How to Find the Ship You Want in No Man’s Sky
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Finding the perfect ship in No Man’s Sky (NMS) can be a thrilling quest, and one of the game’s most engaging aspects. The galaxy is vast, teeming with a diverse array of starships, from sleek fighters to hulking haulers and the enigmatic Living Ships. But with so much variety, how do you actually pinpoint the starship of your dreams? The core of finding a ship you want revolves around understanding ship types, where they spawn, and employing specific techniques to narrow your search. This article will break down the process and offer useful strategies, ensuring you find that perfect vessel to explore the cosmos.
Understanding Ship Types and Their Spawning
Before diving into search techniques, it’s crucial to understand the different ship types and their characteristics. In NMS, ships fall into several main categories:
- Shuttles: These are the most common and versatile, offering a balanced mix of stats and inventory. They are often the starting ships and are found frequently across all systems.
- Fighters: Designed for combat, Fighters boast high damage potential, good maneuverability, and reasonable shields. They are perfect for space battles and dogfights.
- Haulers: The workhorses of the galaxy, Haulers excel in inventory space and shield strength but are typically less maneuverable. Ideal for resource gathering and trading.
- Explorers: These ships are built for long-distance travel, featuring high hyperdrive ranges and efficient fuel consumption. They’re great for charting new territories.
- Exotics: Unique and rare, Exotic ships offer the best combination of stats but are found less frequently than other classes. They often have distinctive, visually striking designs.
- Living Ships: These organic, sentient ships are acquired through a special questline involving a Void Egg and are unlike any other vessel. They have unique abilities and organic components.
- Squid Ships: One of the rarest ship types, these exotic spacecraft are characterized by their distinctive squid-like design and are highly sought-after by collectors.
Ship spawns are also affected by system economy and conflict levels. In general, high-economy systems have a higher chance of spawning S-class ships, while high-conflict systems are more likely to have a greater variety of ships, though they might not always be the top tier.
The Hunt: Key Techniques to Find Your Dream Ship
Trading Posts and Space Stations
A good strategy when ship hunting is to utilize Trading Posts and Space Stations. Trading posts can be located by using Economy Scanners on planets. After landing at a trading post, wait for ships to begin spawning. It’s a good idea to scan ships in the air before they land to find their class. You should see S-Class ships spawn eventually, if none spawn, reload the game at that location.
Space Stations offer similar opportunities. Land there and wait for ships to land. Keep an eye on those that spawn and land, if you don’t see the ship you want then you can reload to reset the spawns.
Using Transmission Towers
Transmission Towers are planetary structures that can be used to locate crashed ships. Correctly solving a number sequence at the tower will often reveal the location of a distressed ship, or in rarer instances a crashed freighter. This method may not always yield a ship you are looking for, but it is a way to find ships that you may be able to claim, fix, and trade.
Targeted Ship Hunting
When searching for a specific ship type, like an Exotic or Living Ship, be patient and persistent:
- Exotic Ships: Visit high-economy systems and hang out at trading posts or space stations. Exotic ships are rare, but with time, they will appear. They are usually single-engine and have unique designs.
- Living Ships: You must first obtain a Void Egg from the Space Anomaly with 3,200 Quicksilver. This will trigger the Starbirth quest, which guides you to your Living Ship.
- Squid Ships: These are among the rarest ships, so be prepared to spend a considerable amount of time in high-economy systems, visiting various trading posts and space stations.
Utilizing Save and Reload Tactics
One of the most effective techniques is the “reload method.” If the ship you want isn’t spawning at a trading post or space station, simply reload your auto-save and the ship spawns will refresh. By doing this you can view a different set of ships and hopefully the one you are seeking will appear.
Ship Scanning
When ships land or fly into a trading post, you should scan the ships to get information about their class and statistics. You want to know this information so you can acquire a ship with optimal statistics. You should always scan before buying or claiming a ship.
Additional Tips
- Use the Analysis Visor: Scan all incoming ships using your analysis visor to quickly see their class, type, and stats without having to wait for them to land.
- Check Multiple Locations: Don’t rely on just one trading post or space station in the system. Visit several to increase your chances of finding the ship you desire.
- Patience is Key: Ship hunting can take time. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t find your perfect ship immediately. Persistence pays off.
- Ship Trading: Remember you can trade in ships you find and you may find what you want while exploring the galaxy and checking different system’s trading posts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How many ships can I own in No Man’s Sky?
You can own up to 12 different starships at one time. This was implemented in the Fractal update.
2. What happens to my old ship when I buy a new one?
Your old ship will remain where you last left it until you reload the game or leave the system. After that, it is effectively forgotten by the game.
3. Can I claim an abandoned ship I find?
Yes, you can claim abandoned ships. You will need to fix their launcher and then you can fly them to a trading post or space station to trade them.
4. How do I summon my ship in No Man’s Sky?
You can summon your ship by pressing down on the D-pad, navigating to “summon ship,” and placing it nearby. Make sure you never stray too far from your ship without at least one charge of launch fuel.
5. Why can’t I summon my ship sometimes?
Several reasons may prevent you from summoning your ship. If you are on your freighter try landing on it and getting out, this triggers an auto save. Reload that autosave so your ships will be available to summon on the freighter. You can also try to travel to another system, and try to summon ships from there. If that fails, you can purchase some cargo for the ship that is experiencing the problem, before traveling to a new location and trying again.
6. How do I get a Living Ship?
You need to purchase a Void Egg from the Space Anomaly with 3,200 Quicksilver. This will start the Starbirth questline, which will lead you to your living ship.
7. What is the rarest ship type in No Man’s Sky?
The Squid-shaped ship is considered the rarest ship type in the game. You may play for many hours without ever seeing one spawn.
8. How do I find crashed freighters?
Crashed Freighters can be found by using a Signal Scanner, or by talking to aliens in space stations. If they are nearby you can use your Analysis Visor to locate them.
9. How can I get a free freighter in NMS?
You can get a free freighter by jumping systems until you receive a distress call about a freighter under attack. Defeat the pirates and then speak to the captain. You will be given the option to accept the freighter.
10. How do I get Quicksilver in No Man’s Sky?
Quicksilver can be obtained by completing missions on The Space Anomaly when spoken to Nada. It can also be rewarded by destroying ice.
11. Can you put a portal in your freighter?
Yes, you can build a Teleport Chamber inside your Freighter. This allows travel to and from your freighter. It consumes 20Kp of power to operate.
12. How do I find derelict freighters in NMS?
Derelict freighters are sometimes found by using your ship’s pulse drive, however, you can locate them using an Emergency Broadcast Receiver from a Scrap Dealer at a space station.
13. What is the best early ship in No Man’s Sky?
Hauler ships are a great early ship because of their high shield strength, and inventory space. They are quite large and can also make great mobile bases.
14. What happens if I leave a derelict freighter and come back?
If you leave and try to go back to a derelict freighter, it will vanish. You cannot save during these missions.
15. Can I steal NPC ships in No Man’s Sky?
You can steal an NPC ship at a landing pad by using a bypass chip to hack the landing pad console, if a ship is parked there, you will be able to steal it. If there isn’t a ship there then you can use it to summon your own.
By employing these methods and tips, you’ll be well on your way to finding the perfect ship to dominate the skies of No Man’s Sky! Remember, exploration and patience are key to success in this universe. Good luck and happy hunting, traveler!