardened hunter. A fascinating and sweet contrast.

Remember the core principle: Companions have INFINITE AMMUNITION ♾️ and their gear NEVER DEGRADES. Give them those powerful, ammo-hungry Light Machine Guns and Heavy Weapons you’ve been saving! They can fire them all day at no cost to you!

💰 Chapter 5: Gear, Guns, & Getting Rich! 💰

Your effectiveness is directly proportional to the quality of your gear!

🛡️ Guns & Armor 101 🔫

Weapon Tiers: As you level up, you’ll find superior versions of base weapons, like “Mk 2” or “Ultra.” A Light Assault Rifle Mk 2 found at level 15 is just better than a standard one from level 5. 📈
Armor Philosophy: Armor is Light, Medium, or Heavy.
- Heavy Armor 🐢: Best protection, but often has penalties to Stealth skills.
- Light Armor 🧠: Minimal protection, but frequently comes with valuable skill bonuses (like $+5$ to Dialogue!).
The Strategic Wardrobe: The most efficient player doesn’t wear one outfit. They maintain a wardrobe! 👕 Before a fight, equip your Heavy Armor. Before a tough dialogue check, swap to your light “Dialogue Suit.” This “wardrobe swapping” can give you a $+10$ or $+15$ bonus, letting you pass checks way above your base skill level! 🧑‍💼
The Power of Mods: Use a Workbench 🔧 to install mods! Add scopes, bigger magazines, or, most importantly, change a weapon’s damage type (Plasma 🔥, Corrosion 🧪, etc.).

💸 How to Make Money (Bits!) 💸

Managing your Bits is key.

⚠️ BEWARE THE TINKERING TRAP! ⚠️The Workbench lets you “Tinker” gear, spending Bits to increase its level. This seems great. It is a trap. The cost increases exponentially. 📈 Upgrading a level 5 weapon might cost 100 Bits. Upgrading that same weapon from level 20 to 21 could cost thousands.
The Golden Rule of Tinkering: Do not over-invest in low-level, standard-issue gear. It’s almost always cheaper to just use a weapon for a few levels and then replace it with a higher-level Mk 2 or Ultra version you find as loot. 🚫
The ONLY Exception: Science Weapons! These are a different story…
Looting Philosophy: Corporate Scavenging. Pick up everything. 📦 In the early game, break down excess gear for “Weapon Parts” (for repairs). Once you have a good stock of parts, sell everything else! 💰

🔬 The WONDERFUL Science Weapons! 🔬

Scattered across Halcyon are unique, experimental “Science Weapons.” These aren’t your standard guns. Each has a bizarre, powerful effect that can change how you play. Finding them is tied to the “Weapons From the Void” quest, which you can start from the terminal in your ship’s quarters. 🗺️

Unsanctioned R&D: Science Weapon Field Guide

Weapon Name	Unique Effect 🤩	Acquisition Hint (Spoiler-Free)
Shrink Ray 🤏	Shrinks the target, reducing their armor and damage.	Found on a table in Phineas Welles’s orbital lab.
Prismatic Hammer 🌈	A 2-Handed melee weapon whose damage type cycles. Power attacks unleash all types!	Hidden in a secret hangar on the Groundbreaker.
Mandibular Rearranger 🥶	A 1-Handed melee weapon that freezes enemies in place after several hits.	Located in an abandoned mining camp on Scylla.
Gloop Gun 🎈	Fires a projectile that deals area-of-effect damage and causes enemies to levitate helplessly!	Found in a locked UDL Lab on Monarch.
Mind Control Ray 😵	Temporarily turns the target into an ally as long as you fire at them.	Hidden deep within a secret underground lab in Cascadia on Monarch.
Spectrum Gatling (DLC)	A heavy weapon whose damage type changes based on the target’s weakness.	A new Science Weapon available in the Murder on Eridanos DLC.

This forces you into two mindsets:

Standard Gear = Disposable 🗑️. Use ’em and lose ’em.
Science Weapons = Long-Term Investments 💖. A high Science skill (80+) makes Tinkering these specific weapons incredibly cheap. Find these early and upgrade them forever!

🤝 Chapter 6: Factions & Reputation! 🤝

Reputation Explained: How Not to Get Fired (into the Sun)

Your professional standing is measured by your Reputation. This system is cool: you have two independent bars for each faction: a Positive bar (Good vibes! 😊) and a Negative bar (Bad vibes! 😠).

Gaining Positive Reputation: Complete quests and tasks that help a faction.
Gaining Negative Reputation: Get caught stealing, picking locks, or murdering a faction member.

The interplay of these bars determines your status:

Vendor Prices: High positive rep gets you discounts! 💸 High negative rep results in huge price hikes.
Hostility: If your negative rep gets too high, you’ll become “Kill on S” (KoS). At this point, all members of that faction will attack you immediately, locking you out of their quests forever. 💥
Endgame Support: Factions that “Revere” you may send help during the game’s final mission! 🚀

This dual-bar system has a fun, strategic implication: it’s possible to be both “Revering” and “Hated” by the same faction! 🎭 You can be their celebrated hero… who has also robbed them blind. As long as your positive rep is high enough, it can buffer the negative, letting you play a very profitable double-agent. 😉

🏛️ The Factions: Who’s Who in Outer Worlds 🏛️

A brief overview of the key players:

The Board 👔: The ruling corporate oligarchy. They represent pure, authoritarian capitalism. They value order, profit, and loyalty.
Spacer’s Choice 🤢: The budget-friendly, low-quality megacorp that owns Edgewater. “It’s not the best choice, it’s Spacer’s Choice!”
Auntie Cleo 💊: A corporation specializing in food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. They project a friendly image, but their R&D is… questionable.
Iconoclasts ✊: A faction of chaotic revolutionaries on Monarch. Fiercely anti-corporate, but also unpredictable.
Monarch Stellar Industries (MSI) 📈: A rival corp to The Board, led by Sanjar Nandi on Monarch. They advocate for a more “enlightened” form of capitalism.
SubLight Salvage & Shipping 📦: A shady, quasi-legal organization. They value discretion, results, and Bits. Morality isn’t really their thing.
Groundbreaker 🚀: An independent space station, a haven for those living outside Board control. They value their independence!

✨ Chapter 7: The Awesome DLCs! ✨

Your employment contract includes mandatory fun! The Spacer’s Choice Edition includes two expansions, which are the primary source for the highest-level gear in the game. 🏆 The loot here often surpasses anything from the base game’s final act.

🌑 A Peril on Gorgon 🌑

How to Start: Begins after you complete “Radio Free Monarch.” You’ll receive a mysterious package with… a severed arm. 😱 Recommended level: 25.
What it is: A noir-tinged mystery 🕵️ on the desolate Gorgon Asteroid. It raises the level cap to 33, adds new Perks and Flaws, and pushes skill checks as high as 150, rewarding specialized builds! It’s full of new, powerful loot.

🪐 Murder on Eridanos 🪐

How to Start: Begins after you gain access to Byzantium. ADA will alert you to a broadcast about the murder of Halcyon’s biggest star. 🎬
What it is: A classic whodunnit! 🧐 You’re a detective solving a murder mystery on the luxurious floating islands of Eridanos. You get a new gadget, the Discrepancy Amplifier 🔍, to scan crime scenes for hidden clues. You’ll interrogate a cast of suspicious characters. It’s a fantastic, dialogue-heavy change of pace!

🤫 Chapter 8: Pro-Tips & Secrets! 🤫

A final collection of high-value intelligence for employees who want to exceed expectations!

🚫 Beginner Traps to Avoid! 🚫

The Tinkering Trap: We’ve said it three times, but it’s that important. Do not waste thousands of Bits upgrading a low-level gun! 🛑 You will find a better one for free.
Neglecting Companion Gear: Your companions are powerful, but only if equipped properly. Give them your high-damage, high-level hand-me-downs. Remember: LMGs are amazing on them due to infinite ammo! ♾️
Spreading Skills Too Thin: In the first 10 levels, focus on reaching those key utility milestones (Hack 20, Science 40, Inspiration 20) rather than trying to be a jack-of-all-trades.

🗺️ Hidden Goodies! 🗺️

Groundbreaker Secrets: In the docking bay area (before customs), look for a ladder in the northwest corner. 🪜 Climb it to find hidden platforms and crawlspaces with valuable early-game loot!
Terminal-Only Quests: Read every terminal! 💻 Many contain logs and messages that trigger unmarked tasks or entirely new side quests you can’t find anywhere else.
The Frightened Engineer: In the Emerald Vale Botanical Labs, find Thomas Kemp. He gives you a simple fetch quest for three engineering manuals. An easy, missable quest for some good rewards!

☠️ Supernova Survival Guide ☠️

This difficulty is not for the faint of heart! 😮 Enemies are tougher, and you must manage hunger, thirst, and exhaustion. 🍔💧😴
You can only sleep (and thus manually save) in your bed on the Unreliable. Fast travel is restricted to your ship only. 🚀
Most importantly: Companions can die. Permanently. 😭 If they go down in a fight, they are gone for good. Keep them alive with heavy armor and careful tactical commands!

👕 The Power of a Good Outfit! 👕

This is the ultimate pro-tip for maximizing your character! 💡 Your inventory should contain not just your combat armor, but also:
- A “Dialogue Suit” (with +Persuade/Lie/Intimidate) 🧑‍💼
- A “Tech Suit” (with +Hack/Lockpick) 🔑
- A “Stealth Suit” (with +Sneak) 🤫
Before attempting any skill check (talking to a key person, hacking a terminal), pause the game and equip the appropriate outfit. A simple armor swap can provide a bonus of $+10$ to $+15$ to the relevant skill, allowing you to succeed at challenges you would otherwise fail. This simple habit is one of the most powerful strategies in the game! 💯

This concludes your onboarding! Remember: your choices matter, but fun choices matter more. Now get out there and be the amazing, disruptive, paradigm-shifting spacer we know you can be. Good luck and have fun in the Outer Worlds! 😉

Disclaimer: This is an unofficial fan work, all trademarks and copyrights for Outer Worlds belong to the developer Obsidian Entertainment

& publisher Private Division.

Find the game here! https://store.steampowered.com/app/578650/The_Outer_Worlds/