Using Save Editor to have as many ships as you want

[BigGrayGolem]

I thought I'd post a quick primer on how to use GoatFungus' save editor (SE) to have all the ships.

Obviously, the game limits you to 9, but you can have a library of infinite ships, and then load the 9 you want to play at any time before launching the game. You can do this all under one save file, too.

First, grab the GoatFungus save editor, via a google search.

Once opened, select your current save and let it load inside the SE. Then it will list your current ships. For each one, select EXPORT and save the ship on your hard drive. Now you can bring that back into the game at any time you want, and can never lose it.

Now go into the game, and do your usual ship hunting -- at space stations, trading posts, fallen pilots, etc. When you see a ship you like, you can buy it immediately -- don't worry about losing your current ship, since it's backed up on your hard drive and you can restore it later anyway!

Now, exit the game to the mode select screen, and switch back to the Save Editor. Tell the SE to reload your save to reflect your latest actions. The new ship will appear. Export that, and you've just added it to your library. You can reload your original ship if you want, or just go back into the game and continue to play with the new ship.

Rinse and repeat to have as many ships as you like.

Obviously, you have to PAY for the ships still -- unless you use the SE to cheat on money, etc. You can also use the SE to load up the ship with all the bells and whistles. That's cheating, of course, but it's a single-player game so entirely up to you. Doesn't affect anyone else.

Another "minor cheat" is that you can note the ship type, class and SEED number of your new ship, and then delete it. Now import your old ship -- one that has its stats and storage maxed out. Now edit that ship by pasting in the ship type, class and seed number of your new ship. Save it under a new ship name and export. Now your new ship is instantly maxed out. This is less "cheaty" because you're just copying over stats and work you already did for Ship A to Ship B, but purists will argue that point.

Many, of course, will want to buy their new ships with in-game cash and grind to max the ship out... and that's cool. I do that myself (usually... but not always. I get lazy, too.)

Just be sure to back up the folder where you have your exported ships. Sometimes GoatFungus updates the SE and the location of the saved ships may change, and they won't appear as options to import within the SE. Just move your library of saved ships into the updated folder location.

Now any time you want to change your fleet of 9 ships, launch SE first, delete all your current ships (make sure they are exported as bakcups first!), then import the 9 ships you want to play with. Save your savefile, launch the game, and enjoy.

[Wile E Coyote, Super Genius]

I use NMS Companion Backup which is more simple and "less powerful." You just click your starship and save and add a screenshot. It does many other things like saving locations, freighters, frigate and faunas.

The backing up feature actually prolonged my gameplay because afterall, what's the purpose of exploring without collecting? I don't get why NMS doesn't add a feature like this.

[BigGrayGolem]

Originally posted by Wile E Coyote, Super Genius:

I use NMS Companion Backup which is more simple and "less powerful."

Thanks, I actually never heard of that. Will check it out.

[MarStrMind]

Companion app also for me. Not only can I export ships along with their configuration, I can also export freighters and bases. It also lets me insert ships, for example if I start a new save and don't want to do all the repair shenanigans, I simply replace the broken one with a good one using the Companion app and off I go.

[Krash Megiddo]

I use both. The companion app is clunky and hard on the eyes after the user friendliness of goatfungus. But the companion app is a very nice feature where I can take a snapshot of a specific location from one save, and then transport my character from another save to that same spot. Very handy.

The Goatfungus feature of exporting/importing ships is awesome and is a must have for me. I spent a lot of time upgrading my favorite explorer the hard way. So I have no problem importing that ship to a newer save for exploration. To make it interesting I'll put a different skin on it.

[Johnny in the Clouds]

Originally posted by Wile E Coyote, Super Genius:

what's the purpose of exploring without collecting? I don't get why NMS doesn't add a feature like this.

Collect pictures of the planet glyph address with any you like. Put a base down. Name the base as you want, reference the ship. You can return for any ship you photographed at any time. No fuss. No save editor needed. All you have to backup are you collection of photos.

Originally posted by BigGrayGolem:

Using Save Editor to have as many ships as you want...

Creative Mode is by far easier to use than any mod like the save editor. Portal to any planet for any ship you like without fuss. Record things you like or want with a screen shot of the planet glyph address and easily return at any time placing a named base . No fuss, no running out of resources and no running out of units.

Game saves in any mode can easily be duplicated or backed up, in windows explorer as simply as duplicating a file or folder. You can exchange ships with another player or a second account by hopping in and out of ships buying them back from NPCs. Plenty of you tube videos explain exchanging ships with another player.

I know the save editor is powerful but should a game update leave the mod broken, you are at the mercy of the mod developer for any fix.

[NZ.Zero]

I have a library of about 100 or so ships now and have a couple of things to add to this method. ..

- exporting ships is great but importing the ship files is a pain, easier to use the seed. Open the exported ship file in a text editor and the seed is obvious, just copy and paste it in.

- you don't need to lose money ship hunting, Buy the ship but just get your old ship back free before it leaves.

- use a high value cargo ship as a flip ship so everything you buy is a free swap anyway.

Using this process I can buy a ship, export it and be back to the game as normal in about 15 seconds, same money, same flip ship, no cheats.

[BigGrayGolem]

Originally posted by Johnny in the Clouds:

Originally posted by Wile E Coyote, Super Genius:

what's the purpose of exploring without collecting? I don't get why NMS doesn't add a feature like this.

Collect pictures of the planet glyph address with any you like. Put a base down. Name the base as you want, reference the ship. You can return for any ship you photographed at any time. No fuss. No save editor needed. All you have to backup are you collection of photos.

Originally posted by BigGrayGolem:

Using Save Editor to have as many ships as you want...

Creative Mode is by far easier to use than any mod like the save editor. Portal to any planet for any ship you like without fuss. Record things you like or want with a screen shot of the planet glyph address and easily return at any time placing a named base . No fuss, no running out of resources and no running out of units.

Game saves in any mode can easily be duplicated or backed up, in windows explorer as simply as duplicating a file or folder. You can exchange ships with another player or a second account by hopping in and out of ships buying them back from NPCs. Plenty of you tube videos explain exchanging ships with another player.

I know the save editor is powerful but should a game update leave the mod broken, you are at the mercy of the mod developer for any fix.

Save editor is not a mod, and doesn't break after updates.

Also, not everyone wants to play Creative just to collect ships. And that still doesn't allow you to import old ships later.

[SotiCoto]

Originally posted by BigGrayGolem:

I thought I'd post a quick primer on how to use GoatFungus' save editor (SE) to have all the ships.

I never go over 6 because my Freighter seems to be unable to display more than 6 despite having 9 slots. I'm guessing it needs free slots for visitors...
That and there really isn't much of a reason to have more than 2 ships (metal and living) unless you're collecting.... and then you might as well just collect the Seed codes.

[BigGrayGolem]

Originally posted by SotiCoto:

Originally posted by BigGrayGolem:

I thought I'd post a quick primer on how to use GoatFungus' save editor (SE) to have all the ships.

I never go over 6 because my Freighter seems to be unable to display more than 6 despite having 9 slots. I'm guessing it needs free slots for visitors...
That and there really isn't much of a reason to have more than 2 ships (metal and living) unless you're collecting.... and then you might as well just collect the Seed codes.

Unless you're getting seed codes from outside the game -- which removes you even further from immersion than just the save editor -- then I'm not sure how else you get them. Once you buy a ship in-game, yes, you have the seed then. You still need the SE or some other hack to load them into the game on demand.

Even if you get seeds from Reddit or somewhere, you still need to enter them into your save file.

As my post says, it's for those who want to have a large collection of ships. If you only want two, then that's cool, but you're not really the target audience here.

[SotiCoto]

Originally posted by BigGrayGolem:

Unless you're getting seed codes from outside the game -- which removes you even further from immersion than just the save editor -- then I'm not sure how else you get them. Once you buy a ship in-game, yes, you have the seed then. You still need the SE or some other hack to load them into the game on demand.

Buy the ship, save the game, copy down the seed, delete the ship, reload the save. Or that is how I do it anyhow.

I've got a few hundred or so seeds saved, though I'm almost certainly not ever going to use more than 10 at most. I'm not even entirely sure why I saved them all. I guess... just in case. Probably a bad habit of mine... or maybe because I lost my old text file from 2017 which had my previous collection of seed codes.

[NZ.Zero]

Originally posted by BigGrayGolem:

Once you buy a ship in-game, yes, you have the seed then. You still need the SE or some other hack to load them into the game on demand.

You can summon any of your 9 ships using the quick menu (X) on a planet (where you can summon all 9) or in the anomaly (any one of the 9) or on your freighter (max 6 of the 9)

[Kobs]

With the editor you don't even have to gather stuff to make your ship better, just go in your editor and put all of your ship's base stats to max 500, 200, 1000, 1000 your ship tech slots will be empty but your ship will perform like an ace.

Btw, the editor is also awesome to copy your freighter base if you spent hours and hours building it... ANNND you can copy it on any other freighter you might get in other saves, they all have the same box size to work in.

[BigGrayGolem]

Originally posted by SotiCoto:

Buy the ship, save the game, copy down the seed, delete the ship, reload the save. Or that is how I do it anyhow.

OK, I'll bite: how do you import a seed later, if you don't use a Save Editor? You said you write the seed number down, but then it just sits on piece of paper. How do you get it back into the game?

You're missing an important step.

Originally posted by NZ.Zer0:

Originally posted by BigGrayGolem:

Once you buy a ship in-game, yes, you have the seed then. You still need the SE or some other hack to load them into the game on demand.

You can summon any of your 9 ships using the quick menu (X) on a planet (where you can summon all 9) or in the anomaly (any one of the 9) or on your freighter (max 6 of the 9)

Sigh. You can summon 9 ships, yes. The 9 you have loaded. If I have 9 other ones backed up on my hard drive, how do I import them into the game? You can't do that from the X button.

The thread -- AGAIN since people can't read -- is for people who want MORE than 9 ships. That's the entire point.

PS: you can summon all 9 on the freighter, too. I'll let you figure that part out.

[Johnny in the Clouds]

Originally posted by SotiCoto:

...I never go over 6 because my Freighter seems to be unable to display more than 6 despite having 9 slots...

Originally posted by NZ.Zer0:

You can summon any of your 9 ships using the quick menu (X) on a planet (where you can summon all 9) or in the anomaly (any one of the 9) or on your freighter (max 6 of the 9)

That's partially incorrect. A freighter will only display six ships out of a possible nine that you may own. However using the quick menu you may cycle through any non displayed ships and replace your current ship with your selection, similar to replacing your current ship at the Anomaly with another.

[X]

There is also the unoffical ship customizer which even allows you to analyze seeds: https://nms.center/