Whenever a new patch arrives in Star Citizen, the first thing you get to choose is your primary starting location, and that can be a hard decision if you are new to the game in Alpha 3.24.3, especially knowing that your personal hangar will be there as well.
Each major city in Star Citizen comes with its own advantages and disadvantages, but after summing up all those benefits and threats, we have come to a conclusion!
But for this specific patch, we encourage you to go ahead with New Babbge, as it will be home for IAE 2954, and by choosing New Babbage as the starting location, you will have a short path to the show floors.
Updated on November 20, 2024: Alpha 3.24.3 delivers RSI Polaris and Starlancer MAX, as well as kicking off the new IAE 2954 event.
4. Area 18
A Heaven For Miners And Salvagers
- Lorville is best for the following jobs:
- Salvage (Metal Panels)
- Mining (Rocks)
Area 18 is the most industrialized planet in Stanton. The entire surface of the planet is packed by factories and there is no wilderness left. As such, there is nothing to land on. No caves, no trees, and even no mining stations.
With that said, Area 18 is still not as polluted as Lorville, mostly because no dust remains on the planet of ArcCorp to rise and pollute the air!
Similar to Lorville, Area 18 has a dealership as well, but it mostly sells Anvil ships. The city also offers ship rentals from a variety of manufacturers.
We call Area 18 a heaven for miners and salvagers because the TDD Center in this city always has the highest demands for RMC and mining materials, which makes it the first destination for anyone coming back from a refinery deck or a salvage mission.
Lyria, the moon of ArcCorp, is the most favorite destination for miners, as players have managed to find a decent amount of Quantanium on the surface of this moon.
3. Lorville
Usefulness Over Style
- Lorville is best for the following jobs:
- Bounty Hunting (Fugitive Recovery)
- Cargo Hauling
- Trading (RMC)
Sunken in dust, Lorville is the most polluted city in Stanton, it is also the dirtiest one when it comes to the hab area. The standards of living in this city are too low, but it comes with some benefits that no other city offers.
The planet of Hurston is located in the middle of a triangle formed by Microtech, ArcCorp, and Crusader. So, when you are in Lorville, you have the shortest path to all of the other planets in Stanton. It is also quite close to the Pyro-Stanton Jump Point. It serves as a great starting location for Cargo Hauling missions, as you are in close proximity to all other planets.
Moreover, the space station above Hurston, Everus Harbor, is one of the best stations in the game, featuring both armor and weapon shops, with the landing pads located on the outside wings, making the landing and take-off process pretty easy.
Also, the capital of Hurston, Lorville, features one of the best dealerships in the game, covering a wide variety of brands. So, if you are going to buy a new vessel, you may actually want to pay a visit to Lorville eventually.
Other than that, finding the landing zone and hangar area in Lorville is much easier compared to cities like Orison or Area 18, which is another plus for newcomers.
If you are into trading, there are two major outposts to buy RMC on Hurston: Maker’s Point and Rappel. You can buy RMC at these locations for a lower price and then sell them at TDDs for a good profit.
Also, the Klescher Rehabilitation System is located on the Aberdeen moon of Hurston, and if anyone escapes from prison, the Hurston residents can quickly apprehend them through Fugitive Recovery missions.
2. Orison
A Super Luxurious City With Criminals Lurking Around It
- Orison is best for the following jobs:
- Bounty Hunting (PvP)
- Outlaws
- Mining gemstones
- Drug Trading
Orison is the most beautiful city on Stanton, as it offers the most luxurious medical care, habitation cabins, and even the best food. It’s just a city floating in pure beauty.
The city is built by Crusader and it hosts a unique dealership dedicated to Crusader Industries products. Since the planet is basically a gas giant, Orison is formed by floating platforms that are connected to each other.
Despite all its beauty, being inside a gas giant has its own flaws. First of all, the planet has a pretty thick atmosphere, which makes it much slower to get in or out of the city. Also, there is nothing else to explore in Crusader other than Orison, which makes it dependent on its moons.
Anyone who wants to become a pirate or an outlaw will choose Orison as a starting location. Not because Orison welcomes outlaws, but because it is the closest city to GrimHex, the home of criminals. On the other hand, Orison is also great for PvP Bounty Hunters, as most criminals will lurk around GrimHex.
When it comes to mining, Daymar is a great source of Hadanite rocks. So, if you are looking to mine Gemstones, then Orison must serve you the best. There is also a Jumptown on Daymar for buying drugs, though this feature has been taken away from the game since Alpha 3.24.
1. New Babbage
Stylish City With Lovely Wilderness
- New Babbage is best for the following jobs:
- FPS Missions (PvE and PvP)
- Drug Trading
Since IAE 2954 will be hosted by New Babbage, it’s best to select this city as the starting location, so that you won’t need to travel long distances to see the new ships on the expo and rent them.
For those who can’t tolerate Lorville’s polluted air and feel choked whenever see that ugly orange sky, then New Babbage is like a breath of fresh air.
Unlike Orison, which is just luxury but delivers so many limitations, New Babbage offers the same style on a planet that has so much to offer than dense gas.
MicroTech is the most beautiful planet in the Stanton Star system and it has plenty of breathtaking landscapes to visit. From jungles full of trees to frozen mountains covered by snow. You can even discover wide rivers and giant bodies of water on MicroTech.
Going back to the city of New Babbage, it has a pretty clear sky and hosts the luxury Aeroview Hangars. There is no dealership in New Babbage, but you can still rent a variety of fighter and cargo ships from the city.
Around New Babbage, players can find plenty of FPS missions: From boarding a stolen 890J to get rid of criminals to delving into Ghost Hollow to print some aUEC. This is the best starting location for those who love on-foot combat in Star Citizen.
That aside, the planet also hosts Raven’s Roost, one of the best locations to buy drugs from. This feature, however, is not available in Alpha 3.24.2, but when it gets fixed in future patches, Raven’s Roost will be crowded again.
