In a game like Starfield, Persuasion is a tricky skill to master; there’s a lot going under the surface when trying to persuade a character than you would realize. It’s not just about choosing the green or the yellow option in the persuasion dialogue box every time, thinking that if you always play it nice and safe, you are going to get what you want.
At the same time, using threats (the red option) does not work all the time. So, is there something you could use to your advantage during persuasion (besides the drinks)? Certainly. When persuading someone in Starfield, you must have noticed the Auto-Persuade option on the bottom right of the screen. However, that does not mean that you can choose it right at the beginning of the conversation. So, how do you auto-persuade someone in Starfield?
Auto-Persuasion in Starfield
To a large extent, successful persuasion in Starfield depends on how well you are aware of your situation and when exactly to put the right kind of pressure on a character. It also depends on how stubborn the character you are persuading is. Not everyone can be swayed to your side by similar types of persuasion options in Starfield, so you have to play your cards right.
For example, the man in the image above doesn’t know you at all and thinks that you stole his employer’s property since has has caught you with that property — an artifact — in your hands. You didn’t steal it; you made a deal for it during Starfield’s All That Money Can Buy quest.
You also didn’t know that Nicolaus Slayton, a rival to Walter Stroud, was the original owner of the property. But the Slayton Agent does not know this and won’t leave you unless you hand over the artifact to him (which you simply can’t!) So, how do you get out of this predicament? It is one of those times when your persuasion skill can save you a lot of trouble.
Why You Should Learn to Persuade in Starfield
The most obvious of reasons why you should ace your persuasion game in Starfield is to avoid confrontation and messy situations. There will be times when a successful persuasion would help you avoid a fight and/or simply get you out of a sticky situation without resorting to violence in Starfield.
Make someone see reason by persuading them with 100% success, and they will do what you want them to do without a drop of blood getting shed.
What’s the Benefit of Auto-Persuade Option in Starfield?
The benefit of Auto-Persuade is that it speeds up your persuasion efforts in Starfield. When you become eligible to choose the Auto-Persuade option, that means you can bypass the most difficult dialogue choice that you would’ve had to make if you didn’t choose Auto-Persuade, and succeed in your endeavor to make the character agree to your demands. That means going past the most difficult option in persuasion, which highly increases your chances of success.
How to Auto-Persuade in Starfield?
You get six attempts to persuade someone in Starfield. To use the Auto-Persuade option, you have to first become eligible to trigger it. To do so, succeed with the dialogue option six times in a row. Upon successfully passing through six lines of dialogue with the Starfield character, the Auto-Persuade option would become active. You can then press ‘R‘ to Auto-Persuade the character you are trying to reason with.
For example, in the above persuasion attempt, you told the Slayton Agent that he needed to back off as you could call Neon Security to your aid (which would complicate the situation for him).
The threat would work because: A) You first had got Neon Security to your side; otherwise, the dialogue box wouldn’t show the option, and B) The Slayton Agent would want to avoid any public scandal at all costs since he belongs to a big and well-established name in the world of business. As such, the persuasion works.
Though it worked with the agent, and you were able to get out of the building (The Astral Lounge), you would soon find that it is not so easy to placate Nicolaus Slayton and escape from Slayton Aerospace HQ and Neon. But that’s the main story mission in Starfield. In this post, we just learned how to auto-persuade someone in Starfield.
Successful Persuasion in Starfield Needs A Bit Of Preparation
Auto-Persuading someone in Starfield lessens your chances of failure when engaged in conversation with that character. It is, however, not a must-use option. If you think you have gauged the personality of the character well enough to perceive how he or she will react to your appeals and are well aware of the tips and tricks you need to know for successful persuasion in Starfield, then you may be bold enough not to use the Auto-Persuade option.
Also, gaining more XP and reaching higher levels in Starfield will help you with persuasion. So, make sure to check out our guide on how to level up in Starfield for all the tips and tricks!
