What Happens If You Crash Your Ship in No Man’s Sky?
Crashing your starship in the vast and often unpredictable universe of No Man’s Sky is an experience many travelers will encounter. The good news is: a crash isn’t the end of your intergalactic journey. Instead of outright destruction, a crash in No Man’s Sky results in your ship being disabled at the crash site, and it triggers a specific set of events.
When you crash, your ship will become inoperable, usually with damaged components. You won’t lose your ship entirely, but you will need to repair it to get it flying again. Critically, your ship’s inventory will be dropped at your crash site, marked as a grave marker for you to retrieve. Additionally, some of your installed technology may be damaged and require fixing. This means you have to prioritize getting your ship working and securing your lost items. A crashed ship can feel like a setback, but it’s a manageable one that the game is designed to help you recover from.
Ship Repairs and Retrieval
The first thing you’ll want to do after a crash is assess the damage to your ship. Typically, the Pulse Engine and Launch Thruster are the first components that will need immediate attention. These are essential for liftoff and moving through space. After gathering the necessary resources to repair these parts, your crashed ship becomes flyable again, even if some damage persists.
Once your ship is functional, you’ll need to make your way to your grave site to recover your lost cargo. This location is conveniently marked on your HUD, making it easy to find even if you’ve crashed in a remote or difficult-to-navigate area. Remember that if you die again before retrieving your grave, all those dropped items will be lost permanently. This loss is a significant penalty, so avoid risky situations before retrieving your belongings.
After your ship is fully repaired, or you’ve just chosen to get back to a space station without full repairs, you can bring it to the nearest Space Station Outfitting Terminal. Here you can dismantle your ship to get Nanites and components. Dismantling is useful to gain resources, especially if you have more than one ship and a crashed one is no longer needed.
Consequences and Penalties
The penalties for crashing in No Man’s Sky are designed to be challenging but not game-breaking. Here’s a breakdown:
- Damaged Tech: Expect your ship’s technology modules to be damaged, which means they won’t function until repaired.
- Dropped Inventory: Your ship’s inventory is lost, which is the most significant initial setback.
- Grave Retrieval: You must travel back to your grave site to recover your dropped items. If you die again before doing so, you permanently lose all the items dropped in the initial crash. This is an important risk to avoid.
- Resource Loss: Repairing your ship requires you to use resources, which can sometimes be a challenge, especially in the early game.
- Temporary Inconvenience: The time and effort required to repair your ship can be a setback, but it’s a manageable one.
While these penalties might seem harsh at first, they add an element of challenge and consequence to exploration, encouraging players to fly more carefully. However, they’re also designed to be surmountable and contribute to the overall gameplay experience.
FAQs: Everything You Need to Know About Ship Crashes in No Man’s Sky
Can your ship be destroyed in No Man’s Sky?
No, your ship cannot be permanently destroyed in No Man’s Sky. Instead of being destroyed, it will be disabled and require repairs. You’ll have the chance to fly it again after some fixes.
What happens to my ship’s inventory when I die?
Your ship’s inventory is dropped at your death location, marked by a grave marker. You must return to this marker to retrieve your items. If you die again before retrieving the grave, the inventory lost in the original death will be lost permanently.
What’s the penalty for dying in No Man’s Sky?
When you die, your ship is disabled, you drop your inventory, and some of your tech might be damaged. If you die again before returning to your grave, you lose the items from your previous death. However, any tech that you had installed in the tech slots, and anything in your exosuit’s cargo inventory, are safe from death.
Can I walk inside my ship in No Man’s Sky?
While you can’t walk around inside the cockpit of your ship, you can explore the interiors of freighters and frigates, which serve as your mobile base and fleet support.
Can ships go underwater in No Man’s Sky?
Yes, you can land your starship underwater. This opens up new exploration possibilities.
How many ships can you own in No Man’s Sky?
You can own up to 12 different Starships at any one time, allowing you to build a diverse fleet.
Can you be a “bad guy” in No Man’s Sky?
While No Man’s Sky doesn’t explicitly cast you as a hero or villain, you can engage in activities like piracy and attacking freighters, which some might consider “bad” behavior.
Is cheating allowed in No Man’s Sky?
Yes, the game has no cheat detection or punishment, and players can use save editors to modify their game experience. You can add units, ships or resources as you see fit without penalty.
What is the maximum amount of money you can have in No Man’s Sky?
The maximum amount of units a player can accumulate is 4,294,967,295. Once you hit this cap, the number will no longer increase.
Can you steal freighters in No Man’s Sky?
Yes, you can attempt to steal freighters from NPCs by engaging in combat with them and their defenses. This offers a different path for obtaining larger ships.
Do black holes damage your ship?
Yes, traveling through black holes can damage your starship’s technology modules if they are not stored in the Technology Tab.
How do you get a free freighter in No Man’s Sky?
You can get a free freighter by warping to new systems and assisting a freighter in distress. After defeating the attacking pirates, you can claim the freighter as your own.
What is the best ship type in No Man’s Sky?
Explorer-type starships are very versatile and are good in multiple areas, making them a strong contender for the best overall ship type.
Can you get a bounty in No Man’s Sky?
Yes, there are bounty missions which are activated when you destroy fugitive starships and can reward you with units.
What are some of the items you should avoid selling in No Man’s Sky?
Some items you should avoid selling include Carbon & Condensed Carbon, Oxygen, Sodium & Sodium Nitrate, Copper, Salvaged Data, Navigation Data, and Salvaged Frigate Modules, as they are vital for crafting and base building.
By understanding these mechanics, you can approach ship crashes in No Man’s Sky with a plan and efficiently recover from these common events. The game is designed to allow for mistakes and is quite forgiving, even when a crash occurs. The most important things to remember are: do not die again before recovering your items, and to repair critical systems as your first priority. Safe travels!