Are there many planet variations?

[Moses]

Before I started playing Valheim I knew the open world was pretty large and that's one of the reasons I bought it. After playing, though, I learned that once you visited any particular biome once, finding a similar biome further away didn't really have a point. They were all the same. So, once you discovered each biome type, essentially you had seen the entire game. The rest of the map became irrelevant.

For NMS, is this how it works? I've read about there being nearly countless planets, but is there enough diversity to where it truly feels like a new place when you arrive at them? Or are there basically just a handful of variations and after awhile every planet is going to be something you've seen before?

I know they can't come up with millions of variations, that would require millions of different animals, plants, environments, etc. But at the same time there has to be enough variations that exploring many other planets actually matters. So before I get into this game I'm just trying to make sure this isn't just another Valheim, where the giant open world is more of a marketing ploy with no real practical use.

[Dirak2012]

What "practical use" can have a biome in a videogame?

It's all about the little details, one planet can have different shaped trees, and different colored grass, but in the end a tree is just a tree and grass is just grass.

There are differences, but maybe not big enough for you. It all depends on what you are expecting.

[Moses]

Different trees can provide different materials, for starters. That's what I mean by practical use, how many different planets have different things to discover, different resources to find that other planets don't have. Is there a PRACTICAL reason to visit them, or are you just visiting something that you've already seen, with materials that you already have and have access to.

I haven't played the game, that's why I'm asking. The point is that if there are, lets say, 10 different kinds of planets, in terms of resources, or equipment, or whatever to find....then NMS doesn't have quintillions of planets. It has 10. So from that perspective, then you're right, the game wouldn't be big enough for me. That's why I'm asking.

[Zigamus Wizard]

This game is a GIANT SANDBOX, they give you the shovel and a bucket, it is up to YOU to design and build the sandcastles and make up the 'stories' that go to each one. Also it is VERY MUCH a solo game, you can encounter other players but it will not be common, and the multiplayer aspect is annoying, it was 'bolted' on after the game was built and feels like they didn't finish it.

Do you know what 'procedural generation' means? It means that everything is made from RND items off of large lists of 'parts'. A good example is the creatures, some of them are truly weird! They are created by 'slapping' together parts and this sometimes looks VERY odd!

Yes, the scenery becomes boringly the same, but there is a HUGE amount of space to explore. You can build a base on nearly any planet, or several on a planet, you can fly through galaxy after galaxy and see what it is about. There is combat but compared to COD it will be disappointing, There are quests but they are not really that exciting.

This is a CHILL game, and we love that about it.

Some of us have spent literally 1000's of hours and we are not finished with it yet!

[Moses]

I have all multiplayer settings off, I want to explore solo and made it so that's how it would be. But I feel like I'm not really getting an answer to my question, so I'll just simplify it.

Is there a reason to visit other planets, such as for resources that you can't get elsewhere, or can pretty much everything be found on every planet....just with different looking animals/plants?

[Zigamus Wizard]

No, you will not stay on one planet. Each planet does have mineral deposits, usually 3 different ones per planet. The different combinations of that makes for many planets before you find the exact same configuration again. People used to get into making 'money' in the game. They would hunt around until they found all the different 'ingredients' to craft one of the most valuable items, create a factory to make that item, then sell them in piles to make a lot of units or nanites (a different currency) But once they have that factory (and it took days or even weeks to find the right place to build such a 'factory'). The next problem was that once they max out the Units / Nanites there is little reason to keep making that item, so some players will take stacks of that valuable item and gift them to other players in the Anomaly, this offers the other player a huge amount of wealth, if they want it great, if they don't they can destroy the item (stack) and go on about their day.

As I said above, this game will be as good as YOU make it, they provided the raw materials, now take them and create something you enjoy, or don't, and move on to another game, it is ALL up to you!

[Dirak2012]

Originally posted by Moses:

I have all multiplayer settings off, I want to explore solo and made it so that's how it would be. But I feel like I'm not really getting an answer to my question, so I'll just simplify it.

Is there a reason to visit other planets, such as for resources that you can't get elsewhere, or can pretty much everything be found on every planet....just with different looking animals/plants?

Let's put it this way, if there are 10 different biomes (each planet is a single biome) and each one a like 2 resources that are exclusive to that biome.
So yes, in practical terms, there are just 10 planet shaped differently, any frozen planet has exactly the same things as the other 10 billion frozen planets.

[ItzaLaggin]

Originally posted by Moses:

I have all multiplayer settings off, I want to explore solo and made it so that's how it would be. But I feel like I'm not really getting an answer to my question, so I'll just simplify it.

Is there a reason to visit other planets, such as for resources that you can't get elsewhere, or can pretty much everything be found on every planet....just with different looking animals/plants?

not everything can be found on a single planet, example is if you are searching for basalt it needs to be a scorching fire planet

[UncreativelyNamed]

Originally posted by Moses:

Is there a reason to visit other planets, such as for resources that you can't get elsewhere, or can pretty much everything be found on every planet....just with different looking animals/plants?

Each planet type has the same main resources but in different concentrations. As in, dioxite might be more common on one frozen planet than it is on another. There are about a dozen planet types, one of which has about a dozen-or-so subtypes. Some have water, some don't. Most have cave systems with some different resources than you'll find on the surface on the planet. There are also rarer resources that are on some planets but not on others and that you likely won't find unless you explore around on foot.

Whether or not there's a "reason" to visit other planets depends on how you play the game. Some people like to build bases with mines or farms that passively generate resources. They visit them periodically to load up on resources to use or sell. They might have less of a reason to explore around once they've established a few such bases. I prefer to be entirely mobile, using a freighter to store stuff, in which case when I need a particular thing I'll find a planet that is or might be a good candidate for whatever it is and then explore around to find what I need.

But, I also just enjoy seeing the sights, especially because I use planet/terrain generation mods to make things more interesting.

[Moses]

Okay, thanks everyone for the responses...I think I have a general idea of what to expect now.

[Aku]

I agree with the OP about Valheim. You see one biome you've seen them all. In NMS you not only have more variety of biomes, but even the same or similar biomes mix it up with different topography and plants and minerals. One frozen planet will be this dead barren icy moon, while another will be full of plant and animal life and constant blizzards. The planets at least feel different even if at their core they are kind of the same.