Haven't played the game in years and want to come back

[JuggernautOfWar]

It has been a couple years since I last played NMS, and I'm thinking about getting back into it. I know there has been a cosmic amount of content added to the game since I have last played, and I'm not really sure where to start with it all - or even where I left off really. Any tips or pointers for an old player that wants to get back into this? I'd really appreciate it.

On a related note; is there any kind of tutorial for returning players to get familiar with all the changes and additions made to the game? Or will I just be thrust into everything all at once?

Thanks!

[CountZero]

If it were me, I'd just create a new save file and start from the very beginning. The tutorial will walk you through everything and offer new missions to build on what you've already learned. Don't rush it, just do everything in order and before long you'll have all the skills and knowledge you need to branch out into following the "main" storyline quests or doing your own thing. And, also, you'll be better able to handle Expeditions as these tend to start you off with limited resources and nothing that really explains gameplay mechanics. Expeditions assume you already know how to play the game.

[Foxglovez]

You can have 15 saves now so just start a new one to get your legs back. The tutorial has been updated so just do the main quests for a bit then decide what you want to do. There is also an expedition starting maybe later today you could flail around in with a new save. They are pretty fun.

[JuggernautOfWar]

Within the context of No Man's Sky, what exactly is an "expedition" you've both mentioned? As far as I remember, the whole game was basically structured as a big galaxy-spanning expedition on an adventure to find some hidden secrets of the universe. Are expeditions basically a new alternate game mode?

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I appreciate you taking the time.

[Guyver8]

best place to start after a long break... is a new save WITH the tutorial enabled (don't panic it's not for long)
progress that save upto and including the completion of the Anomaly Quest (spoiler: where Nada tells you that 'you can go your own way' meaning the end of the tutorial) by this time you should be back upto speed on the game mechanics, most of the new content will have or be about to trigger (except the Autophage, which is 'late' game content... now you can either dropped this save and go back to your old save or just continue onwards

NB. take special note of the difficulty settings in options, now available on the main screen BEFORE starting up a save (sweet baby Jesus) most can be changed on the fly during gameplay

oh and as a returning player don't forget in network settings to turn PvP off and adjust your base building permissions
safe journey traveller

[Idaho]

Originally posted by JuggernautOfWar:

Within the context of No Man's Sky, what exactly is an "expedition" you've both mentioned? As far as I remember, the whole game was basically structured as a big galaxy-spanning expedition on an adventure to find some hidden secrets of the universe. Are expeditions basically a new alternate game mode?

Sorry for the dumb questions, but I appreciate you taking the time.

It's a temporary event that lasts about 6 weeks. You play through it and experience new content and some new rewards that are mostly accessible to all other savegames in your game.

I kinda think of it as a vacation you/your character goes on to check out new stuff, and then you eventually go back to the base game.

[Tirandys]

For me, expeditions often introduce gameplay options that I had not done or considered. But always before you had to start a fresh save for each expedition and could not bring anything back to your current save except the main mission rewards that are available to claim at the quicksilver vendor on the Anomaly.

But hopefully starting with this expedition you can give your expedition save items and receive items from the expedition after the expedition is over.

One expedition had an upgraded star ship that was expedition only. Could not transfer the tech back to your main save.

Another expedition had a black hole drive for the freighter. Could not transfer the tech back to your main save.

If you can now start the expedition from the main save and get those expedition items back into your main save I am really excited about it.

[Johnny in the Clouds]

The Hello Games website[www.nomanssky.com] and the release log has likely all the information you may want to know on past content added to the game in recent years. It's all there in one place. A lot to read just view the content for each release. : D

There are alternative third party websites but the No Man's Sky wiki google can be little overwhelming to click through and all over the place.

At least the logs in the link above are in some kind of chronological order, with pictures and each release is clearly defined and has readable patch notes attached too : )

[\o]

New to NMS but have 200+ hrs since I started.

Having just gone through it as a noob.

If starting fresh like me? I'd recommend to,

Focus on the quests from the base computer, The overseer, Scientist, Botanist, Exocraft and Weapons specialists that you will hire for your base, as each of them will let you unlock corresponding buildings/tech/crafting/cultivation/exocraft/multitool, without having to gather and spend buried technology modules. This will let you obtain most of the gear, items and tech you will need, to help you deal with the environments and terrain you'll encounter, while doing the main and secondary quests. And you can spend the Buried Tech on other things you may find you are needing or don't have the patience to get through questing.

If you want to skip all of that, just go grind and gather Buried Tech Modules and buy it all that way. Time spent with story or time spent searching, you choose. Both would probably be about the same. If you aren't letting the main and secondary quests get in the way at the start.

Focus on Growing to stockpile everything for crafting later on. Plus high trade value plants like nip nip for Units. Do the Base quests and harvest when possible.

Get a freighter and grow Nip nip or other sell able plants, for easy harvesting and selling. Plus send out expeditions with your fleet. To collect mats for crafting later. (later upgrade the freighter grow room to 4 plant per room).

Get a Survey Device for your Exosuit asap.

Set up multiple Automation Harvesting bases for minerals and gas collection. Warp to them via teleport to gather and stockpile. Name your bases after the minerals and gasses you are harvesting.

Save up and use Nanites to Unlock all Laboratory Tech from the anomaly, to start crafting Stasis Device and Fusion Igniters from all the stockpiled mats you'll have collected. They sell for 15 million units each.

After you craft and sell 7, and you have your 1st 100 Million. Go camp a 3 star system's Trade Port for an S class fighter you like, buy it, as well as recruit some experienced ships to your fleet and squadron. Use the upgrades you've collected on the S class and buy more slots for it since you can afford it.

Also check as many Space Stations as you can for S class upgrades to everything.

Carry on through the secondary quests you wish to complete, and focus on main story.

This is as far as i have gotten. I'm sure i have missed lots, but after i sell these next 20 stasis devices, I'll have over 600 Million Units and be sitting pretty for what ever comes next.

I am about to get a Dreadnought freighter, start expeditions, and do the thing with the Atlas that would need a spoiler to mention. ;)

After that? Take everything I have learned as a Traveller, and expand to new Galaxies and Star Systems in No Man's Sky. All systems Nominal. God speed.

[Driko]

wait a day or two, patch 4.5 is about to release with new content.

[cogvos]

New Omega patch is live, it gives the option to start an expedition from the anomaly, if you wish, and this - I think - with some of the kit you have in your main save, as well as by making a new save.

The new Omega expedition is not running yet (as of 14/15 Feb) but I guess will soon.

Expeditions give another way to start the game (from a new save) with defined goals that give rewards (do this - you get that) and have milestones that reward items that can usually be picked up from the anomaly on any save. It used to be that expeditions converted to a normal save upon completion, so you can then do the normal quests you would have in a new save. I am guessing this will still be the case if you start a new save to do one. I have no idea how the new terminal in the anomaly will handle them.

Welcome back.

[J0K3RJAKE]

Be sure to get oriented, positionally. It truly helps know where you are at in the universe.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3160880623

[JuggernautOfWar]

Should I wait to start a new game until the new expedition goes live? I went to start a new game, and I'm not sure if I should choose normal or wait for expedition which is currently unavailable.

[taniwhat]

Start a new game. You'll get some feel for the mechanics which should help even if you abandon it later.

[+VLFBERHT+]

Do the up-coming Omega Expedition from a New Game... Meaning selecting it from the New Game type menu at the far upper right

{Expedition save will be converted into a Main/Normal save once the Expedition has concluded}

Each Mission within expeditions guide you through objectives that are akin too a "pseudo-tutorial", with operations that include many different aspects of game play ...

PLUS the rewards for each mission will get you on your way {less of a grind} than starting a Standard New Game.

If you want to later, when you get more experienced, you can always start a separate Normal, Perma-death or Survival-mode New Game to interact with that experience. Maybe even Creative Mode if you really get into building stuff.