Starfield New Atlantis Cheat Codes & Trait Tips

Starfield New Atlantis Cheat Codes, Ship Building Guide, and Trait Tips are really about smart advantages: use PC console commands carefully, improve your ship’s range and cargo, and choose traits that fit your play style. 
These decisions shape exploration, combat, companions, dialogue, and early rewards.

This guide focuses on practical choices that save time in and around New Atlantis. For a broader route through the opening hours, use this Starfield early-game progression guide with the recommendations below.

Starfield New Atlantis Cheat Codes: Useful Early Shortcuts

On PC, Starfield does include console commands rather than a traditional cheat-code menu.
 Commands such as tgm for god mode or carry-weight adjustments can change the experience, and using console commands may disable achievements. Make a separate save before testing them.

For players who want to keep achievements and a normal progression path, these are safer “cheat codes” in practice:

• Upgrade travel first: A better Grav Drive can reduce the number of jumps needed to reach distant systems.
• Expand cargo space: A larger hold lets you keep weapons, minerals, crafting materials, and mission items longer.
• Match traits to your build: Every trait offers a useful bonus but also adds a cost, restriction, or risk.
• Keep the right companion active: Choices that match a companion’s values raise affinity and can unlock a personal quest.
• Use New Atlantis as a supply base: The city offers ship services, vendors, faction contacts, and several early missions within a short walk of one another.

The reason these shortcuts work is simple: Starfield often makes preparation more valuable than raw damage. 
A ship with weak range can turn one objective into several jumps, while a small cargo hold can force you to leave behind valuable loot.

PC Console Command Syntax, IDs, and Achievement Risks

Starfield console commands are available on PC through the tilde key, usually shown as ~ or ` depending on your keyboard layout. 
Enter a command, press Enter, and close the console before resuming play. The command format varies, so check the spelling and spacing carefully.

Common examples include tgm for god mode, tim for invulnerability without unlimited resources, and player.modav carryweight 1000 to add carry capacity.
 The help command can search for forms and object IDs, while commands that use a form ID may require the correct hexadecimal value and a specific reference target.

Console commands can disable achievements on that save, and some commands may cause quest, inventory, or world-state problems. 
Save in a separate slot before testing anything, avoid experimenting during an active mission, and keep an unmodified save available if you later want achievement progress. 
A command that works once is not necessarily safe to use repeatedly.

• Use a separate test save for item, credit, or skill commands.
• Record the original value before changing carry weight, health, or credits.
• Be cautious with quest-stage and teleport commands because they can skip required dialogue or objectives.
• Do not rely on console changes for a main playthrough unless you accept possible achievement and progression issues.

Starfield Ship Building Guide for Range, Cargo, and Combat

Ship building is about trade-offs. More cargo adds mass, extra weapons need reactor power, and a larger Grav Drive may require changes to your reactor, engines, or ship class. 
At a ship technician, fix the problem that is slowing you down instead of buying every upgrade at once.

Use this quick order of operations to get more value from New Atlantis and your early build:

1. Make a separate save before using console commands. Test PC cheats such as tgm only on a backup save because commands may disable achievements or affect quests.
2. Use New Atlantis as your preparation hub. Visit ship services, vendors, faction contacts, the Lodge, and the Well before leaving for longer missions.
3. Upgrade travel range before adding excess weight. Improve the Grav Drive when distant objectives require too many jumps, then recheck range after every major ship change.
4. Increase cargo capacity gradually. Work toward roughly 2,000 cargo, but verify mobility, reactor power, engine requirements, and jump range as mass rises.
5. Choose up to three traits that match your play style. Weigh each benefit against its restriction or penalty, and take fewer traits if the drawbacks do not fit your character.
6. Pair companions and rewards with your build. Match companion values to your decisions, and pursue the Mantis mission when you want the Razorleaf and armor rewards.

1. Check Grav Drive range before buying

Do not assume that every Class C Grav Drive automatically provides a 30-light-year jump. 
Actual range depends on the drive, ship mass, reactor setup, and the rest of the build. Check the shipbuilder’s jump-range statistic after each change.

For a survey or faction-travel build, a longer jump range can be more useful than a small weapon upgrade.
 A good test is to set a distant destination on the Starmap. If the route requires several jumps, reduce unnecessary mass or improve the Grav Drive before taking a long exploration trip.

2. Build cargo space gradually

The starting Frontier has roughly 450 units of cargo capacity, although the exact total can change with ship configuration. That space disappears quickly once you collect guns, spacesuits, minerals, and crafting resources. 
A practical early target is around 2,000 units before a major looting or surveying run.

More cargo also adds mass, so install extra engines or check your mobility after attaching large cargo modules. 
If you plan to carry contraband, shielded cargo can lower the chance of detection during scans, but it does not make illegal goods risk-free. Keep contraband in the shielded hold and plan where you will sell it before entering a scanned system.

3. Balance weapons instead of stacking one type

A mixed early loadout can include Particle Beams and Missiles. Particle Beams are useful against both shields and hulls, while missiles can deliver strong burst damage when you have a clear firing window.
 Lasers and ballistic weapons are also valid choices, so compare damage, range, energy use, and firing speed rather than following one “best” setup.

In practice, ship combat improves when you manage power and aim for the enemy’s weak system. Divert power to weapons when attacking, then move power to shields or engines when you need to survive. Weapon results vary with weapon quality, crew skills, ship mobility, and enemy defenses, so treat any claimed damage increase as a build benchmark, not a guarantee.

Expert context: Bethesda Game Studios’ official Starfield materials present ship customization and exploration as central systems. 
That design explains why range, cargo, reactor power, and weapons affect far more than space battles: they determine how freely you can explore and how often you must return to a hub.

Ship Builder Fundamentals: Reactor, Engines, Crew, and Module Requirements

The ship builder checks more than the module you are trying to attach. A new reactor must provide enough power for the ship’s systems, engines must support the vessel’s mass, and the ship’s class determines which parts you can use.
 If a change creates a warning, inspect the builder’s flight-check messages before confirming the design.

Reactors determine available power and are tied to ship class. Class A parts favor lighter, faster ships, Class B reactors support heavier general-purpose builds, and Class C components allow larger designs with greater mass and power demands. 
A more advanced class is not automatically better if the rest of the ship cannot use the extra power efficiently.

Engines affect mobility, top speed, and how much mass the ship can handle. Adding cargo, habs, or structural parts can lower mobility even when the ship still passes the basic flight check. 
If the ship feels slow, remove unnecessary mass or add engines before spending credits on another weapon.

Crew stations and hab modules also have practical limits. A ship can carry more crew only when its habs, cockpit, reactor, and other modules provide enough crew capacity. 
Assign crew at the ship menu after building, then verify that their skills support your current goal instead of assuming every available crew member improves every system.

• Check reactor output against the power required by weapons, shields, engines, and the Grav Drive.
• Confirm that the cockpit and hab layout provide the crew capacity you intend to use.
• Keep ladders, doors, and docking access functional when rotating or replacing modules.
• Use the flight check after every major change, especially when mixing ship classes.
• Test mobility, jump range, cargo capacity, and shield strength as a complete build rather than optimizing one number.

Starfield New Atlantis Cheat Codes, Ship Building Guide, and Trait Tips

You can select up to three traits during character creation. The best combination depends on whether you travel with companions, explore alone, focus on combat, or want extra role-playing options. Read the drawback as carefully as the bonus before confirming a trait.

Traits for exploration and companions

• Empath: This trait improves affinity gains when you choose actions your companions like and reduces the impact of disapproval. It is a strong general option for players who want companion conversations and personal quests.
• Neon Street Rat: It adds Neon-specific dialogue and can support a character tied to the city’s criminal or working-class side. Its value is highest when you expect to spend time in Neon.
• Kid Stuff: This trait adds an ongoing credit cost but gives access to family dialogue, a home connection, and occasional gifts. It suits players who value story and role-playing over maximum efficiency.

Empath is usually the easiest companion-focused choice because affinity changes can come from ordinary conversation and mission decisions. 
Neon Street Rat and Kid Stuff are more specialized, but they add story content that a purely optimized build may miss.

Traits for combat

• Wanted: Bounty hunters may attack you at inconvenient times, but the trait rewards fighting while low on health. Choose it only if you enjoy pressure and can manage unpredictable encounters.
• Combat Medic: Healing-focused benefits help characters who use Med Packs often, but the trait’s restrictions make inventory planning more important.
• Alien DNA: This increases your health and oxygen pool while making healing items less effective. It works best for players who carry plenty of medical supplies and do not rely on quick healing.
  
  

Once you claim the Razorleaf, visit a ship technician in New Atlantis to review its layout before making major changes. Its strong early combat potential is useful, but adding cargo or heavier weapons can reduce mobility and jump range, so make one change at a time and test the result. The Mantis reward is especially valuable for players who want an early advantage without using console commands or risking achievement progress.

Traits to reconsider before choosing

Dream Home adds a recurring credit obligation for a home you may not use. Taskmaster can create problems for players who depend heavily on companions during combat. 
Neither trait is unusable, but each should support a clear character concept rather than being selected for a bonus alone.

Trait Drawbacks, Alternatives, and Playstyle Combinations

Traits are easiest to evaluate as a three-part decision: what the trait improves, how often the benefit appears, and whether its drawback interferes with your normal route. 
A bonus that only matters in a rare situation may be less valuable than a smaller benefit that applies to every mission.

For a companion-focused character, Empath combines well with Kid Stuff or a faction identity such as Freestar Collective Settler. This setup adds dialogue and relationship opportunities, but it also asks you to accept more story-specific limitations. 
If you usually travel alone, replace the companion option with a combat or exploration trait that activates without another character present.

“In the settled stars, the smartest advantage is rarely more firepower—it is knowing what to carry, where to jump, and which risks are worth taking.”

For a stealth or criminal character, Neon Street Rat and Wanted can support the role, but they do different jobs. Neon Street Rat adds context and dialogue, while Wanted creates combat pressure and a reason to accept bounty-hunter encounters. 
Taking both makes a strong role-playing concept, but it can produce more interruptions than a new player expects.

Raised Enlightened, Raised Universal, and Serpent's Embrace offer belief-based bonuses and restrictions. They are best chosen when you want their dialogue and identity to shape the character, not simply because one starting reward looks useful.
 You cannot freely switch between these backgrounds later, so treat them as long-term role-playing choices.

• Choose traits with benefits you expect to use during most sessions.
• Avoid stacking drawbacks that attack the same resource, such as healing, credits, or companion access.
• Use fewer than three traits if the final option adds a penalty you will notice more often than its bonus.
• Consider your background and skills together with traits so the character has a clear purpose from the opening missions.

Companion Affinity Tips and Permanent Bonuses

Affinity rises when you make choices that match a companion’s values. After enough affinity, a companion can open a personal conversation and quest. High affinity can also provide a permanent skill-related bonus, so companion selection is part of both role-playing and build planning.

• Sam Coe: He generally favors helping settlers, peaceful solutions, and lawful choices. He is a natural fit for ranged combat and exploration missions.
• Barrett: He tends to appreciate science, research, and discovering new systems. He fits a technology-focused ship and can support Particle Beam builds.
• Sarah Morgan: She favors lawful United Colonies choices, exploration, and survey work. Her Astrodynamics skill makes her useful on travel-focused ships.

Keep one companion active for several missions instead of switching constantly. For example, use Sarah while surveying and traveling, then bring Barrett when researching or modifying a technology-heavy ship. This gives affinity choices a clear purpose and lets the crew support your current role.

Complete Companion Affinity Guide, Including Andreja and Other Constellation Companions

Constellation companions have different moral boundaries, and affinity can change from small dialogue choices as well as major mission decisions. 
Keep the companion with you while exploring, talking to NPCs, and completing objectives that fit their interests. If a companion dislikes a choice, you can sometimes recover by using a liked dialogue option later, but repeated disapproval may slow progress.

Andreja generally respects independence, practical solutions, and helping people who are being exploited. She is more comfortable with morally gray decisions than Sarah, though she may react badly to choices that appear cruel or dishonest for no reason. 
Her personal quest adds background to her history and can lead to a strong relationship if you continue supporting her conversations.

Vasco is a dependable early crew member for players who want a robotic companion and does not create the same approval-management concerns as human Constellation members.
 He is useful during the opening stages, while Adoring Fan can be valuable for characters who select the Hero Worshipped trait and do not mind his constant enthusiasm.

Other Constellation companions can be matched to specific activities. Noel suits research and science-oriented play, while Heller and Lin are useful crew options connected to mining and outpost operations. Their value is not limited to affinity: assign them to a ship or outpost when their skills support the system you are building.

• Use Andreja for missions involving independence, survival, or difficult practical choices.
• Use Sarah for lawful exploration and United Colonies-related decisions.
• Use Barrett for science, technology, and research-focused missions.
• Use Sam for settlement support, Freestar themes, and ranged combat.
• Talk to an active companion after important missions to check for new dialogue or a personal request.
• Assign companions through the crew menu when you need their skills on a ship or outpost instead of taking them into the field.

New Atlantis Missions and Rewards to Prioritize

New Atlantis is an excellent early hub, but several rewards often associated with the city actually come from missions in other locations. Checking the mission description and destination prevents wasted trips and incorrect expectations.

• The Empty Nest: This main-story mission takes you to Akila City with Sam Coe. It can provide credits and companion progress, but it is not the source of the Mantis Armor.
• Mantis: This separate quest leads to the Mantis armor and the Razorleaf ship. It is one of the most valuable early combat and ship rewards, though the route can be dangerous for a new character.
• Hammer Falls: This is part of the Freestar Rangers storyline. Completing the faction arc provides credits, equipment, and progression, but it should not be confused with the earlier Deputized mission or a general New Atlantis reward.
• Background Check: This Ryujin Industries mission takes place mainly in Neon. It rewards credits and experience through the corporate questline; it does not automatically create a universal contraband fence.
• Alternating Currents: This Neon mission involves a power dispute and offers different outcomes. Review the evidence and final choice because the reward depends on how you resolve the situation.

For a new character, prioritize rewards that solve your immediate problem. Choose the Mantis quest if you need stronger equipment and a ship, focus on faction missions if you want access to their vendors and storylines, and save credit rewards for cargo, engines, or a Grav Drive upgrade.

Use this practical order to get more from New Atlantis without relying on risky console commands.

1. Make a separate save before using PC console commands. Test commands such as tgm or player.modav carryweight 1000 only on that backup because achievements and world states may be affected.
2. Use New Atlantis as your early-game hub. Visit ship services, vendors, faction contacts, the Lodge, and the Well before leaving so you can sell loot, restock supplies, and collect nearby missions.
3. Upgrade your Grav Drive when travel becomes inefficient. Check jump range after each ship change, especially when adding heavier modules or planning longer routes.
4. Increase cargo gradually. Work toward roughly 2,000 cargo capacity if you want a flexible explorer, then recheck mobility, reactor power, engine requirements, and jump range.
5. Choose up to three traits that support your play style. Favor traits whose benefits you will use regularly, and avoid penalties or restrictions that conflict with your preferred dialogue, faction, or exploration choices.
6. Pair companions with your build and decisions. Use Sarah for exploration and jump-focused ships, Barrett for research and Particle Beam systems, or Sam for ranged combat and settlement-focused missions.
7. Start the Mantis mission when you find its data slate. Follow the quest to earn the Mantis armor and Razorleaf, and remember that these rewards do not come from The Empty Nest.

New Atlantis-Specific Side Missions, Activities, and Exploration Rewards

New Atlantis has more to do than its main-story objectives. The city’s districts connect vendors, faction offices, residential areas, and public spaces, so walking between assignments often reveals new activities. Check mission boards, speak with named NPCs, and revisit locations after advancing the main story because some opportunities appear only after a conversation or event.

The Well is especially useful for side content and practical services. Its residents can lead you to local problems involving repairs, theft, medical needs, and neighborhood disputes. 
These missions usually provide credits and experience while introducing a less polished side of the city than the commercial districts above.

Jemison Mercantile, the Trade Authority, medical facilities, and other New Atlantis businesses make the city a convenient place to sell surplus gear, buy supplies, and handle status effects. 
The Lodge provides Constellation conversations, research access, storage, and crafting stations, making it worth returning to between missions even when no major objective points there.

Activities can also begin from security officers, service workers, and overheard conversations.
 Read the objective before accepting a task if you are trying to stay in the city, since some New Atlantis activities quickly send you to another district, a nearby landing site, or a different star system.

• Search the Commercial District for shops, mission leads, and general supplies.
• Visit the Well for local side missions and lower-cost utility services.
• Return to the Lodge for Constellation dialogue, crafting, research, and stored resources.
• Check the spaceport and nearby transit points after story milestones for new conversations.
• Use the scanner to identify doors, activities, and interactable objects that are easy to miss while moving through crowded streets.

FAQ: Starfield New Atlantis Cheat Codes and Builds

What are the best Starfield New Atlantis cheat codes?

On PC, console commands are the closest equivalent to cheat codes, but they can affect achievements.
 Without commands, the best shortcuts are early ship upgrades, efficient missions, useful traits, and companion choices that match your build.

What should I upgrade first on my ship?

Improve the Grav Drive if travel is limiting your route. If you are constantly over capacity, add cargo modules first, then check mobility, reactor power, and jump range after the change.

How many traits can I choose?

You can choose up to three traits during character creation. Each trait is optional, so taking fewer than three is reasonable if you do not want the associated penalties.

Which companion helps a ship-building character?

Sarah is a strong choice for exploration and jump-focused ships, while Barrett suits research and Particle Beam systems. 
Sam is useful for ranged combat and missions where lawful, settlement-focused choices matter.

Where can I find the Mantis armor?

Start the Mantis mission after finding the related data slate. The quest leads to the armor and Razorleaf rewards; neither comes from The Empty Nest.