Getting started / Field guide
Star Trek: Outposts Unknown Beginner Guide
Use the Operations Center to unlock buildings, then turn scientific samples into Tech Data at a Basic Laboratory. These are separate progression systems.
Build around the Operations Center
After landing on Daegus, place your Operations Center on buildable ground. Select it and inspect the next upgrade: its requirements tell you what to build before you can advance.
The first upgrade calls for a Shuttle Pad. Complete the listed requirements, then start the upgrade. Research points do not replace missing buildings or construction materials.
Add resource collection, power and production as your outpost develops. A finished structure may still need electricity, raw materials and crew assigned to the current shift before it can work.
Keep the first supply chains simple
Prioritize the resources and buildings needed for your next task. Check the resource overview when you are unsure where a material comes from, and leave crew available for construction and hauling.
For food, start with Biomass → Food Proteins → Cargo Landing Pad → ship supplies. You do not need a Planetary Kitchen to start sending basic proteins aboard the U.S.S. Resonant.
If materials have arrived but a building is not being constructed, check the Job Queue and available Utility Crew.
Upgrade buildings and research separately
| Progression | What to check | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Operations Center | Outpost Proficiency and the next upgrade’s requirements | Opens further building progression |
| Tech Tree | Tech Data, connected prerequisites and the chosen research effect | Buys research improvements and further technology |
| Crew promotions | Starfleet Prestige and the promotion cost | Advances individual crew members |
Complete suitable orders to gain Outpost Proficiency and continue upgrading the Operations Center. Do not confuse that progression with Starfleet Prestige.
Start producing Tech Data
- Prepare the equipment needed to collect scientific samples. If you need Sample Containment Units, check the Basic Equipment Crafting Facility.
- Collect scientific samples and bring them to a working Basic Laboratory.
- Assign crew, provide the necessary operating resources, and enable the relevant research recipe.
- Spend the resulting Tech Data in the Tech Tree, checking each project’s cost and prerequisites.
Later research uses a separate sample chain. If an Advanced Laboratory has nothing to process, follow the Advanced Tech Points guide.