No Man's Sky: 10 best beginner tips

beginners tips for no man
Best tips for beginners in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)

Knowing the best tips, tricks, and strategies for No Man's Sky is crucial to having an amazing start in the vast expanses of space. Even if you are a seasoned veteran, it is always good practice to brush up your knowledge to avoid niggling mistakes.

If you are tired of tiring mining sessions and want to meddle with the goodies right off the bat, you have come to the right place. This article will run through a few tips and tricks to help make No Man's Sky more fun without tarnishing the experience.


10 best No Man's Sky tips to help you make the most out of the game

1) Starship Launch Fuel and Uranium

Uranium is the best source of starship fuel (Image via Hello Games)
Uranium is the best source of starship fuel (Image via Hello Games)

Launch Fuel in this game seems like a moot concept. After hundreds of hours in-game, we feel Launch Fuel is essentially a waste of materials, time, and money.

It is obvious that launching your starship off the ground is important, and using Launch Fuel seems logical. However, there is a much more useful resource that you can use to fuel your spaceship’s Launch Thrusters — Uranium.

This commodity works when it comes to powering the thrusters. Unlike Launch Fuel, you will not have to craft anything. Uranium can be mined from selective planets and used right out of the box.


2) Buy all the resources you see in terminals

Building bases need a lot of resources (Image via Hello Games)
Building bases need a lot of resources (Image via Hello Games)

In the initial leg of your run in No Man's Sky, you will need a lot of resources. Almost everything will require some form of resource.

So, instead of mining, you should practice buying the resources from terminals at Space Stations, NPC traders, and more. This will save you much time and effort you would otherwise have to put into mining. Not only is mining tedious and time-consuming, it also takes away the fun from the game.

This is crucial when it comes to tips for beginners in No Man's Sky, as newbies usually save Units. But in the long run, money is one of the least difficult things to get your hands on in this game.


3) Pirate early detection

Keep an eye on this module (Image via Hello Games)
Keep an eye on this module (Image via Hello Games)

There are a lot of benefits to flying your starship in first person. You will find a lot of devices in the cockpit of your starship, with the Pirate Early Scanning device being quite important.

It will let you know whenever you are about to get scanned. Whenever you see the circle moving, it means that someone in space will scan you. While it might be the authorities performing a security scan, it's usually more sinister entities like pirates looking for expensive cargo.

When the circle is complete, the scanner will start. If it is a pirate, you must either pay them some Units or fight and defeat them to escape.

You can also fly into a Space Station, land on a planet, call in the Space Anomaly, or call your Freighter if you want to avoid combat. This is a constructive tip for beginners in No Man's Sky, as avoiding early fights is crucial to prolonged survival.


4) There is one Derelict Freighter in every star system

Derelict Freighter (Image via Hello Games)
Derelict Freighter (Image via Hello Games)

This might be common knowledge if you have been playing since the release of Desolation. However, this information seems to not be so obvious among the new pool of players.

Note that derelict freighters are limited to one in every star system. So, if you want to explore Derelict Freighters in the same system, you will have the same layout, and the rewards will be the same every time.

This can be a limitation or a legal exploit, depending on the reward you get in the end. If the Freighter rewards you with an S-Class upgrade module, you can run the Derelict Freighters repeatedly to get high-quality upgrades quickly. This is a crucial tip for beginners in No Man's Sky, as the grind for modules can be quite tedious.


5) Portal Glyphs in Photo Mode

Portal Glyphs in Photo Mode (Image via Hello Games)
Portal Glyphs in Photo Mode (Image via Hello Games)

It is a common practice among new players to find a portal, recharge all the glyphs, and request the planet’s address if they want to share the coordinates with friends.

However, there is a much simpler way to do this. If you go into Photo Mode, you can see the Glyphs (your current planet’s address) in the bottom-left corner of your screen.

For a clean screenshot of the glyphs, wait for the menu to fade. If you decide to hide the menu manually, the Glyphs will disappear, too.


6) Avoid getting stranded

Exploring in NMS (Image via Hello Games)
Exploring in NMS (Image via Hello Games)

A lot of the fun revolves around discovering new places. There is a sense of thrill and adventure in the prospect of disorientation in a new and alien world. The need to improvise can be exhilarating.

However, if there are more important things you need to take care of, this can be quite frustrating. The easiest way out of being stranded on a new planet is by summoning your starship to your current position. This can only be done if your Launch Thrusters are charged. Recharge your thrusters before leaving for long hikes.

It is straightforward to get side-tracked while exploring new planets. You can easily walk for 30 minutes, mining and scanning everything, and if you forget to charge your starship’s thrusters, it can be a tiring hike back to your ship.

This problem can be circumvented by owning multiple ships. If you have more than one ship, you will not be using all of them at once. This means the other ships will have their thrusters fully charged, so try to have at least two on you at all times.


7) Upgrade your inventory

Upgrading your gear is important (Image via Hello Games)
Upgrading your gear is important (Image via Hello Games)

This is one of the most important tasks when starting your journey in No Man's Sky. This is because your inventory slots will affect your gameplay experience.

Too many slots too early can detract from the grind and the fun. If you have too little, it can make life hard for you in No Man's Sky.

You can buy Inventory Slots from the Space Station and the Space Anomaly. This works similarly to the Derelict Freighter. You can get one Inventory Slot from the Station and Anomaly per Star System.

So, this is important when it comes to tips for beginners in No Man's Sky. You should upgrade your inventory slots as much as possible in the early phases.


8) Easy money in NMS

Earning money is easy in this game (Image via Hello Games)
Earning money is easy in this game (Image via Hello Games)

Some of the aforementioned tips for beginners in No Man's Sky will require a significant number of units. Luckily for you, it is straightforward to make money in No Man's Sky.

The easiest way to earn Units is by upgrading your Multi-tool Scanner and scanning plants and animals on any planet you land on. If you have the right modules paired with the Scanner, you will get a truckload of Units quickly.

Another easy way of earning Units is completing missions from the Nexus at the Space Anomaly. The harder the mission, the more lucrative the rewards. You can do up to three missions daily, which can make a serious penny, given the missions are pretty linear. For instance, some missions will send you to a distant planet and ask you to scan the lifeforms or kill a few hazardous plants.

Similarly, doing missions from Space Stations is another easy way of making money. You can also stack similar missions to earn Units while working less.


9) Disable PvP

Avoid initial fights (Image via Hello Games)
Avoid initial fights (Image via Hello Games)

Unless you want to hunt other players for fun, it makes no sense to keep PvP turned on, as there are multiple instances of grieving.

So, go into your Network Settings and set “Allow PVP with” to "No one." This will prevent other players from doing any damage to you. However, NPCs can still kill you.

If you are starting off, you might come across players who have maxed-out gear and can demolish you. This tip will prevent that from happening, and you can enjoy the game without thinking about dying.


10) Don’t spend your entire time in the Euclid Galaxy

Space Combat in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)
Space Combat in No Man's Sky (Image via Hello Games)

This is a widespread mistake made by new players where they spend all of their time in the starter galaxy – Euclid Galaxy.

No Man's Sky has over 250 galaxies with countless star systems. Players new to the game often forget there are other galaxies they can explore. There are four types of galaxies in NMS – Normal, Barren, Harsh, and Lush.

The Euclid Galaxy is a Normal galaxy. So, if you are looking for bountiful planets, you will have trouble coming across these in this galaxy. If you go to a Lush galaxy, you will come across Paradise planets more frequently. So, try and find a way to travel to other galaxies.

You can find your way to new galaxies by reaching the center of your current galaxy. There, you will come across a black hole that can be used to travel to the next galaxy.

You can also play the main narrative, completing which will let you travel to a new galaxy. If this is not something you want to do, you can get hold of friends with bases in other galaxies. Joining their session in No Man's Sky will allow you to travel to a new galaxy. It's one of the best tips for beginners in No Man's Sky.

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