No. The scanner has to be fixed first.
I just started three days ago - some of the advice here is wrong, for example the advice to scan - the scanner doesn’t work!
I too found the first hour or so pretty frustrating. UI, gamepad, all foreign and not using the normal gaming conventions.
I ended up re-starting a couple of times until I found a planet that was at least reasonable, I think it had a 60-degree surface temperature so I still needed to get sodium fast, but fortunately there were caves to cool off, slow down, explore, mine, and think / learn the UI. That initial hour or two of slower pace is essential otherwise the game is really not enjoyable in the sodium scramble. Of course, having done it a couple of times, it’s fine.
If you see a sentinel, run away and mine elsewhere. If it catches you, just stop and it will leave you alone. On most planets they’re not aggressive enough to attack on sight.
Also, I’m loving the Steam controller - works really well and far better than m/k or gamepad. Though I haven’t been in any fights yet I admit, it might be awkward then.
Have you tried mining asteroids for them?
What do you mean? The scanner works right away and doesn’t need to be repaired. Just make sure you’re outside on foot and hit the scan button (c on the PC).
I thought that was the visor that needed fixing?
Re: the scanner-- the visor most definitely needs repair, but the simple “C” or left stick click-- does that work right away?
Romalar
3175
When I started fresh the scanner was broken and needed repairing. The visor wasn’t even installed at the beginning.
My scanner was definitely not working. It was all a bit of a nightmare. There was also no explanation for how to do anything except mine, and the sentinels killed me when I did.
Exodor
3177
I missed that you can teleport from any starbase to your base - and if you build the right item in that base you can go back. That seems like another way to solve my problem. I know you can call your ship to you although I don’t know what sort of resources it requires or if there’s a limit to how far away it can be from you.
The scanner doesn’t work, the visor’s not installed, you have no idea what to do, your health is dropping, going into your scanner menu doesn’t pause the game, and you have just 30 seconds to do something you’ve never done before, and doing it will get you shot and killed.
Like I was saying, it’s a really hostile start for new players, or at least it can be. That said, it only took me about three legitimate re-starts before it started catching on, so it’s not a fatal flaw.
Yeah, it was a real strange start - I’ve never seen anything like it in a game before. If it weren’t for online resources, I think it would turn a lot of new, more casual gamers off – I even like superhard games, with permadeath – and I’ve never encountered a tougher (single player) game start. It’s crazy how you can’t survive for more than a few seconds.
Anyway, I’m sure it’s not something that is that off-putting for me - just strange.
You should have about 5 or 6 minutes before critical exposure, unless the sentinels attack on sight (which would be a bug for a starting system).
I don’t think there’s any issue with dying at this point, you just respawn. Visit your grave to collect any dropped resources and keep mining small rocks until you can repair the scanner, then do a scan and collect sodium (yellow) and oxygen (red) plants.
Once you can more easily see those resources collect them as you head towards your ship, and use them to refuel hazard protection and life support. You should be golden at this point.
It will, I usually fix the pulse engines before getting back in my primary ship. I didn’t realise you didn’t have to! :)
If it doesn’t show in the freighter, you can just summon it on a planet with the ship summon quick menu (on the far right you can select one of your ships to summon).
Agree. The only time I had a lot less was when I tried playing on Survival mode difficulty. That gives you a LOT less time. If he’s playing Normal mode then the only thing I can think of is that maybe his starting planet is one of those really bad luck extreme planets where the temps average -200F or something like that.
Ok, the people who are new, are saying it’s pretty hostile. The people who are seasoned and who are no longer new - who are incapable of seeing it from the perspective of a new player - are saying it’s not that bad. Sure, maybe if you die you re-spawn, or you have 5-6 minutes instead of my quoted 30 seconds. We don’t know that.
But its ok. I got passed it and am really, really enjoying the game. I like my little base, and feeding the refiner, and jumping around the solar system and exploring. I’ve barely fired a weapon, only killed one crab that was creeping on me (scan said it was a bloodsucker). I need to learn some more Vy’Keen so I can talk to the people at the station.
I actually got hit by a firestorm when I just started out on normal difficulty. Quite obnoxious, but I took it in stride; it’s still a survival/crafting game, so death happens. Yet it’s something someone truly new wouldn’t likely be expecting, so I feel for people.
I mean, you get dumped on a planet with no memory. You have automated systems telling you what’s up to a limited extent, but you still don’t know much. It makes some sense to have this WTF moment. It’s quite immersive in that respect. But yeah, for someone who sees any of the marketing, it’s not what they’d expect as an opening
I tried starting up on permadeath. For what it’s worth, the start is a lot easier than it used to be, if you can believe me. Provided you can find some sodium in the first 30 seconds, you are good to go. No more 5-10 minute trek to reach your ship. Still, it is weird that players don’t getter better guidance at the start and the game.
I got some crazy luck after that, I found an S rank mining upgrade in a crashed module, but I had to give it up since the first alien I found handed me an A-rank multitool with 24 slots. Whoah.
Pirates are still as agressive as ever, but thankfully I was ready for them. After surviving the start, I think the main dangers are pirates, getting funny with the xenomorphs (they can kill you in the blink of an eye) and possibly fall damage (not sure if it can kill you outright, but one huge fall damaged my health despite full shields, don’t remember that happening before). Oh, and the number 1 cause of stupid deaths: leaving the game unattended and not putting it on pause in hazardous environments.
Permadeath in No Man’s Sky is actually pretty leisurely provided you don’t do anything dumb.
BTW, does that mod that changes the default “hold” mechanic for most button presses still exist/work for the Steam version?
Grifman
3186
My biggest complaint is the Galactic Map. How can I go back to a system I have been to before? I am looking for the system with the Atlas station and I can’t find it now.
This is just horrible - for example:
- Why can’t I select systems with a mouse.
- Why aren’t systems I’ve visited before highlighter or marked?
- Why aren’t active quests show on the map
It’s just a very bad interface all the way around, for something that should be central to a space traveling game.
Most of that stuff you can do, it’s not that bad once you get to grips. The map has filters to select the pathing mode (left/right dpad on controller) and a free-flight mode (B to toggle on controller).
B toggles to a free-flight control method, unsure how it works with mouse but with controller you can freely ‘fly’ around the map to select systems.
If you select a system in the Discoveries UI, there’s a ‘waypoint’ map mode which will path you back to that system. There’s also ‘scan for discoveries’ and ‘select nearest’ control on the map which is related to finding systems discovered by yourself and others.
There’s only ever one ‘active quest’, and it is shown on the map.
milspec
3188
You can. Right click first to unlock the current selection. (It’s labeled on the bottom of the map.)
OH HELL YES!
I am no longer bugged. I decided to grab some additional shield modules and try to go toe to toe with all 8 consecutive sentinels including the walker one last time. I got to 7 of 8, killing drones and the robot dog, and it was just me and the walker. Started with his legs…seemed like I was doing actual damage (I never got back in my ship or entered a building, so it never reset the counter, which is where the bug kicked in I believe)…running and jetpacking around like a madman I felt like things were going my way and…I died.
BUT, when I came back the walker was gone, the counter was still at 7/8 and a random drone was floating by lazily, not aggressive at all. So I slaughtered the hapless little bugger, dinged 8/8 on the quest and it turned over to the next objective “Return to the Armorer”. I ducked into the nearest space trailer to dodge the sentinels responding to my wanton murder of their coworker…and they deactivated when the timer reached zero. I stepped outside and…they ignored me. I got into my ship and hopped back out…still ignored me. My “always on” sentinel aggression bug was CLEARED! WOOT!
Returned to my base, turned in the Armorer quest, and I’m back in action. Also turned in a Farmer quest that rewarded me with some odd rare plant thing I’ve never seen before. It’s not a plant seed in the farming menu, so I can’t plant it, it’s just an inventory item that says it’s worth almost 1mil units. What are these? Do I just sell them or are they used to create something else?
