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v4.10 // 2026
04 //

Best Starting Location in Star Citizen

Step 04 of the Star Citizen beginner guide: where to set your home location, why Lorville beats the alternatives for a new player, and when Pyro is worth the trip.

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After character creation, you must authorize a Primary Residence. This is your initial spawn point and the persistent storage hub for all your ships, gear, and pledge items. This choice is locked until the next major patch cycle.

Stanton or Pyro: where should a new player start?

At 09:30 in the video, CMDR Quattro covers the best starting system. New players should begin in Stanton: more stable, better populated for trading, and the most comprehensive infrastructure in the game. Pyro is a lawless system for experienced players only.

Star Citizen starting locations compared

MICROTECH

NEW BABBAGE

Snowy, tech-focused corporate city. Popular with players, but isolated at the system’s edge, so longer quantum travel times to other planets.
ARCCORP

AREA 18

Full city planet. Dense urban environment with excellent shops and the busiest trade hub. Navigation is complex for new players.
CRUSADER

ORISON

Gas giant cloud city. Stunning visuals, but high atmosphere exit times significantly increase transit overhead for active players.

How far apart the starting cities actually are

The case for Lorville is usually made by assertion. These are the real distances, read from the game’s own position data for each planet, so you can judge it yourself. From Lorville it is 22.88 Gm to Area 18, 31.92 Gm to Orison and 38.41 Gm to New Babbage.

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Lorville averages 31.07 Gm per trip to the other three cities.
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Area 18 averages 41.55 Gm per trip to the other three cities. That is 34% further than Lorville on an average hop.
>
Orison averages 43.90 Gm per trip to the other three cities. That is 41% further than Lorville on an average hop.
>
New Babbage averages 51.78 Gm per trip to the other three cities. That is 67% further than Lorville on an average hop.

Lorville is the shortest average hop in Stanton, and the Lorville to Area 18 run is the shortest single trip between any two landing zones in the system. New Babbage is the longest average at 67% further than Lorville, which is the whole cost of starting at microTech: not one bad journey, but every journey.

Why Lorville is the best starting location

Because Hurston sits near the sun at the center of the Stanton system, travel times to any other planet are significantly reduced. Spend less time in Quantum and more time in the action. TEASA Spaceport is one of the most intuitive ports in the game, and the New Deal Dealership gives you direct access to purchasing ships with in-game aUEC from day one. Vantage Rentals at TEASA allows you to rent industrial ships before you can afford to buy them, which is a critical early-game advantage.

When to go to Pyro

The Pyro Jump Point is located in the outer reaches of Stanton. Only travel there once you have stable income, good gear, and confident flight skills. Set a medical spawn at Ruin Station before going deep into Pyro. The Drake Cutter’s superior fuel efficiency makes it the best starter hull for Pyro exploration.

Home location checklist

✓
Stanton selected as operational system, Pyro deferred for later.
✓
Primary residence locked at Hurston (Lorville) for system centrality.
✓
New Deal Dealership and TEASA Spaceport access confirmed.
✓
Vantage Rentals location noted for early industrial ship rental.

Star Citizen starting location FAQ

What is the best starting location in Star Citizen?

Lorville on Hurston, for most new players. Hurston sits near the centre of the Stanton system, so quantum travel to every other planet is shorter from there than from anywhere else. TEASA Spaceport is one of the easiest ports to navigate, and the on-site New Deal Dealership sells ships for in-game aUEC as soon as you can afford them.

What are the home locations in Star Citizen?

There are four, one on each of Stanton’s landing-zone planets: Lorville on Hurston, Area 18 on ArcCorp, New Babbage on microTech and Orison on Crusader. You pick one as your Primary Residence after character creation, and it sets both your default spawn and where your ships and gear live. Measured from the game’s own position data, Lorville averages 31.07 Gm per trip to the other three cities and New Babbage averages 51.78 Gm, which is the practical difference between them.

Can you start in Pyro in Star Citizen?

No. The Primary Residence choice only offers the four Stanton cities, so every new character begins in Stanton whatever their plans are. You reach Pyro through the jump point in the outer reaches of Stanton once you are flying confidently, and you can set a medical spawn at Ruin Station once there, which is as close to a Pyro home as the game currently allows.

Can I change my home location later?

Yes, but not casually. Your primary residence sets your medical respawn point and default spawn, and the choice is locked until the next major patch cycle. Pick deliberately the first time rather than planning to switch.

Should I start in Stanton or Pyro?

Stanton. It has security forces, working hospitals, shops and the gentlest missions, and every beginner system in the game was built around it. Pyro is lawless by design, with no security response and far more hostile players, so treat it as somewhere to visit once you can already fly and fight.

Is New Babbage or Lorville better for beginners?

New Babbage is the more popular city and easier to like, but microTech sits at the outer edge of Stanton, so every trip is longer. Lorville trades atmosphere for position. If you value short travel times over scenery, start at Lorville.

Where do I set my home location in Star Citizen?

On first launch, after character creation, the game asks you to choose a Primary Residence. That is the setting. The install guide walks through first launch step by step.
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