Highlights
- Fans of Starfield are particularly intrigued by the Trade Authority clerk from Cydonia, who has made a lasting impression on the community.
- The Trade Authority clerks are often stereotyped as rude or greedy, but Manaaki Almonte on Mars has shattered this stereotype, receiving praise for their attitude and good-natured personality.
In a sea of different NPCs and crew members, Starfield fans seem to be especially fascinated with a Trade Authority clerk from Cydonia. Players who deal with contraband items in Starfield are most likely familiar with the Trade Authority, as its vendors are the only ones willing to buy illicit merchandise in the entire Settled Systems outside the Crimson Fleet faction. Not only does this make them invaluable, but it puts them in a position where they can make a lasting impression on the community – much like Belethor’s winning personality charmed Skyrim fans back in the day.
However, not everyone has been a fan of Starfield‘s NPCs, as some players continue to be frustrated with Constellation companions being too law-abiding or otherwise too stringent regarding their approval system. Compared to the varied cast of characters that Fallout 4 had, the companions in Starfield feel limited by comparison, both mechanically and in terms of writing. This has made Vasco a popular choice for many players, as the Constellation robot does not have any strong leanings on morality.
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In terms of Trade Authority clerks, the player consensus seems to be that they’re either rude jerks, greedy money-pinchers, or unscrupulous business people. This stereotype gets shattered hard by Manaaki Almonte, the Trade Authority vendor on Mars, and many appreciation threads have cropped up since Starfield‘s launch that praise his attitude and overall personality. The latest Reddit thread was made by Algorhythm74, with the comments almost universally coming to the conclusion that Manaaki may be one of the most relaxing and good-natured NPCs in all of Starfield.
Given that the Sol system in Starfield also has Denis Averin, Luthor Atlanta, and Joyce Osaka, it would seem that the home star of humankind attracts the most easygoing individuals, which certainly fits the lore of it being a sleepy posting in the Settled Systems. One of the biggest strengths in Bethesda sandboxes are the minor NPCs scattered throughout the game, and this tradition certainly seems to have endured in Starfield.
Unfortunately, as a Trade Authority vendor, Manaaki cannot become a crew member and thus join the player on their interstellar adventures, though that may not stop the community from turning Manaaki into a full-fledged follower once the official modding tools for Starfield come out in early 2024. Hopefully, the upcoming Shattered Space DLC for Starfield will introduce more memorable NPCs for players to interact with.
Starfield is available on PC and Xbox Series X/S.
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