Unleashing the Potential: Mastering the Art of Selling Survey Slates in Starfield

Starfield, being a Bethesda RPG, offers a vast array of opportunities for players to earn money. Players can opt for a day job in an interplanetary corporation, join various defense forces, or even embrace the life of a pirate and pillage the systems. The possibilities for making money in Starfield are endless and limited only by the players' imagination.

At the beginning of the game, players have access to one of the easiest and earliest methods to make money in Starfield. By utilizing the reliable Scanner system, players can complete informational surveys and sell them to any merchant in the game. However, the key lies in identifying specific merchants who offer the best prices for these special items. This guide will help players find the most lucrative opportunities.

Where to Sell Survey Slates in Starfield

Survey Slates can be purchased at any merchant location, although it is important to note that the majority of these establishments may not offer the most competitive prices. For instance, the Trade Authority provides a baseline value of 573 credits for a Survey Slate originating from a planet devoid of any surveyed information. However, it is essential to remember that prices increase accordingly beyond this initial value.

Currently, there is a single known destination where Survey Slates can be obtained at a significantly better price: Vladimir at the Eye.

Vladimir will be encountered by the player early on in the main story of Starfield. He can be found at the Eye, which is Constellation's space station. His primary role is utilizing the scanning system to locate the game's essential items. As a result, it is logical that he would also display interest in survey data.

After the initial quest-related interactions with Vladimir, players have the flexibility to return to him at any time and initiate a conversation. When engaging in dialogue, they can select the option "I've got some survey data for you." This prompts a merchant menu to appear, showcasing all the Survey Slates the player currently possesses. It is important to note that each slate in the image above holds twice the value compared to its worth at the Trade Authority.

With this information in mind, answering the question of where to sell Survey Slates can only currently be answered in one way: take it to Vladamir.

How to Get Survey Slates in Starfield

Acquiring Survey Slates is a relatively straightforward process: surveying an entire planet will automatically add the slate to the player's inventory under the Miscellaneous section. Nevertheless, the outcome of this process can be influenced by various factors.

Using Handheld and Ship Scanners:

Determining the level of complexity involved in obtaining a Survey Slate for a particular planet can be best accomplished by utilizing the scanning systems offered by Starfield. When players initially enter orbit, their ship's scanner allows them the first opportunity to scan a planet or moon. However, it is worth noting that the basic scanner will solely provide information pertaining to the object being orbited.

Planets and moons can have up to four different categories of objects to scan and survey. They are:

Fauna: This is the animal life on a planet moon.

Flora: This is the plant life on a planet or moon.

Resources: These are the geological items on a planet or moon. These items can be mind and harvested. Usually inorganic.

Traits are unique attributes of a planet or moon, visualized as a circle with a question mark. When in orbit, scanning a planet or moon unveils the number of categories it possesses. Barren planets and moons may solely offer resources for scanning. Conversely, gas-planets and moons may lack anything to survey on the surface, and can be fully analyzed through an orbital scan.

The more in depth or complex a survey is, the more valuable its slate will be.

Scanning and Survey Skills to Upgrade:

Upgrading certain skills in Starfield can be a tremendous help with quickly finishing a survey. Consider adding points to the following skills:

Surveying: Science Branch - will increase scan distance and zoom capabilities of Hand Scanner.

Scanning: Science Branch - improves the materials revealed when scanning from orbit.

Astrophysics: Science Branch - allows players to gradually scan planets and moons from further away.

Starfield is available now on Xbox Series X/S and PC.