Starfield: How To Join The United Colonies

Factions are a big part of the Starfield universe, allowing you to experience stories from multiple angles. Whether you want to be a pirate or a mercenary, Starfield has a faction to help you achieve your goals. The United Colonies (UC) is one of the largest in-game factions that is actively fighting with the Crimson Fleet (a private faction). You can join this faction in the early-game phase of Starfield as a part of the UC Vanguard, which will influence your playstyle and missions.

Who Are The United Colonies In Starfield?

The UC is one of the two most significant interstellar governments in the Settled Systems (primary setting of Starfield).

It is a combined republic that controls the three star systems of Alpha Centauri, Sol, and Wolf. The capital city of the UC is located on the Jemison planet in the city of New Atlantis. 

I’ve provided some more information about the history of the United Colonies Starfield below:

• Their foundations were laid in 2159 after humans arrived at Alpha Centauri from Earth.
• In the lore, the UC fought two territorial wars with another faction called The Freestar Collective before the events of Starfield.
• Although there has been a peace treaty between the two organizations, things are still shaky for both parties.
• Currently, the UC military faces increased aggression from the Crimson Fleet, which has started settling in multiple star systems inside the UC territory. 

How To Join Factions In Starfield?

At the start of the Starfield storyline, you sign up with a small faction of explorers in New Atlantis called the Constellation.

However, the primary objective of the main storyline is to give you an initial tour of the Settled Systems. As you progress through the main story, you encounter multiple factions that will assign you missions related to their struggles and motives. 

You can freely explore factions independently during the main story. While there’s no restriction on joining multiple factions in Starfield, signing up with two rival factions may lead to playing as an undercover agent. Constellation members may assist in joining their associated factions. I suggest you keep in mind, that your choices will impact faction operations.

How To Join The United Colonies

After you complete the “One Small Step” mission in New Atlantis, Sarah Morgan from the Constellation will direct you to a recruiter of the UC Vanguard, Commander John Tuala. Once you ask Tuala to sign up, you will start the “Supra Et Ultra” mission.  

There are three requirements for completing the onboarding process for the UC Vanguard:

1. Complete the orientation.
2. Pass the piloting test.
3. Take an oath on the stairs of the Military, Administerative, Scientific Triumvirate (MAST) building.

While you can listen to the orientation if you like, you can also skip this part and run to the elevator at the end of the room. This elevator will take you to the piloting simulator.

The Piloting Simulator

In the piloting simulator, you must fight against three waves of simulated enemy ships with increasing difficulty. Although there are six tiers in the piloting simulator, you only need three to clear three for your enlisting.

However, I would recommend that you try clearing all six tiers (waves) in the simulator. This will increase your enlisting credit after you get your results from Tuala. There is no limit to the number of tries, so you can take your time clearing all six waves.

Enlisting In the United Colonies

After completing the first two requirements, follow these steps to complete your enlisting process: 

1. Once you have completed the piloting simulator, head back to Tuala for your test results.
2. After clearing all tests, you can complete your enlisting by taking an oath on the steps of the MAST building.
3. After you are a part of the UC Vanguard, you will now be assigned a probation mission by Tuala.

Joining different factions during your playthrough is essential to the Starfield experience. From my experience, you can add depth to your character by joining factions of your interest, allowing you to explore the Starfield universe from different perspectives. The United Colonies Starfield is one of the biggest and earliest factions you can join, which you can do by completing the Supra Et Ultra mission by Commander John Tuala.

Apart from joining factions, Starfield has much more to explore. For instance, you can learn how to lockpick, dock ships, and get Shielded Cargo in Starfield. You can also read about the difficulty settings, ship storage, and Boost pack in Starfield. 

Next:

• Starfield: Best backgrounds
• Starfield: Vanguard Motto
• Starfield: FOV Console Command

Image Credits: Dantics & NorZZa