There are plenty of things for players to do in Starfield, from playing through the main story to completing side missions for various companions and organizations to exploring and surveying alien planets. Each of these activities will reward players with XP, but there are some methods in Starfield that are more lucrative than others.
Killing alien fauna is one of the best ways to earn XP in Starfield, but there is one planet that is home to a creature that offers a significant amount of XP simply due to the sheer number of them that can be found. To take full advantage of the best XP farm in Starfield, players should prepare by acquiring any XP-gaining buffs they can and then heading to the planet Strix I in the Strix System.
How to Prepare for the XP Farm
Before heading out to farm XP in Starfield, players should take advantage of some helpful bonuses that will boost the amount of XP they gain. Sleeping in a bed, for instance, grants the "Well Rested" bonus, which increases XP gains by 10%. Unfortunately, it only lasts for 24 minutes, but it still provides a decent bonus. Additionally, sleeping in a bed with a romantic partner will provide players with the "Emotionally Secure" bonus, increasing XP gains by 15%.
Players can also take advantage of various food and drink products to increase the amount of XP they earn. The Strip, for example, is a food item that restores 20 health and increases XP gains by 2% for 30 minutes. Players can purchase The Strip at The Whetstone on the upper levels of New Atlantis' Commercial District. They can also purchase a Tranquilitea Dynastic at The Whetstone, which restores 3 health and increases XP gains by 2% for 15 minutes.
Where to Find the Strix System
Starfield's Strix System is very difficult to find, as it lies on an edge of the galaxy map that most players likely haven't been to yet. Specifically, it can be found on the right edge of the galaxy map, almost directly northeast of the Volii System players are sent to about halfway through the story. To reach the Strix System from the Volii System, players will need to travel to the Kryx System north of Volii, then to the Copernicus System southeast of that, then to the Serpentis System to the northeast, then finally northeast to the Strix System.
How to Farm XP on Strix I in the Strix System
To take advantage of the best XP farm in Starfield, players need to navigate to Strix I within the Strix System on the galaxy map. The planet can easily be found by looking for the innermost ring in the Strix System, as it is the closest planet to its sun. Upon zooming in on it, players should scan it by holding down the Scan key/button, then pinpoint a dark green area on the planet and ensure it is a "Craters" zone by examining its destination info on the right side of the screen. Once a Craters zone has been selected, players can land there to begin the XP farm.
The fauna players are looking for aren't very difficult to find, as they should notice them flying around in the distance from the moment they set foot on the planet's surface. The creatures, called Flocking Nautiloos Filterers, offer a substantial amount of XP due to the fact that they can be found in such great numbers on Strix I. They aren't that difficult to kill and players will likely be able to do it without taking any damage at all, so as long as players bring plenty of ammo with them, they could potentially stay here for a couple of hours and get quite a few levels out of it.
Players should note that upon firing at one of the Filterers, the entire group will begin to swarm them. While this may sound frightening, it's rather useful for quickly taking out large groups, and they will rarely get close enough to attack otherwise. By killing each Filterer, players can earn a base amount of anywhere from 7 XP to 77 XP, depending on the Filterer's level and any XP buffs players have. Once one group has been dealt with, another can most likely be seen nearby.
While there are certainly plenty of ways to earn XP in Starfield, there aren't many methods that are as lucrative as farming Flocking Nautiloos Filterers on Strix I in the Strix System. Players will find that if they come to Strix I well-prepared, they will be able to gain a significant amount of levels and obtain the Skill Points they need to continue developing their character.