Important Notes

Important Notes for No Man's Sky

This guide covers critical warnings, irreversible choices, missable content, grinding traps, online etiquette, and save management tips that every Traveller should know before diving deep into the universe.

1. Irreversible Choices & Permanent Consequences

• Faction Standing & Missions: Choosing a side in certain faction missions (e.g., the "The Space Anomaly" story path or settlement decisions) may lock you out of specific rewards or dialogue options. However, most decisions can be undone via the Terminal at the Space Anomaly (costly nanites) or by resetting the mission. Still, your reputation with each faction cannot be reset completely – once you lose standing, you must rebuild via missions or gifts.


• Atlas Path & Ending Choices: At the end of the main story (Artemis Path), you are given a choice: reset the simulation (start a new galaxy), refuse, or continue. Choosing to reset will transport you to a new galaxy (e.g., Eissentam, Hilbert) and permanently change your home system. Your base and starship inventory are kept, but your technology in suit, multitool, and ship will break (unless you store them before). You cannot undo this. If you refuse, you stay in Euclid but lose the chance to reset later (unless you use a save editor).


• Missions with Time Limits: Some Nexus missions (e.g., protecting a freighter) have hidden time limits; failing can cause permanent damage to your reputation with that species. Always check the mission timer before accepting.


• Base Deletion: If you build a base and then delete the base computer, you permanently lose that base (you can reclaim the parts via the base salvage capsule, but the location is lost). Similarly, claiming a new base while at capacity will delete the oldest unclaimed base.




2. Missable Content & Timed Events




• Expeditions: Seasonal expeditions (e.g., "Pioneer", "Beachhead") are time-limited (typically 6-8 weeks). Once the expedition ends, you cannot start it, but rewards (ships, multitools, titles) may become available later via the Quicksilver Synthesis Companion at the Space Anomaly for a high cost. Miss the expedition and you may never get the unique items unless Hello Games re-releases them.


• Community Research Missions: The Quicksilver vendor offers rotating community missions. Some rewards are only available during specific events (e.g., "Season of the Sentinel" or "Outlaw"). If you don't complete them in time, those cosmetics vanish potentially forever.


• Pre-Order Bonuses & Twitch Drops: Some exclusive ships or decorations were only available via pre-order or Twitch Drop events. They cannot be obtained in-game unless Hello Games reintroduces them (rare).


• Planet-Based Anomalies: Certain unique interactions (e.g., the "Giant Worm" encounter, the "Death Egg" planet) are procedurally generated but extremely rare. If you leave the system, you may never find another like it. Plaque stones and monoliths can be missed if you don't interact with them during story missions – but they respawn on other planets.




3. Difficulty Spikes & Progression Traps




• First Planet Survival: The very beginning can be brutal. Run out of sodium (for hazard protection) and you die quickly. Always mine sodium from yellow flowers early on. Pulmonary protection (oxygen) is critical; die and you lose your inventory (unless you turn on "Keep Inventory" in settings).


• Sentinel Aggression Increases: As you level up your weapon or build more mining lasers, sentinel alert levels rise. Level 5 sentinel waves spawn walkers that can one-shot you if unprepared. Avoid conflict until you have a good shield and scatter blaster.


• Space Combat Tuning: Early pirate attacks are manageable, but late-game battles with Pirate Dreadnoughts or Sentinel Freighters require strong shields, upgraded pulse engines, and phase beams. New players often get melted. Tip: Install phase beam and shield upgrades early.


• Technology Breakdown in New Galaxies: When you reset the simulation (ending the Artemis Path), all your installed technology breaks. You can avoid this by storing all tech in exosuit cargo slots before entering the center or by using a freighter as a base. If you've invested heavily in upgrades, this is a major setback.




4. Grinding Traps & Time Wasters




• Mining Everything: Don't mindlessly mine every resource pile. Focus on Ferrite Dust, Carbon, Sodium, Oxygen, and Di-hydrogen for early survival. Later, use refiner recipes to create rare elements faster (e.g., Condensed Carbon -> Radon).


• Unnecessary Unit Grinding: You don't need billions of units. The Chromatic Metal economy (buying and selling at stations) is outdated. Instead, Cobalt crashing (buying cheap from one system, sell at inflated prices in another) or Activated Indium farms are efficient. But even that can be overkill – Larval Cores from whispering eggs give 95k each. Don't waste hours on low-profit trading.


• Pointless Scanning: Scanning every plant and animal on a planet for 100% completion gives only ~250 nanites per planet. It's not worth the time unless you're a completionist. Focus on discovering rare fauna or upload 25+ planets for quick nanites.


• Freighter Upgrades: Buying a new freighter costs millions, and upgrading its stats with salvaged frigate modules is a massive time sink. Only upgrade your freighter if you plan to use it as a mobile base. Warp upgrades and matter teleporter are essential; others can wait.


• Cooking Recipes: The cooking system (Nutrient Processor) is mostly cosmetic/trophy. Don't spend hours hunting for rare ingredients unless you want the "Master Chef" title.




5. Save Management & Safety Procedures




• Manual vs. Autosave: The game autosaves when you exit your ship. Always do a manual save before major decisions (buying a freighter, starting a base, entering a black hole). Manual saves are done via Save Beacons (craftable) or Save Point portable tech. I've lost progress to crashing after a critical autosave.


• Multiple Save Slots: You can have up to 15 manual saves plus autosaves. Use different save slots for different playthroughs or before risky expeditions. If you're doing a permadeath run, enable "Save at will" setting to avoid losing everything.


• Permadeath Mode Warning: In permadeath, death is permanent. Even falling from height or ship explosion ends your journey. There is no second chance. Play cautiously.


• Cloud Saves (Steam/PS+/Xbox): Disable automatic cloud sync if you're experimenting with risky mods or save editors. A corrupted save might sync and overwrite your good save. Back up your save folder manually: `%AppData%\HelloGames\NMS\` on PC.




6. Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat Notes




• Multiplayer Interaction: When visiting another player's base, do not edit or delete their base parts. This is considered griefing. Also, do not kill players in pacifist systems unless you both consent to PvP. Turn off PVP damage in network settings if you want to avoid friendly fire.


• Comm Balls: Avoid placing communication stations that spam profanity or spoilers. These can be reported.


• Mods & Anti-Cheat: No Man's Sky does not have a built-in anti-cheat, but using mods in multiplayer may cause desynchronization or crashes. If you use mods, play in single-player or with friends who have the same mods. Hello Games occasionally bans accounts for stat manipulation (e.g., changing save files to unlock everything). Use save editors for quick item unlocks at your own risk.


• Reporting: You can report players for harassment, building offensive structures, or exploiting. The system is manual; Hello Games reviews reports.




7. Things Players Commonly Regret Not Knowing Earlier




• You can rename discovered systems and planets. Use the Discovery menu to claim a system name – it's permanent (unless you revert via save editing). I wish I had named my home system creatively.


• The Analysis Visor can tag resources, creatures, and points of interest at long range. Hold right-click (PC) or L2 (console) to scan; use it constantly.


• Exosuit Cargo Slots: You can buy one extra cargo slot per space station from the exosuit vendor. But you can also get a second slot by visiting the Space Anomaly and purchasing from the vendor there (per system). This doubles your early cargo expansion.


• Technology slots matter: Don't install upgrades in cargo or main inventory if you plan to switch ships. Use tech slots for essential modules (life support, shields) to free up general slots.


• The Refiner is your best friend. Use it to refine Chromatic Metal (indium x2 into chromatic metal) or Oxygen + Condensed Carbon for massive profits. Learn recipes by experimenting.


• Starship Launch Thrusters require Uranium or Launch Fuel – but you can install the Efficient Thrusters upgrade to reduce consumption by 95%. Don't waste time farming Di-hydrogen.


• The Terrain Manipulator can be used to mine resources faster than the regular mining beam (with upgrades). But it's slow underwater; use the Aqua-Jets or optical drill.


• You can ride wild animals by feeding them. This is not just a gimmick – it helps traverse planets quickly early on (scan for creatures, feed, then mount).


• Portal Glyphs are essential for fast travel. Collect them by finding Traveller graves (using a portal manual) or by completing the Atlas Path. Don't ignore them.


• The Nada and Polo questlines give unique Exosuit and Ship upgrades. Do these early for free modules.

Summary Table: Critical Do's and Don'ts

By keeping these notes in mind, you'll avoid common frustrations and make your journey across the stars far smoother. Safe travels, Traveller!