Can You Own a Freighter in No Man’s Sky? Your Complete Guide
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Yes, you absolutely can own a freighter in No Man’s Sky, and it’s a significant step up in your intergalactic journey. This massive capital ship acts as your mobile base, resource hub, and command center, offering a wealth of possibilities for exploration, trade, and fleet management. Owning a freighter is not only possible, but it’s also a cornerstone of the mid-to-late game experience in No Man’s Sky.
How to Acquire Your First Freighter
The game makes it relatively easy to get your hands on your first freighter. You don’t need to grind for hours or complete overly complicated tasks. Here’s the breakdown:
The Free Freighter Encounter
The first freighter is typically awarded to you for free. This encounter will trigger after a few warps. During your travels through the galaxy, you’ll eventually jump into a system where a pirate attack is underway. You’ll see a freighter under siege by hostile ships. Defend the freighter by eliminating the pirates, and upon success, the captain will contact you. They’ll invite you to board their vessel.
Claiming Your Prize
Once onboard, proceed to the bridge where you’ll be offered the freighter as a reward for your heroic efforts, especially if you don’t already own one. This is your chance to secure your massive, personal capital ship.
What Happens If You Refuse the First Freighter?
If you decline the first free freighter offer, don’t worry. After another few hours of gameplay and a few more warps, you’ll encounter another pirate battle, and another freighter will be under attack. You’ll get another chance, and it’s often rumored that this second opportunity will guarantee a capital ship, which is often bigger and better.
Benefits of Owning a Freighter
Owning a freighter opens up several gameplay aspects:
Mobile Base
Your freighter is your mobile base. You can build extensive bases within the freighter itself. These bases can span up to 16 floors and feature 21×21 room sizes, offering ample space for storage, crafting, and customization.
Fleet Command
The freighter is the base from which you command your frigate fleet. Frigates are smaller support ships that can be sent on missions to earn rewards. You can manage these missions from the navigation station within your freighter.
Resource Storage
Freighters feature storage units that allow you to store a vast quantity of resources and products, far beyond your starship or exosuit inventory limits. You can build up to ten storage units, each holding 50 stacks of items.
Ship Hangar
Your freighter also serves as a hangar for your personal starships. While only six ships will physically appear on the hangar deck at once, you can own up to 12 ships and switch them in and out using the quick menu.
Upgrading Your Freighter
Just like your starship, you can upgrade your freighter.
Base Layout Reset
If you want to change the layout of your freighter base, you can reset it at any time via the Freighter Upgrade Control terminal. This allows you to freely rearrange your base layout.
Freighter Acquisition
If you find a better freighter you want to acquire, when purchasing a new freighter, your existing freighter base is automatically transferred and reconstructed.
Finding the Best Freighter
There are different classes and designs of freighters available, with some being rarer than others.
Freighter Classes
Freighters come in various classes (C, B, A, and S), with S-Class being the highest and rarest. To find an S-Class freighter, you’ll need an Economy Scanner and a good amount of exploration.
Freighter Types
There are generally two types of freighter designs; the regular freighters and the more rare Capital Freighters. Capital freighters are typically larger and more desirable than the regular models.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify freighter ownership in No Man’s Sky:
1. How many freighters can I own in No Man’s Sky?
You can only own one freighter at a time. While it would be cool to have a fleet of capital ships, the game limits you to a single command vessel.
2. Can I own multiple starships?
Yes, you can own up to 12 starships, and they can all be stored in your freighter hangar, although only 6 ships can appear on the landing pad at once.
3. What is the biggest freighter in No Man’s Sky?
The Oculus-class freighter is considered one of the largest. It stands out with its unique design and enhanced engine unit, and is a tribute to Discovery One from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
4. Can my freighter be attacked by pirates?
Yes, your freighter can be attacked by pirates. However, these encounters provide opportunities for you to defend it, and there is no risk of losing it.
5. How many frigates can I have in my fleet?
You can have a maximum of 30 frigates in your fleet. This includes traditional frigates as well as special expedition reward frigates like the Normandy and the Leviathan.
6. How do I manage my frigates?
You manage your frigates from the bridge of your freighter next to the navigator’s station. Here, you can dispatch frigates on missions to earn rewards.
7. How do I find a crashed freighter?
Crashed freighters can be found on planet surfaces. You can use a Signal Scanner to locate them or sometimes find them by talking to aliens in space stations.
8. Do my freighter base contents transfer when I get a new freighter?
Yes, when purchasing a new freighter, your existing freighter base is automatically transferred and reconstructed in the new ship.
9. Can I sell my starships?
No, you cannot directly sell your starships, but you can scrap them for trade materials that you can then sell at any Galactic Trade Terminal.
10. How big is a freighter base?
Freighter bases can consist of up to 16 floors, with each floor containing rooms that are 21 x 21 in size.
11. Can you walk around inside the frigates?
Yes, you can walk around both inside and outside your frigate ships, which are part of your fleet and serve alongside your freighter.
12. What happens if my ship is destroyed?
If your ship is destroyed, you will respawn at the last location you saved. Any inventory you had within your ship will be dropped in the game world, which you will need to travel back to and recover. Your ship, will also be available again on its landing pad, although some tech might require repairs.
13. What are Solar Ships good for?
Solar ships are beneficial for inter-system travel as their Vesper Sails significantly reduce fuel consumption and boost their pulse engine.
14. How much storage does a freighter have?
A freighter can have up to ten storage units, each holding 50 stacks of resources or products.
15. How do I get a Capital Ship as my first freighter?
To get a capital ship as your first freighter, you must decline the first free freighter offered after a pirate attack. A subsequent encounter should offer you a larger and more desirable capital ship as your free freighter.
Conclusion
Owning a freighter in No Man’s Sky is a game-changing experience. It provides a mobile base, a storage hub, a fleet command center, and much more. Whether you accept the first offer or seek a more powerful capital ship, having a freighter is integral to progressing through the game. With all these benefits, and ways to upgrade your base and fleet, it truly becomes the heart of your interstellar adventure. Happy exploring!