What Happens When Your Ship is Destroyed in No Man’s Sky? A Comprehensive Guide
Losing your ship in the vast, procedurally generated universe of No Man’s Sky can be a frustrating experience, especially if you’re new to the game. However, unlike some other space-faring titles, No Man’s Sky is relatively forgiving when it comes to ship destruction. The short answer is: when your ship is destroyed in No Man’s Sky, you don’t lose it permanently, nor do you lose its inventory. Instead, you respawn at the nearest space station or base, and you can retrieve your ship, albeit damaged. Let’s dive deeper into what this entails and explore other related aspects of ship management.
Understanding Ship Destruction and Recovery
The Mechanics of Ship Loss
When your ship’s health reaches zero due to enemy fire, hazardous environments, or other accidents, it doesn’t vanish completely. Instead, you’ll be treated to a brief, cinematic explosion, and then you’ll find yourself revived. The game will place you at the most recently visited space station or your base, ready to start again. Your ship, however, is left in a damaged state at the location where it was destroyed.
Retrieving Your Destroyed Ship
The great news is that you do not lose your ship and its contents permanently. To recover it, simply fly back to the location where it was destroyed. Once you arrive at the crash site, you’ll find your ship sitting there, severely damaged. You’ll need to repair damaged components using various materials. Critically, your ship’s inventory remains intact after destruction. This ensures you don’t lose precious resources or valuable upgrades.
No Significant Penalties for Ship Destruction
A key feature of No Man’s Sky is its lack of punishing penalties for losing ships in combat. This design choice means that space battles form only a small part of the overall experience, and losing a fight doesn’t set you back too drastically. This approach allows players to experiment, explore, and engage in combat without the fear of catastrophic loss. It’s a welcome contrast to many survival games where ship destruction could mean hours of lost progress.
Repairing Your Damaged Ship
Assessing the Damage
Once you reach your crashed ship, assess the damage. You will notice several parts of the ship are marked as broken with red icons. These broken parts need to be repaired to make your ship operational again. Each repair will require specific resources, which you’ll need to gather or have in your inventory. The severity of damage can vary based on how your ship was destroyed, but expect to repair multiple systems like the thrusters, pulse engine, and various technological upgrades.
The Repair Process
Gathering the necessary materials is crucial for repairing your ship. Once you have the needed materials, go to the damaged component and interact with it. You’ll see a repair interface that requires you to input the necessary resources. After completing the repair, the system will be operational. Repairing damaged slots can increase your ship’s value if you plan to sell it, but the payoff is often negligible since repair costs increase and you will only receive 70% return of the ship’s value. Focus on making the ship functional and getting back into the game.
Alternative: Claim a New Ship
If repairing your ship seems like too much work, you have options. You can find crashed ships scattered across planets. These can be either claimed and repaired or scrapped at a Starship Outfitting Terminal for credits and parts. You can also exchange your damaged ship for a better one at a Space Station or an Outpost. This is particularly useful if your current ship is already old or not well-suited for your current needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What if I can’t find my destroyed ship?
If you are having trouble locating your crashed ship, use the “summon other ships” option through the d-pad menu. This will allow you to reset your ship’s position, often bringing it closer to your current location, though still in a damaged state. If this doesn’t work, return to your base, land a different ship, and try summoning the damaged ship again. Sometimes, it might despawn, requiring another summon.
2. Do I lose any resources when my ship is destroyed?
No, you do not lose any of the items stored in your ship’s inventory when it’s destroyed. This includes resources, upgrades, and any crafted items. All of your items will be safe within the damaged ship when you retrieve it.
3. Can I own multiple starships?
Yes, you can own up to 12 different Starships at any one time. This was implemented with the Fractal update, allowing you to amass a diverse fleet.
4. How do I get a free freighter?
You can obtain a free freighter by jumping to different systems until a distress call regarding a freighter under attack comes through. Typically, you’ll encounter a freighter battle after five jumps. After defeating the pirates, board the freighter and speak with the captain, who will offer you the freighter. Note that it’s better to take a payment for the first saved freighter, as future saved freighters will still be offered for free.
5. Where can I find crashed freighters?
Crashed Freighters are found on planetary surfaces. You can locate them using a Signal Scanner or by talking to aliens in space stations. Also, your Analysis Visor might locate one if it’s nearby.
6. Can I loot derelict freighters?
Yes, you can loot derelict freighters. You’ll need to board the freighter by interacting with the airlock terminal computer, which will unseal the freighter for exploration and resource collection.
7. How do I find a Sentinel Interceptor ship?
Sentinel Interceptors can be found by destroying a Sentinel capital ship, completing specific story encounters, defeating corrupted Sentinel forces, or discovering abandoned encampments.
8. What’s the best type of ship in No Man’s Sky?
Explorer-type starships are often considered the best all-around ships due to their balance of speed, storage, and versatility. However, other ship types like haulers are excellent for maximizing inventory space.
9. Is it worth repairing broken slots on a crashed ship?
Repairing damaged slots does increase the value when scrapping the ship but given the repair costs and 70% trade-in value, it will mostly give negligible returns. It’s better to focus on repairing slots to make the ship functional.
10. What do I do with abandoned ships in space?
You have the option to buy them or add them to your collection. If you don’t have a freighter, the ships you aren’t actively using will be stored until you summon them. Be sure to leave some launch fuel in them so they can be summoned.
11. What happens if I refuse the Atlas?
If you choose to refuse the Atlas, you and your starship will be teleported back to the planet reached via the final interface portal. Your ship will be located around 500 units away, and the mission will immediately end.
12. Can I pilot the freighter?
Yes, you can pilot the freighter using the Freighter warp map found on the freighter’s bridge. This will let you travel to different star systems.
13. What are Solar Ships best used for?
Solar Ships are ideal for interstellar travel due to improved maneuverability and fuel efficiency. Their Vesper Sails reduce the fuel consumption of the Pulse Engine while providing a boost.
14. What is the largest ship available in the game?
The Hauler class ships are the largest in the game when not considering the freighter and they possess the highest possible inventory spaces. They also have a shield absorb class bonus.
15. What is a good starter ship?
Hauler ships are excellent early-game choices due to their high shield absorb bonus and ample inventory space. They are robust, although less maneuverable than other ship types.
Conclusion
In No Man’s Sky, ship destruction is less of a setback and more of a minor inconvenience. The focus on exploration and discovery, coupled with a relatively forgiving respawn and recovery system, allows players to dive back into the action quickly. Knowing how to manage damaged ships, locate crashed vessels, and choose the right spacecraft for your needs enhances the overall enjoyment of this vast universe. So, go forth, explore the cosmos, and don’t fear the occasional explosion – you’ll be back in the cockpit before you know it!