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 4.0, 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!
Updated on December 19, 2024: Alpha 4.0 activates jump gates and delivers Pyro, the new star system.
7. Lorville, Stanton
Usefulness Over Style
- Lorville is best for the following jobs:
- Bounty Hunting (Fugitive Recovery)
- Cargo Hauling
- Trading (RMC)
- Weapon/Armor looting
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 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 relatively 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 Ship Dealers 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.
Hurston is a rich planet for on-foot missions too. There are many bunkers and distribution centers that can be explored through legal or illegal quests, especially for those who love looting weapons or armor.
6. Orison, Stanton
A Super Luxurious City With Criminals Lurking Around It
- Orison is best for the following jobs:
- Bounty Hunting (PvP)
- Outlaws
- Mining gemstones
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 if they are not in Pyro.
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.
Raiding Security Post Kareah or defending from it against raiders is another activity that is available on Cellin, the moon of Crusader, and it is great for those who are looking for high-tier armor or weapons.
5. Ruin Station, Pyro
A Remote Destination In Pyro For FPS Lovers
- Checkmate is best for the following jobs:
- Bounty Hunting (PvP and PvE)
- FPS Missions
- Mining Rocks
Located on the outer ring of Pyro, Ruin Station orbits around Terminus, a planet with multiple points of interest that provides a big opportunity for FPS missions on the planet. It also has mineable rocks on the surface.
Similar to other planets, Terminus is also surrounded by a number of asteroid clusters, which provide further on-foot exploration in asteroid bases along with PvE and PvP bounty-hunting opportunities.
Ruin Station features all the interior services as Checkmate and Orbituary, including Ship Dealer, Refinery, Cargo Deck, Weapon Shops, and Contested Zone.
Terminus is also great for mining, especially knowing that Silicon, the new mining material can be found on the surface of this planet.
4. New Babbage, Stanton
Stylish City With Lovely Wilderness
- New Babbage is best for the following jobs:
- FPS Missions (PvE and PvP)
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.
3. Area 18, Stanton
Safe Location For Industrial Gameplay
- Lorville is best for the following jobs:
- Salvage
- Mining (Rocks)
- FPS Missions
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.
This leaves moons of ArcCorp as the main areas for on-foot missions, and this is actually good, because flying in and out of a moon without a heavy atmosphere is far easier and quicker than flying toward a giant planet. So, this allows players to complete FPS missions at a faster pace.
Similar to Lorville, Area 18 has a Ship Dealer as well, but it mostly sells Anvil ships. The city also offers ship rentals from a variety of manufacturers.
Area 18 is known as a haven 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.
2. Checkmate, Pyro
Suitable For Brave Miners
- Checkmate is best for the following jobs:
- Mining (Rocks and Gemstones)
Checkmate is one of the three major space stations in Pyro. Unlike Ruin Station or Obrituary, Checkmate does not orbit around a planet, but it is quite close to Monox and Patch City. The former is literally the Pyro 2 planet, and the latter is a smaller space station similar to those of Stanton.
For those who plan to earn profit from mining, Monox is a rich destination. This planet is home to a wide variety of materials and it also has a decent amount of Quantainum and Gold if you search the planet well enough.
Similar to other major stations in Pyro, Checkmate features a Ship Dealer as well as a Refinery deck. There are multiple asteroid clusters around the station as well, which may contain outlaws, bases, and mineable rocks.
If you plan to travel back and forth between Pyro and Stanton a lot, Checkmate is the closest station to the Stanton Gateway.
Since Pyro has some new materials to mine, Checkmate is better than Area 18 for miners.
1. Orbituary, Pyro
Jack Of All Trades
- Orbituary is best for the following jobs:
- Mining (Rocks and Gemstones)
- Bounty Hunting (PvP and PvE)
- FPS Missions
- Salvage
- Looting and Exploration
Thanks to its great location, Orbituary is the best starting location in Pyro, and arguably the best home for the brave spacemen looking to experience the brutal nature of the new star system.
The interior of Orbituary is quite similar to the other major space stations in Pyro, but the placement of the station makes it suitable for a variety of different activities.
Orbituary orbits around Bloom, so the players always have a planet nearby for following FPS quests or even doing cargo hauling between the station and the planet.
Other than that, the station is also close to Pyro 1 and Monox planets, which makes it great for players who are interested in mining or salvaging.
Lastly, there is a plethora of asteroid clusters around Orbituary that makes it easy to follow bounty-hunting missions, explore the abandoned bases, or even lurk around to hunt down other players.
