Choose your Starter Pack

Your first purchase in Star Citizen will be the Game Pack, or Starter Pack, and as you'll quickly discover, there are several options available, but not all of them are created equal.

This article was originally created in 2019 to evaluate and compare the various Game Packages available, but that was before CIG began standardizing all the packs. Back in 2019, CIG offered numerous packs with enough distinguishing features to compare them, whether in terms of digital goodies, UEC, flairs, and/or the ships included. Thus, at the same price, some packs stood out clearly from the others. Today, that's no longer really the case, and a pack basically boils down to this:

• A ship
• 6 months of insurance
• A hangar
• 10,000 UEC

In other words, aside from the insurance—which may vary by a few months—and the hangar—which depends on the ship offered—choosing a starter pack boils down to selecting the ship that comes with it. So, you might as well check out the pages dedicated to choosing a ship on citizen-logbook.com rather than continuing to read here.

But don't leave just yet. Since this page was designed to compare game packs, let's see if we can still offer some constructive advice that, I hope, will help you make your choice.

Start small, think big later...

If there were only one piece of advice to give, it would be to "start small." Take the time to get to know the game with a low-cost ship, and if you really feel the need to move up to a larger ship, then simply upgrade your current ship to the one you're aiming for.

Of course, you might be tempted to start with a more advanced ship, but remember that it's easier to upgrade a ship like the Aurora to a Titan or a Nomad than the other way around. So unless you can take advantage of a promotional offer that gives you access to a higher-class ship, be reasonable, and stick with a $60 starter pack (There was a time when the Starter Pack was $40, but CIG has aligned itself with the market and raised the minimum price of the starter pack).

Take advantage of a great discount

Price is a deciding factor, but the availability of a discount is even more so, especially if it comes with bonus content like FPS armor or a ship skin.

However, keep in mind that you risk losing this discount if you melt down your pack. Think about this the next time you feel like changing ships and melting down your starter pack to rebuild it. Additionally, the discount usually comes with a "warbond." This means you'll need to purchase the pack with real money, not in-game credits. If you're a new player, this isn't a big deal, but if you want to take advantage of a promotional offer to upgrade your old game pack, keep in mind that you'll likely have to reinvest the full price of the discounted pack, and your old pack will then be converted into credits that you'll need to find a use for.

Take advantage of bonus content

Bonus content, such as insurance, UEC bonuses, the Hangar, digital goodies, and/or Flair, etc., are elements worth considering while they're still available—especially when they're part of a promotional offer during events like the IAE or ILW. Among these additional features, you might have...

An insurance extension

A pack typically includes 6 months of insurance; in some cases, this insurance can be extended up to 10 years, or so-called "lifetime" (LTI). This is a factor to consider, but don't view it as a requirement, especially since the ship insurance system is designed so that, even if your ship is LTI, you'll likely find yourself reviewing your insurance coverage very quickly once you're in-game.

An exclusive skin

It's always nice to have a special edition livery for a ship, but again, keep in mind that this paint will be specific to the ship in the pack. If you ever decide to upgrade your ship, you'll be stuck with the skin, and it won't be of much use unless you purchase the ship again (online or in-game).

An UEC Bonus

Starting the game with more credits in your pocket will always provide a safety net to cover initial costs, but as many will tell you, credits are easy to earn—don't choose a pack just because it offers more UEC.

FPS gear

Even though it's easy to gear up, it's always nice to start the game with armor, a weapon, or even a multi-tool—which is becoming increasingly essential. Especially since this gear is account-bound. Of all the bonus content a game pack can offer, this is, in my opinion, the most important.

But never forget that...

The ship should always be the deciding factor!

Regardless of the pack's contents, its discount, the bonus items it includes, etc., the ship is the factor you must absolutely consider above all else. I won't be rewriting the article on choosing a Starter Ship here—I encourage you to check it out—but keep in mind that choosing the wrong ship will have a much greater impact on your gameplay experience than a bonus FPS armor set or a few extra credits.

The following ranking is subjective; I can't put myself in your shoes, nor can I tell you whether or not you should buy Squadron 42 when it becomes available again, just as the choice of ship depends entirely on how you plan to use it. For me, the "best choice" is a $60 pack that includes the Aurora Mk II, because there's absolutely no need to spend more to try out the game—or you could wait for a Free Fly event and form your own opinion of the game before making a purchase.

• Aurora Mk II Package
  For a ship under $60.00.

  For a long time, I recommended purchasing a $40 starter pack that included either the Aurora MR or the Mustang Alpha, but with the price increase for these packs and the arrival of the Aurora Mk II, I can no longer recommend them. Especially since they are no longer available in stores.

  As of now, the go-to starter ship is the Aurora Mk II, so it goes without saying that a starter pack featuring this ship is the best way to get into the game. Not to mention that the ship is modular, which lets you upgrade it in-game without having to switch to another starter ship like the Titan or the 300 series.

• Package offering a Titan, Nomad, or 300i
  For a ship between $60.00 and $100.00.

  The Avenger Titan, the Nomad, and the 300i are solid choices for getting started in the game, so you might be tempted to go straight for a starter pack like this, especially if it comes with a discount and bonus content.

  As for other ships like the Intrepid, the Golem, the Arrow, or the Syulen, take the time to carefully weigh the pros and cons, as some are either too specialized for a specific type of gameplay (combat, mining), can be difficult for a beginner to master (Syulen), or offer questionable value for money (Intrepid).

• Package offering a "small ship"
  With a view to a possible upgrade to the Titan, Nomad, or 300i later on...

  Whether it's the Cutter, Pisces C8X, or 100i, these smaller ships generally don't offer the best value for money, but they do provide variety at a lower cost if the Aurora or Mustang styles aren't right for you, while still giving you the option to upgrade later to a Titan, 300i, Nomad, or any other starter ship.

• Package offering a medium-sized ship
  For a ship costing $110.00 or more.

  Some packs may include a Cutlass, a Freelancer, a Constellation, or another ship of similar size. These are good, versatile ships that can be used by both solo players and groups, but it's best to test them out first.

• Packages that include a profession or combat ship
  Avoid these!

  I don't recommend choosing a package that includes a specialized or combat ship, as this means you'll be limited to a single activity until you can acquire a second ship that opens up new gameplay options. But if you do target such a ship, try to ensure it has a cargo bay—even a 2 SCU one—allowing you to undertake missions involving the transport of one or two crates.

  The best example is the Salvation; although specifically designed as a starter ship for the Salvage profession, its 6 SCU cargo bay makes transporting crates possible and will allow you to pursue activities involving small cargo quantities...

• Break the bank!
  For a durable ship...

  I wouldn't recommend this to someone who's just starting out and hasn't yet taken the time to explore the game, but if, after spending many hours in the Persistent Universe, you feel like investing in a durable ship, I can recommend the Asgard. But be warned, it's an expensive ship—$350.00 is a lot of money...

  Take your time to think it over, and if possible, lower its value with a CCU Chain. Thanks to this method, mine cost me "only" $140.00 in LTI, or 40% of its actual value. And be aware that the Asgard isn't included in any game pack, so you'll need to purchase a pack that includes access to the game and then upgrade the ship included in that pack to the Asgard.

  You can, of course, choose a different ship if the Asgard doesn't suit you; personally, it's become my "main ship," but perhaps another ship would suit you better, such as the Corsair, the Hermes, etc. The best approach is to test them out first—rent them in-game if they're available—or take advantage of the Invictus and IAE events to get free access to these ships before taking the plunge.

• Ultimate Explorer Package
  Avoid, even if you're targeting the Carrack...

  The "Ultimate Explorer" pack is an evolution of the "UEE Exploration 2950," itself an evolution of the currently unavailable "UEE Exploration 2948." Except that the UEE Exploration 2948 was reserved for concierges, while the Ultimate Explorer is available to everyone. This pack could be interesting for someone targeting the Carrack. But on closer inspection, it is expensive and you will probably be able to achieve the same result for a better price with patience by practicing a CCU Chain.

  In any case, I do not recommend this pack, and in any case I do not recommend spending more than $1,000 on a pack to access the game, knowing that anyone who reaches the rank of Concierge (i.e., who has invested $1,000 in the game) will receive free access to the Star Citizen game. So if you're going to be a concierge, do it smartly by avoiding buying access to the game if it's going to be rewarded later...