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What Should I Focus on First in No Man’s Sky?

The vastness of No Man’s Sky can be overwhelming, especially when you first crash-land on a strange, potentially hostile planet. While the game offers a great deal of freedom, a little direction in the early hours can make your journey smoother and more enjoyable. The most important thing to focus on first in No Man’s Sky is achieving a stable foundation that will enable you to explore, build, and prosper. This means prioritizing the Awakenings story mission, while simultaneously establishing a reliable source of income and understanding the game’s core mechanics. Here’s a detailed breakdown:

Complete the Awakenings Mission: This is your priority. Awakenings is the game’s introductory mission and acts as a tutorial, guiding you through the crucial first steps. You’ll learn how to repair your starship, track signals, gather resources, and craft basic items. This mission provides essential knowledge for all subsequent gameplay. Without completing the Awakenings mission, you’ll be lost.
Establish a Steady Income: Units (the game’s currency) are essential for upgrades and expansion. Here’s how to start:
- Scan Everything: Use your scanner to analyze plants, animals, and minerals. Every scan earns you units, and it’s a simple way to accumulate funds early on.
- Salvage Data: This is one of the best early sources of income. Look for buried technology modules and excavate them with your terrain manipulator. Then exchange it for nanites at a space station. Nanites are crucial in getting upgrades.
- Mine Cobalt: Cobalt is abundant on most starting planets. You can sell it directly, or refine it into ionized cobalt which sells for even more. This is a good steady income stream early on.
Understanding Basic Mechanics: Get comfortable with:
- Inventory Management: No Man’s Sky has an inventory system with limited slots. Prioritize critical items, learn how to transfer items to your ship or freighter, and understand the different inventory types.
- The Refiner: Acquire a medium refiner as soon as possible from the Space Anomaly. Learn how to refine materials into higher-value items. This is a cornerstone of efficient resource management.
- The Nexus: Head to the Anomaly, a hub for other players. Here you can buy blueprints for all your needs.
Don’t Get Distracted (Yet):
- It’s tempting to immediately explore every planet, but try to focus on completing Awakenings. This will give you the knowledge and tools you need to explore more efficiently later.
- Avoid spending too much time on base building until you understand the essential mechanics. A basic base is fine initially, but don’t get bogged down in complex construction before completing the tutorial stages of the game.
The Atlas Path (Optional):
- Once you’ve progressed through Awakenings you’ll be presented with a choice to follow the Atlas Path, or explore freely. The Atlas path is a simple quest line and teaches you how to use the Atlas technology while slowly revealing bits of the story. It’s a good idea to take the Atlas Path.