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In the world of Starfield, a detailed history has been built over 300 years, from the colonization of Mars to the game’s start in 2330. The timeline is marked by the devastating war that led to the Freestar Collective’s formation, the creation and isolation of the religious House Va’ruun, and Earth’s demise. 

Early history and the founding of Cydonia (2050–2138) 

• 2050: Humans first arrive on Mars, beginning its colonization.
• 2112: Cydonia, humanity’s first extraterrestrial colony, is founded on Mars by Deimos Staryards Inc.. It serves as a major industrial hub for the United Colonies and is the largest settlement in the Sol system by 2330.
• 2138: An Artifact is discovered near a gravitational anomaly on Mars. NASA scientist Dr. Victor Aiza, upon touching it, receives a vision that allows him to create the first Grav Drive but also warns him of Earth’s doom. He ignores the warning. 

The decline of Earth and founding of major factions (2150–2221)

• 2150s: Earth’s magnetosphere begins to fail, slowly making the planet uninhabitable.
• 2156: With Grav Drives enabling faster-than-light travel, humanity reaches the Alpha Centauri system.
• 2159: The United Colonies (UC) is established as an interstellar republic.
• 2167: Akila City is founded on the planet Akila by Solomon Coe.
• 2189: Solomon Coe helps form the Freestar Collective, a confederation that offers a less bureaucratic, more independent way of life.
• 2203: Earth becomes completely uninhabitable. 

The Narion War and Serpent’s Crusade (2196–2263) 

• 2194: The UC places the Clinic star station in the independent Narion system. The locals join the Freestar Collective in response.
• 2196–2216: The Narion War erupts between the United Colonies and the Freestar Collective, ending with the Treaty of Narion.
• 2190: During a deep space journey, House Va’ruun founder Jinan Va’ruun experiences a vision of a deity known as the Great Serpent.
• 2240–2263: House Va’ruun declares war on the Settled Systems in a conflict known as the Serpent’s Crusade. It ends with the death of their leader and the faction retreating into isolation. 

The Colony War and Constellation’s emergence (2275–2330)

• 2275: Constellation, a group of dedicated space explorers, is founded by Sebastian Banks.
• 2308–2311: A dispute over a Freestar colony leads to the Colony War between the UC and the Freestar Collective. The war ends with the signing of the Armistice following a pivotal battle in the Cheyenne system.
• 2315: In response to the war, the UC founds the UC Vanguard, a civilian navy offering UC citizenship in exchange for service.
• 2328: Constellation member Barrett convinces the group to acquire the Eye, a satellite used for deep space scanning.
• 2330: The events of Starfield begin, as the player character is exposed to an Artifact during a mining operation on a moon of Vectera. 

The United Colonies (UC)

The most powerful military and political faction in the Settled Systems, based in the capital city of New Atlantis. Through its UC Vanguard and UC SysDef branches, it plays a key role in the main story and the events of the game. 

• UC Vanguard: A volunteer civilian fleet created after the Colony War. By joining the Vanguard, the player can investigate the history of the UC and confront the re-emergence of the Terrormorph threat.
• UC SysDef and the Crimson Fleet: SysDef is the UC’s anti-piracy fleet. The player can go undercover for SysDef to infiltrate the Crimson Fleet, a major pirate organization. 

The Freestar Collective

A libertarian confederation that prioritizes personal freedom over centralized control. The Freestar Rangers are an elite law enforcement group that the player can join during the game. Their questline involves uncovering a conspiracy that threatens the fragile peace established after the Colony War. 

The Great Serpent and House Va’ruun

House Va’ruun is a religious faction that worships a deity known as the Great Serpent. 

• Origin of the cult: The religion was founded by Jinan Va’ruun after a deep space Grav Jump left him with a vision of a creature known as the Great Serpent.
• Connection to the Unity: Some theorize that the Great Serpent is an analogy for the Unity, the gateway to parallel universes, or that Jinan’s vision was a real encounter with the Starborn.
• Serpent’s Embrace trait: A trait available during character creation, “Serpent’s Embrace,” provides buffs from Grav Jumping but inflicts penalties if the player does not jump regularly. 

The Starborn

The main antagonist of the game, the Starborn are a mysterious and powerful group of beings who are revealed to be humans who have passed through the Unity, becoming multiversal travelers. 

• The Unity and New Game+: After collecting the alien artifacts, the player confronts the Starborn at the Unity. By entering it, the player can be reborn into a new universe with their Starborn powers, which unlocks the New Game+ feature and new story dialogue.
• The Hunter and the Emissary: The main Starborn encountered are the Hunter and the Emissary, who hold different philosophies on how the Unity should be approached.
• The Artifacts: The Starborn pursue the mysterious artifacts, which are components of the Armillary, a device required to access the Unity. 

While you can install the Shattered Space expansion for your first playthrough, it is not recommended. The new story and locations are best experienced with a higher-level character who has already explored the base game and major factions.

Here is a breakdown to help you decide:

Why you should wait

• Difficulty: Bethesda recommends being at least level 35 before starting the Shattered Space campaign. Enemies in the new areas are challenging and scale up to around level 100, which can be overwhelming for a new character.
• Recommended character level: The expansion’s content is best suited for an existing character who is well-equipped and has already progressed through the core game.
• Narrative context: Shattered Space deals with the lore of House Va’ruun, a secretive faction that is only hinted at in the main campaign. Playing the base game first will give you better context for the expansion’s story.
• Impact on the main game: The DLC’s self-contained nature means it won’t fundamentally change or enhance your experience of the base game’s main story or faction quests. 

How to install and access the expansion

• It’s available from the start: The quest to begin Shattered Space becomes available very early in the game, after you complete the first main quest, “One Small Step”.
• Receiving the quest: To trigger the mission, you must complete “One Small Step” and then use your ship to grav-jump to any system that is not currently part of a mission or encounter. This will cause a distress call from the “Oracle” to appear, starting the DLC storyline. 

A suggested strategy for your first playthrough 

1. Start your game with the expansion installed. The expansion will simply add new content to the world and won’t interfere with your early progression.
2. Focus on the main story and faction quests. As you explore and level up, ignore the distress call for the Shattered Space quest for now.
3. Complete a major faction storyline. This will allow you to get a feel for the game’s mechanics and build a strong character.
4. Save the expansion for later. Once you are a higher level (around 35 or above), then respond to the Oracle’s distress call to begin Shattered Space. This will ensure you are properly equipped for the challenge and have a better understanding of the story’s implications.