The best 'Starfield' traits and background to pick for your new character

Starfield is officially, actually out, with no strings attached. Now it's time to make some big choices.

With the biggest Xbox game of the year now available on Game Pass, many will likely download Starfield and immediately become overwhelmed during character creation. The game asks you to make a few seemingly huge, far-reaching choices before you can even leave the opening planet. This can be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be.

Here are some of the best traits and backgrounds you can pick when creating your Starfield character.

Best background to pick in Starfield

One of the big things Starfield asks of you right away is to pick a fictional background for your character. This affects a lot more than just your character's backstory, though; it's actually a choice of which three skills you want to start with. Skills are hugely important in Starfield, as they dictate your playstyle. You need certain skills to pilot good ships, pick locks, and be good at combat.

There are two important things to know about this choice. First, you need some idea of how you want to play Starfield before making it. Second, just know that it isn't that big of a deal. Simply play enough of the game and you'll get enough skill points to unlock whatever you want later.

With that in mind, let's get into some of the best backgrounds to pick. There aren't really any wrong choices, but nobody could blame you for going with any of the following:

• Soldier: Starts with increased oxygen (basically stamina), increased damage from guns that shoot bullets, and has instant access to boost packs. Good for beginners who want to shoot their way out of problems.

• Long Hauler: Starts with increased inventory size and some basic ship piloting skills. Both of those things are very useful early on.

• Combat Medic: Starts with increased max health and higher effectiveness for healing items. Also gets increased pistol damage as a nice bonus.

• Diplomat: Starts with better chance of persuading NPCs, better buy and sell prices at stores, and higher max health.

• Industrialist: Also starts with better persuasion chances, as well as the abilities to pick advanced locks and research projects using fewer resources.

• Bounty Hunter: Instant access to better ships and the ability to target specific ship systems in dogfights. Also gets boost pack training right away. If you want to dominate in ship combat, this might be a good one to pick.

• File Not Found: The most basic and well-rounded of the bunch. Better weapon damage, higher max health, and some basic piloting skills.

Again, don't stress too much about this choice. You can create a well-balanced, perfectly capable character no matter what you choose. But any of the above will work, depending on how you want to play Starfield.

Best traits to pick in Starfield

Aside from choosing a background, Starfield also asks you to choose three traits for your character. These are actually more important than backgrounds because almost all of them have pros and cons, and you can't replace or pick up new traits as you play. You can remove a trait you don't like, but that just means you have one fewer trait.

Anyway, here are some good ones to consider:

• Raised Enlightened or Raised Universal: These traits tie you to one of Starfield's major fictional religions. They're unique in that they have no downsides. However, all you get from them is a bonus chest full of some goodies. I should also note that choosing one means you can't choose the other.

• Neon Street Rat: This one gives you special dialogue options in certain situations and unlocks some unique faction rewards if you feel like pursuing faction quests. It'll also increase your crime bounties from other factions, but if you never commit crimes, that isn't a problem. This trait is fun to have in the city of Neon itself.

• Empath: You get a combat bonus for making choices that your human companions like, and a combat demerit for doing the opposite. It also unlocks some special dialogue options that come up fairly frequently in my experience. Good for people who want to be nice.

• Introvert or Extrovert: These two mutually exclusive traits are simple enough. Extroverts use less oxygen while traveling with companions and use more while alone. Introverts are the opposite.

• Hero Worshipped: You'll be followed around by a weird looking man who is obsessed with you and brings you gifts. The downside is that the weird looking man is bothersome. I'm mostly including this one because it's funny.

• Alien DNA: You get increased max health and oxygen at the expense of healing items being less effective. That disadvantage can be massaged out of existence by putting skill points into the right parts of the tree.

• Kid Stuff: Your parents are alive and you can visit them! However, you also have to send a small amount of money to them every week.

• Dream House: You're given instant access to a large, customizable house with plenty of storage space for garbage you don't feel like carrying around. The rub is you have to pay a 125,000 credit mortgage or else you get locked out of the house.

Picking traits can be anxiety-inducing, but obviously some of the downsides are a lot worse than others. For example, you'll never run afoul of the Empath disadvantage if you're just nice to people. Introverts and extroverts can also avoid the demerits entirely by using (or not using) companions.

And hey, those disadvantages can make your experience more interesting! Just give them a try. It can't hurt.