Recruiting no-name mercs is an easy way to increase the size of your crew in Starfield. You'll have companions that you can recruit throughout the main story, but there are other, non-descript mercenaries out there looking for jobs too. So why not sit them down for an interview? When I say "interview", of course I mean have a brief chat with them in a bar before giving them cash upfront to join you.
You may not be the most discerning employer, but still, it's a good way to ensure you have the muscle to run your outposts and keep your ships fully manned. With that in mind, here's how to recruit no-name mercs in Starfield.
How to recruit no-name mercenaries
Unlike the named companions that are pretty much thrown in your path during your playthrough, you'll need to seek out no-name mercs and actively recruit them, and you'll generally need to part with a chunk of credits for the privilege.
These mercenaries are often found in bars or clubs, and they're fairly easy to identify because they'll be wearing overalls, rather than regular clothing, and their main skill is generally what you see instead of a name when you go to talk to them. In his Starfield review, for example, Chris mentions hiring a bodyguard he came across in a Neon nightclub.
To recruit one of these no-name mercs, start a conversation with them and they'll usually tell you straight-off that they're looking for work. You'll need to offer them a payment to secure their employment, and you can get them down to half of their initial asking price if you manage a series of persuasion checks.
If your character doesn't have high persuasion, you can use an item, such as a Hippolyta, to temporarily increase it. This is useful if you spot a merc with a skill that you really want to add to your crew.
Sadly, no-name mercenaries appear to be random so you won't get them to show up at the same place in different playthroughs. That makes targeting the ones with the skills you want a little tricky, but the good news is that you can generally find anywhere from two to five in most bars, so you should have a variety to choose from.
