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InStarfield’s character creation screen, players will begin to see Oxygen as a stat they can affect on their character. Oxygen is the new stamina bar, functioning in a lot of the same ways as other Bethesda games.
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Your oxygen bar will deplete as you continue to sprint, and your CO2 levels, or Carbon Dioxide, will quickly increase in a red bar filling the opposite side of your oxygen gauge. Here’s a breakdown of how Oxygen works and how you can maximize your character’s Oxygen.
Updated On September 21st, 2023 By Joshua Leeds:There are multiple Aid items that can be used to temporarily increase oxygen recovery for a short time, along with a useful Boost Pack mod that increases total oxygen. This article has been updated to include additional information on both.
Oxygen & Carbon Dioxide
Despite what many players may think,Oxygen is not a limited resourceno matter what planet you are on and isactually Starfield’s stamina bar.Your Oxygen determines how long you can sprint, even thoughplayers are able to sprint beyond how much Oxygen they have.When swimming, you’re able toswim fast using the sprint button,which will also use oxygen the same way as sprinting.
Should you continue to sprint after using up all of your Oxygen, the bar willbegin filling from the other direction with red, indicating Carbon Dioxide.Carbon Dioxide is deadly, and should yourOxygen bar be full of Carbon Dioxide,you’ll begin totake damage. Carbon Dioxide also goes away slower than your Oxygen replenishes, leaving you with alower maximum Oxygen for a short time. Oxygen willreplenish quickly after you stop sprinting, and yourCarbon Dioxide levels will go back to normal, just a bit slower. Taking breaks between sprints will help ensure you never reach dangerous levels of Carbon Dioxide.
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How To Get More Oxygen
When creating your character, atraitcan be chosen that will increase your Oxygen but also has a negative effect to balance out the trait’s effectiveness. For those looking for an easier way of increasing Oxygen, theFitness skill can be learned.It is one of thefirst Physical skills you can learn and will give a percentage boost to your maximum Oxygen.
There is also a mod that can be found or built onto Boost Packs calledOxygen Reserve, which increases your total oxygen by 10%.If you want this mod on an existing Boost Pack, head to a nearbySpacesuit Workbench and craft the mod in the Pack Slot 1 section.There are also many Aid items that can be consumed to increase Oxygen regeneration, such asTerrabrew Espresso, which increases oxygen recovery but 20% for 3 minutes.Snake Oil can be bought by many doctors, andcures some status effects while also increasing Oxygen recovery by 20% for 2 minutes.
Another way to optimize your Oxygen when exploring a planet is byutilizing your Boost Pack.When up in the air, yourcharacter is not sprinting and will begin to regenerate Oxygen.Utilize your Boost Pack tostay in the air longerand regenerate larger amounts of Oxygen while still moving forward.Sprinting and jumping into your Boost Pack uses will keep you in the air longerto regenerate more Oxygen than a regular jump. Be sure to alwayscarry less than your capacity, as walking while carrying too much will use Oxygen even without sprinting.
Being Overencumbered
One of the biggest possible drains on a player’s oxygen is being overencumbered. While overencumbered, evenjust walking will quickly use up your Oxygen, making youstand still to recover it and get rid of Carbon Dioxide.To ensure you don’t get overencumbered,utilize your cargo holdon your ship to store itemsand still have them on the same planet as you.
You can alsotrade items over to yourcompanion,who will carry items even closer that can be taken back at any point. TheWeightlifting skill also increases your overall carry capacityand is a worthwhile investment as soon as possible.Armor pieces have the chance of coming with mods that increase carry capacity,but this is not always the case and requires some hard-to-find resources tocraft yourself.
