Can You Customize the Look of Your Ship in No Man’s Sky?

Yes, you absolutely can customize the look of your ship in No Man’s Sky, though perhaps not in the way you might initially expect from other games. While you can’t directly “paint” your starting ship or freely alter its individual components, the game offers a deep and rewarding system for acquiring and customizing starships to match your personal style. This involves exploring a vast galaxy, discovering a variety of ship types, and utilizing unique customization options, mainly focusing on the following:

• Ship Acquisition: Finding new ships is the primary method of changing your ship’s look. You’ll encounter various starships at space stations, trading posts, and crash sites, each with its unique design, stats, and class.
• Freighter Customization: While not a starship, your freighter, a massive capital ship, allows for extensive color customization offering a broad palette of primary, secondary and accent options.
• Cosmetic Customizations: Though not direct modifications to the ship’s chassis, you can apply skins and cosmetic parts to your ships.
• Ship Variety: The game offers a wide variety of ship classes – Fighters, Haulers, Explorers, Shuttles, and Exotics – each with its unique aesthetic, providing players with a multitude of choices.

The process is a journey of discovery. It isn’t about tweaking sliders to change the hue; instead, it’s about exploration, trading, and even salvaging, all in pursuit of the perfect vessel. So, while you might not be repainting your initial red ship green, the game provides an even more immersive approach to starship personalization.

How Starship Customization Works in No Man’s Sky

Exploring and Acquiring New Ships

The core of ship customization in No Man’s Sky is finding and purchasing new ships. Instead of a simple paint job, you’re encouraged to explore the universe. Each ship you find has unique characteristics and visual styles.

• Ship Classes: Different ship classes like Fighters, Haulers, Explorers, Shuttles, and Exotics, have distinct appearances and fulfill different roles. For example, Explorers often have sleek designs, while Haulers are bulky with large cargo capacity.
• Finding Ships: Ships can be found at space stations, trading posts, and crashed sites throughout the galaxy. You can often spot them landing or flying around these locations.
• Trading and Buying: You can trade your current ship for another or purchase an additional one. Keep in mind that trading in a ship will significantly reduce its value, so selling is often better for the most credits.
• Ship Rarity: Some ship types, such as Squid-shaped Exotics, are incredibly rare and can take substantial effort to locate.

Freighter Customization

While starship customization focuses on acquisition, your freighter offers some direct customization options. This primarily involves:

• Color Customization: You can change your freighter’s primary, secondary, and accent colors using the Upgrade Control Station on the bridge. You need to unlock color options using nanites first.
• Base Building: While not directly related to looks, a freighter’s interior can be customized with base-building elements, allowing you to create your own unique living space.

Cosmetic Options

Beyond color, your ship is not completely static:

• Skins: Ship skins can be obtained through various means like time-limited events or the Pirate Emporium. These skins change the overall aesthetic of the ship. Once activated, a ship skin can be applied from the fitting window on the left-hand side.
• Cosmetics: Other cosmetics, while less prevalent, may be unlocked as rewards or available through events.

Does Ship Appearance Affect Performance?

While ships have different stats that influence performance, their appearance doesn’t directly affect their role. Essentially, the game treats each ship as a unique “suitcase with a cockpit and engine.” Here’s what you should keep in mind:

• Performance Stats: Each ship has specific attributes like damage, shield health, and hyperdrive range that affect how it performs. Higher class ships (S-class being the highest) usually possess better base stats.
• Visual Appeal vs Functionality: A ship’s unique look won’t impact its role (e.g. a visually cool looking fighter will not be significantly more powerful than a visually less appealing fighter), meaning you are free to acquire ships based on how they look without compromising on gameplay performance.
• Upgrade System: While the base ship stats do matter, they are not static. Through upgrades, these stats can be greatly improved regardless of the base stats of the ship, allowing you to tailor the ship of your choice for specific roles.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I paint my ship any color I want?

No, you cannot directly paint your starship any color you desire. Instead, you acquire different colored ships by exploring the galaxy and purchasing them. However, Freighters can be painted with a selection of primary, secondary, and accent colors.

2. How do I unlock more customization options?

Most ship customization items, like skins, are bought from the Shipwright Shop or obtained from other sources, such as time-limited events, exclusive rewards, or the Pirate Emporium. Freighter colors are unlocked through the freighter’s Upgrade Control Station using nanites.

3. Can I change the appearance of my character?

Yes, you can change your avatar using the Appearance Modifier, found at every space station and the Space Anomaly.

4. What is the best type of ship in No Man’s Sky?

There isn’t a single “best” ship, but Explorer-type starships are often considered versatile for general exploration due to their balanced stats and upgradable storage.

5. How do ship skins work?

Ship skins are obtained through licenses which can be used by selecting “Activate SKIN License.” After activation, the skin can be selected from the fitting window for the corresponding ship.

6. Where do I find the Ship Customization Chest?

The Ship Customization Chest, found in Sea of Thieves not No Man’s Sky, is located next to the shipwright at outposts.

7. Can I customize the interior of my ship?

No, you cannot customize the interior of your starship. However, you can customize the interior of your Freighter by building a base.

8. What is the rarest ship type in No Man’s Sky?

The Squid-shaped Exotic ship is considered the rarest type of ship to find.

9. Can I land my ship underwater?

Yes, you can land your starship underwater.

10. How many ships can I own?

You can own up to **12 different Starships** at a time.

11. What is the color of the Exotic ships?

Exotic ships come in various colors, including blue, red, orange, yellow, and white/grey, with each specific ship having a fixed color pattern. The Royal Exotic variant is known for its specific color combinations.

12. Where can I change my freighter color?

You can change your freighter’s color at the Upgrade Control Station on the freighter’s bridge.

13. How do I find S-Class ships?

To find **S-Class ships**, use an **Economy Scanner** to locate a trading post. You can then wait for ships to spawn. If no S-Class ships appear, try reloading the game at that location.

14. What is the best multi-tool?

 The **Blaze Javelin** is often regarded as the best multi-tool weapon due to its high damage potential. However, the best multi-tool can depend on the players preferences and play style.

15. Are Ship skins permanent?

 Yes, **ship skins are permanent**. If your ship is destroyed, you can reapply the skin to a replacement ship.