What to do in No Mans Sky

[Actimel]

Hello all,

Sorry for question, maybe its kinda silly or.. but.. How do you people play this game? There is so many things to do here, I cant literaly enjoy the game because I dont know what to do.. Go after quests and forget about exploring and other fun factor? Explore one planet fully, build something, etc...?
Realy game looks promising, but such many things/items confusing me :(

[NMSPlayer]

Have you ever watched the game being played on youtube? here's one path that is exactly linear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb99d3o2izE&list=PLqS8n4PYiYb-mDUAv1hVCwj4k5Fr3__BB

[BonPadre]

Early game anyway (and I would say at least a deep first playthrough) you may want to follow the missions, because you'll get stucked not finding the blueprints you need to advance in the game.

Also there are a few answer to questions you may ask yourself in the "story mission"

But be certain of one thing... the missions will not prevent you from exploring, nor playing your gamestyle

- I would say a lot of peeps go after units as a goal
- Some go after exploring and beeing as nomadic as they can (after you got all you neded from base building missions)
- Some play mostly (if not only) in creative just to be able to build mega bases
- Some play permadeath, just to know how long they can last doing so
- Some love to trade to make units
- Some have a goal to set up an advanced crafting material (Stasis devices and Fusion Ignitors)
- Some want to go as far as they can into the possible 255 galaxies
- Some want to meet others and play a bit of co-op
- Some do a big mixed bbag of all that depending on their day's mood.

I'm in the last category, I do what I want to do at a very specific instant. I don't "hunt" specific things to do.
Thers is a storm that can bring me storm crystals ? great I'll do that if I fancy it
Oh that planet has burried treasures ? sure I may want to go for that
Hey long time I did not jump, maybe today I'll get moving
Etc.

[Bandy]

I suppose I can understand the OP if he/she is used to very structured games.

Once you fix up your crashed ship, the galaxy is your oyster! Follow what you want to do, work towards buying and flying the ship you want to fly, etc. etc.

Take a break from it all if you find a really interesting and fun planet to settle down and build a base.

[Bandy]

Originally posted by BonPadre:

...
- Some want to go as far as they can into the possible 255 galaxies
...

Ummm, not being nit-picky here and correct me if wrong, but not 255 galaxies, see https://galacticatlas.nomanssky.com/

NMS happens in the Euclid galaxy, and any galaxy contains billions of star systems (one or sometimes binary stars and planets), so might as well call Euclid infinite for any practical gameplay purpose.

[BonPadre]

Originally posted by Bandy:

Originally posted by BonPadre:

...
- Some want to go as far as they can into the possible 255 galaxies
...

Ummm, not being nit-picky here and correct me if wrong, but not 255 galaxies, see https://galacticatlas.nomanssky.com/

NMS happens in the Euclid galaxy, and any galaxy contains billions of star systems (one or sometimes binary stars and planets), so might as well call Euclid infinite for any practical gameplay purpose.

And someone should know there is more galaxies than Euclid...
I'm currently in Ontiniangp
The 13th GALAXY, I'm not talking about systems... but... Galaxies...
https://nomanssky.gamepedia.com/Galaxy

[Bandy]

From your link, it appears that in various descriptions somebody is confusing, or using interchangeably, what a galaxy is with a star system. Read that website carefully, you'll see what I mean.

For instance, how can a whole galaxy (composed of billions of star systems and even more planets) fall into only 4 different types?
1) empty
2) harsh
3) lush
4) norm

Those categories should be for star systems, not entire galaxies. OR this categorization is woefully inadequate in terms of the potential. It goes on from there, but whatever, doesn't matter.

Suppose for a game developer it looks better to say they are modeling the universe when in fact one galaxy is practically infinite enough for any game.

[BonPadre]

Pics from me
When you jump in a new system it tells you the system name AND in what Galaxy it is
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1749562625

There are GALAXIES, in order to change galaxy, you have to jump into it's center
There is an other way of advancing into galaxies, but that would contain spoilers.

But hey whatever, believe what you think... You are the one not accepting the fact that there are 254 OTHER galaxies, as big as Euclid in this game

Other hint btw. My galaxy CENTRE star is not the whitish you have in Euclid... but that CYAN color that is described in that list
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1749567248

[Däguas]

Originally posted by BonPadre:

Early game anyway (and I would say at least a deep first playthrough) you may want to follow the missions, because you'll get stucked not finding the blueprints you need to advance in the game.

Also there are a few answer to questions you may ask yourself in the "story mission"

But be certain of one thing... the missions will not prevent you from exploring, nor playing your gamestyle

- I would say a lot of peeps go after units as a goal
- Some go after exploring and beeing as nomadic as they can (after you got all you neded from base building missions)
- Some play mostly (if not only) in creative just to be able to build mega bases
- Some play permadeath, just to know how long they can last doing so
- Some love to trade to make units
- Some have a goal to set up an advanced crafting material (Stasis devices and Fusion Ignitors)
- Some want to go as far as they can into the possible 255 galaxies
- Some want to meet others and play a bit of co-op
- Some do a big mixed bbag of all that depending on their day's mood.

I'm in the last category, I do what I want to do at a very specific instant. I don't "hunt" specific things to do.
Thers is a storm that can bring me storm crystals ? great I'll do that if I fancy it
Oh that planet has burried treasures ? sure I may want to go for that
Hey long time I did not jump, maybe today I'll get moving
Etc.

This is the right idea.
In hindsight if I had to structure the main quests for optimum story and earliest access to helpful "things" it would go like so. After awakenings.Obtain freighter. Then I'd start the overseer quest line up to the mechanic. Then the Artimis quest line pausing after the Dreams of The Deep. I would then follow the Atlas quest to its conclusion, clean up base building, and finish Artimis line.
That being said there's no wrong way to do it and a lot is still being added.

[marstinson]

For a first playthrough, follow the story. This starts with the "Awakenings" quest in your log. This will get you fairly familiar with the mechanics and give a reasonable feel for how things work. It will take you several hours to finish and there is a branching side story (several if you include shorter stuff added by some of the updates), but they are decently well done. I'll caution ahead of time that getting to the end of the main story is going to leave some other things that you will not be able to complete. But once you've got that decent understanding, it's completely cool to just abandon that save and start a new game.

For later playthroughs, I'd recommend focusing on one or two aspects like farming, trading, base-building, or whatever. For my current game I haven't moved out of the general vicinity of the starting system and am mostly just running side missions (the mission board stuff) with an eye toward getting S-class everything without using portals. On one of my earlier games I found a decent planet and set my goal as exploring it as completely as possible (moon recommended - plants are huge). On another I set the goal of hitting the unit cap (2^32, or about 4.3 billion). Still on the bucket list are moving to the next galaxy without using portals, learning all the words in the four languages (Gek, Korvax, Vy'keen, and Atlas), and a couple of other fiddly bits that don't come to mind right off. Basically whatever takes your fancy.

It's a big galaxy, so lots to see and lots to do. It's a bit grindy sometimes, but worth experiencing.

[BonPadre]

Originally posted by Bandy:

For instance, how can a whole galaxy (composed of billions of star systems and even more planets) fall into only 4 different types?
1) empty
2) harsh
3) lush
4) norm

Those categories should be for star systems, not entire galaxies. OR this categorization is woefully inadequate in terms of the potential. It goes on from there, but whatever, doesn't matter.

Suppose for a game developer it looks better to say they are modeling the universe when in fact one galaxy is practically infinite enough for any game.

Also, since you asked that you may be corrected
Those 4 types of galaxies are the difference between the spawning rate of various planets in systems.
You will find a lot of players that love the lush planets with NON AGRESSIVE sentinels going into the 10th galaxy (Eissentam) as it has more chances to spawn quieter planets.

Honnestly it used to be more of a thing in early game iterations, but still, you'll get more lush planets in Lush galaxies, you'll find more exotic planets in empty Galaxies, you'll find more extreme planets on Raging galaxies, and finally the Normal one is the balanced one you have in Euclid.

That's all about spawning RNG, and depending on what you like, you may choose to head toward this or that galaxy to have your "dream" game / planet / base
(EDITED typos)

[Isme]

This is an honest answer but I admit it doesn't seem to fit in here.

Play slowly.

I often get the impression people who post on this "too little to do" subject are playing too much too fast. Crack fast. All the time. It can get repetitive - unless - you are science oriented and get a lot out of NMS from that standpoint. (for me it is a sci fi game).

I have only ~450 hours over ~2.5 years. I've measured it out, I love it so much. it's always fresh, no matter what part of the game's features I happen to be working on.

Also, you must always read these boards or you will be lost when you dip in the game, even if you play regularly.

[Syrens]

I had the same questions as you once upon a time. With more updates etc though the games become ever more accessable. I'm used to being told "do this, do that" so the true sandbox openness of this was hard to take in, then I realized, there's no set means of playing, do what you wish, embrace the freedom.

[Anga Hakuna]

The No Man's Sky universe is comprised of 255 galaxies, each with a "bazillion" star system, each with 1 to 6 planets/moons. Some claim more than 255 galaxies, but if you keep going after 255, allegedly, it repeats. The total celestial bodies in the universe is 18 quintillion. It boggles the mind.

No Man's Sky has a lore, but not a straight storyline. The game has a starting "tutorial" given via varied tasks. It also has some "quests" that you can choose to complete.

There is no "ending" to the game. It's open-ended.

You can choose to concentrate on one of the four "pillars" of the game if you like and you can mix it up or change your focus at any time:

• Explore
  
• Trade
  
• Fight
  
• Survive

You can adopt any number of areas of gameplay concentration. For example:

• Be a Xenobiologist -- discover and document all fauna and tons of flora on each planet
  
• Be a linguist -- accumulate as many alien words as you can. Even after maxing out the "score" for learning words, there are lots left to "learn."
  
• Be a Merchant -- accumulate maximum wealth
  
• Discover as many new systems and planets as you can.
  
• Be a "rim runner" and explore the outer fringes of a galaxy
  
• Be a xenophotographer -- take carefully composed photo of landscapes, flora, fauna, or even buildings
  
• Be a sentinel-killer
  
• Be a pirate -- destroy as many starships and fleet ships as you can. Loot their goods.
  
• and more ... you get the idea

Creative mode allows expanded building, unlimited resources (no need to mine or harvest), and threats have no effect. You could use that to "try out" parts of the game, then move to Normal, if you like.

It's all up to you, the Traveler. Enjoy!

[Mr. Bufferlow]

1600 hours in, and started a new game about 70 hours ago. You are pretty locked into following the base building missions, and staying alive while doing so. It is actually kind of fun, even if you already know what is coming. There are some shortcuts when you know how the missions work.

After the base-related missions, you may have to touch a few of the others, but you do not have to finish them. I thought the Artemis mission was great and really helps you learn the lore of the game.

When playing my original save, I just do whatever is interesting at the moment. That could be going to a new system, picking up some station missions and exploring.

I might decide to do some base building. Went through an interesting period seeing how I could adapt a base to existing structures. I really enjoyed that. Be aware that your base will be invisible to others if you build around a pre-existing structure.

Took a trip to my local galactic hub. That may have been my most memorable experience. Had many doubts going in and it really makes you feel like one of the "new world" explorers. I took my time getting there and explored along the way. I was elated when I finally arrived and saw base icons everywhere.

Never been, but some folks go to the edge of the galaxy. I may do that someday.

I currently have a desire to head to the Pilgrim Star. I am not sure what is there, but it would be interesting to find out.

Long answer short- You have to come up with ideas on what you want to do. I liken it to when you were a kid and just played in the backyard. A stick can become a sword, a gun, a wand...whatever.

Happy trails Traveler.

[jonnin]

relax and play. Explore something.