What EXACTLY Are the Differences to Game Modes after 4.0 ???

[Alessondria]

With the introduction of configurable difficulty settings and normal, relaxed, survival now sharing the same global universe ... what on earth is the difference? Are the settings really just determined to give a preset or do these modes impose ADDITIONAL and unchanging alterations?

I looked at the patch notes and it is not very clear at all. I mean I would suspect survival adds some things you cannot disable or change. As an example it says relaxed has relaxed encounters and survival has key elements blocked to buy in terminals but looking at the difficulty settings it 'seems' like I could just enable those for any of the game modes.

If any data miners or HG workers can answer please let us know? I want to start over for 4.0 I just need this information to understand what I game mode to pick.

[Bjørn]

I was wondering about this as well. Sadly I've come to terms with that as I passed half a century old, I prefer games to be more relaxing.

This 'relaxed mode' sounded tempting for me to reinstall the game, and it looks beautiful now!

[Geldric™]

Start the game & select CUSTOM. You will be presented with a configuration screen with all the options.

[NZ.Zero]

ooh I like your signature, never seen that before.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for all the detail... https://www.nomanssky.com/waypoint-update/

[Grimmslayer73]

From what I can tell so far, you can change setting on the fly, anytime anywhere. Don't have enough nanites for that upgrade? Just turn off purchases until your done. Don't want those aggressive creatures attacking you? Turn it off until you leave. Don't feel like dealing with those pirates tonight? Turn them off and turn it back on later. I was wondering about uploaded bases and which modes they show up in but from what I hear, they all show in all modes.... so I guess there really is no difference anymore.

[行歌]

That's a reason why many people said this updates destroy their game. If we can fully customized our game mode, only start with two game mode - 1.customized mode 2.permanent death mode will better than "normal, surivial, permanent..." ect. Cause there is no clear line between these different modes.

[Eightball]

The 'presets' are merely different combinations of the selections you can make in a custom game.

For instance the 'survival' preset has the most restrictive choices you can select in a custom game minus your save being eliminated on death and the harshest stack size limit.

So no, the presets do not add any additional game altering changes.

And once you start a game, say in normal mode, you can open the settings and look at the options applied and even change some (but not all) to affect your current game.

Since you can alter options once a game has started many people question the need for preset game types at all now.

[Bjørn]

Originally posted by NZ.Zer0:

Scroll to the bottom of the page for all the detail... https://www.nomanssky.com/waypoint-update/

Thanks for that link, you can change a lot! :o

Here is what it says on that site, if anyone else wonders:

NEW DIFFICULTY FRAMEWORK

All the core difficulty and other differences between the game modes have been reworked into a new framework that players can adjust as they see fit.
All existing game modes have been retained as quick and easy presets, and can be selected as before when starting a new game.
Alternatively, players can now choose to create a Custom game where all settings are fully customisable.
Expedition and Permadeath games will remain in their own pool for the purposes of matchmaking and base sharing. All other game modes have been unified so that players can explore together, whatever their difficulty preferences.
An additional game mode has been added to this list, Relaxed mode. Relaxed is the full Normal mode experience, but with significantly reduced need to manage survival systems and maintain technology and resources.
Players wishing to make their existing games more challenging, or take advantage of the new Relaxed mode settings, can customise difficulty options from the pause menu at any time. The vast majority of difficulty settings can be tweaked at any time, in any mode.
Some limited restrictions are imposed when wishing to play Permadeath.
Customisable difficulty options include:
The ability to disable life support and / or hazard protection management.
The ability to customise the speed at which life support and hazard protection are depleted.
The amount of material yielded when mining and harvested.
If sprinting is limited by life support drain and/or stamina.
How fast the scanner recharges.
How much damage players take from combat or the environment.
If technology takes damage when taking damage from combat or the environment.
What consequences there are for death, from none to permadeath.
How much fuel various pieces of technology use, including in Relaxed mode the ability to have free use of ammo, the mining laser and the terrain editor while still retaining general fueling mechanics.
If crafting items is free.
If the game is started with most recipes and blueprints already known, or if they must be earned.
How much items and upgrades cost to buy or learn.
The range of items available in shops.
How large item stack sizes can be within the inventory.
How much health hostile ships / Sentinels / creatures have.
How frequently, if at all, ground combat takes place.
How frequently, if at all, space combat takes place.
How hostile various planetary creatures are in their behaviour.
If the tutorial missions take place or not.
If other inventories (such as the ship and freighter) are always in range or not.
If specialised warp drive upgrades are required to enter specific systems.
If bases and base equipment require power.
How fast standing is gained with various factions.
If the game starts with all squadron or companion slots pre-unlocked.

(looks more tidy on the source page)

[行歌]

Originally posted by Eightball:

Since you can alter options once a game has started many people question the need for preset game types at all now.

Yeah that's the point.

[QuaestComm]

To expand on what has already been said, the choice of Permadeath (Save Deleted as the death consequence) and tutorial enable/disable, which are available for adjustment when starting a Custom game, are the only difficulty options which are locked-in once you start a new save.

• On Custom games with Permadeath enabled (mapping to the old Permadeath game mode required for the To Live Forever achievement), the easier options (start with all recipes learned, free crafting, always-passive animals, etc.) on all other settings for that save are disabled, but one can still switch between the harder options on the fly.
  
• On saves other than Permadeath Custom saves, the initial game mode (Creative/Relaxed/Normal/Survival/Custom) determines what difficulty settings you will start with, but does not impose any lasting restrictions (other than locking out Permadeath). For example, a save which starts in Normal mode but is later switched to the Relaxed difficulty setting preset will behave identically to a save which starts in Relaxed mode.

[knighttemplar1960]

Selecting permadeath locks you out of settings that are easier than the basic settings for permadeath (you can still select any harder ones that are still available after clicking permadeath). Its kind of pointless that they did that though since you can still back up your permadeath save on a flash drive or a different folder on your hard drive and restore it if you get killed.