What Do Organic Frigates Do in No Man’s Sky?
Organic frigates in No Man’s Sky offer a unique and captivating dimension to fleet management. Unlike their traditional, metallic counterparts, these living vessels are not simply tools for resource acquisition; they are dynamic entities that evolve and can be customized. Primarily, organic frigates participate in fleet expeditions, just like regular frigates. However, their most distinctive characteristic is their ability to return from these expeditions with Psionic Eggs. These eggs are crucial, as they hatch into upgrade modules specifically for Living Ships, adding a critical layer to the interconnectedness of these unique gameplay elements. In essence, organic frigates are your key to enhancing and customizing these specialized starships. Beyond generating Psionic Eggs, organic frigates also differ from standard frigates in other significant ways, which we’ll explore in detail.
The Role of Organic Frigates in Expeditions
Psionic Egg Generation
The primary reason players seek out organic frigates is their unique capacity to generate Psionic Eggs. While traditional frigates focus on gathering resources and units on expeditions, organic frigates introduce an element of chance. Every expedition undertaken with an organic frigate offers the possibility of returning with one or more Psionic Eggs, which are necessary to upgrade the various parts and attributes of a player’s Living Ship. This makes these vessels an essential component for players who enjoy the Living Ship experience.
Specialization Through Feeding
A fascinating aspect of organic frigates is their ability to be altered through feeding. Players can change an organic frigate’s specialty by offering it different food types. This allows a player to transform a combat-oriented frigate into an industrial frigate, a scientific frigate, or a frigate that specializes in trade. Through feeding the proper groups of foodstuffs, a player can change the ship’s primary function, which impacts the types of rewards it will yield from expeditions.
Unique Progression System
Like standard frigates, organic frigates possess stats that are divided into four classes (Combat, Trade, Exploration, and Industry), as well as modifier attributes. However, these modifiers are not set in stone, and they evolve and change with each rank up of the organic frigate. These modifiers can vary depending on the player’s choices, making it possible to fine-tune each ship’s performance in their selected area of specialization. The combination of the special food groups and this dynamic modifier system offers a deep customization layer to a player’s fleet.
Understanding the Differences Between Organic and Traditional Frigates
Secondary Functions
While they both participate in expeditions, organic frigates lack the secondary functions of conventional frigates. For example, a combat-type organic frigate will not assist the player in open combat situations, even if it boasts the highest combat stat out of the frigates in the player’s fleet. Similarly, organic frigates do not offer resource generation or scanning capabilities, which are usually standard features of their traditional equivalents. Players need to recognize that they operate under a separate rule set, which affects how a player manages and utilizes them.
Repair Mechanics
Unlike standard frigates, organic frigates cannot be landed on or teleported to for repairs. Instead, they must be repaired via the Frigates terminal on the player’s freighter bridge, which requires feeding them. This reinforces the organic nature of these ships and their unique maintenance requirements. Players must therefore keep sufficient foodstuffs available for healing their organic fleets.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How do I acquire an organic frigate?
Organic frigates are acquired through encountering them in space using an Anomaly Detector. Players must use the Anomaly Detector and pulse until an encounter is triggered. One of the possible encounters is that of an organic frigate. This process will have to be repeated to acquire more than one.
2. Can you have multiple organic frigates?
Yes, players can have multiple organic frigates. Like traditional frigates, you can own up to 30 frigates in total, and this limit includes both organic and standard ships.
3. What is the purpose of Psionic Eggs?
Psionic Eggs are used to hatch into upgrade modules for Living Ships. These modules enhance various attributes and parts of a player’s Living Ship, making them essential for optimizing a Living Ship’s capabilities.
4. How do I level up an organic frigate?
Organic frigates, like regular frigates, level up by completing expeditions. Each expedition, whether successful or not, gives the frigate experience. As they gain experience they gain rank and have their modifiers adjust, based on the previous expeditions and food types fed to the ship.
5. Do organic frigates require fuel?
Yes, organic frigates require Frigate Fuel to participate in expeditions. Frigate Fuel is crafted using di-hydrogen and tritium.
6. What types of food can I feed an organic frigate?
Organic frigates can be fed a wide range of foodstuffs, including raw ingredients. The food is internally divided into 65 groups, where any food in a group has the same effect. Feeding a ship specific food groups can alter its specialty.
7. Can organic frigates be damaged?
Yes, organic frigates can be damaged during expeditions, just like standard frigates. However, they cannot be repaired directly; they require feeding via the Frigates terminal on your freighter.
8. Are organic frigates stronger than traditional frigates?
Organic frigates are not necessarily “stronger” in terms of combat assistance. Their strengths lie in their ability to generate Psionic Eggs and be customized for specialized tasks through feeding. Their role and the other roles of normal frigates need to be understood before their value in a player’s fleet can be determined.
9. Can organic frigates assist in combat?
No, combat-type organic frigates will not assist you in space battles. They lack the combat assistance function of their traditional counterparts.
10. Do organic frigates have scanner capabilities?
No, organic frigates do not have the scanning capabilities that standard frigates possess.
11. Can I lose an organic frigate?
Yes, it is possible to lose organic frigates if their expedition is unsuccessful and their team rating is significantly lower than the difficulty of the expedition. This can occur with both organic and traditional frigates.
12. How do I change an organic frigate’s specialty?
You change an organic frigate’s specialty by feeding it different foodstuffs. Each food type affects a specific part of the frigate’s stats. Trial and error and documentation are essential to creating the specialized roles a player will use.
13. How often do organic frigates return with Psionic Eggs?
Organic frigates have a chance to return with Psionic Eggs on every expedition. This chance is not guaranteed, but it’s a significant advantage over traditional frigates, which cannot generate them.
14. Is it worth investing in organic frigate upgrades?
Yes, upgrading organic frigates through feeding and specialization is definitely worth it, especially if you have a Living Ship and need to optimize its performance. Their abilities are needed for that purpose.
15. Can I steal an organic frigate?
No, organic frigates cannot be stolen. They can only be acquired through encounters with Anomaly Detectors and are then added to the player’s fleet.