How to Thoroughly "Beat" No Man‘s Sky in Record Time
So you want to blaze through No Man‘s Sky (NMS) and cross everything off your interstellar bucket list? As a content creator with over 500 hours exploring procedural galaxies, I‘ve mastered shortcuts to see and conquer it all with utmost efficiency.
The key: Pursue these essential paths for advancement simultaneously. Do so, and you‘ll have bested this indefatigable title faster than any intrepid traveler in Euclid, Hilbert or Calypso.
Finish the story missions…all of them
NMS has three pivotal questlines you must complete before unfettered glory:
The Artemis Path
This grand odyssey across galaxies sets you seeking the cryptic Artemis entity while discovering the nature of simulation we inhabit. Completing it unlocks fast portals travel, a boon for rapid spacefaring.
- Tip: Rush the ghost in the machine milestone by visiting waypoints and seeking distress signals.
The Atlas Path
The enigmatic Atlas guides you towards galactic cores by decoding secrets of its reality-shaping nature. Finishing this enables you to reset simulations for fresh adventures.
- Tip: Follow black holes closely to accelerate your approach to Atlas Stations.
The Space Anomaly
Mysterious researcher Polo grants new blueprints for base parts with each milestone. It unlocks amenities making homesteads vastly more profitable.
- Tip: Check in after every jump to quickly pile up ubiquitous rewards.
| Questline | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| Artemis | Portals/Fast Travel |
| Atlas | Simulation Resets |
| Anomaly | Base Building Upgrades |
"Completing the Artemis and Atlas stories open up the true endgame possibilities – base building, farming, and faction reputation grinds become more viable." – XainesWorld NMS YouTuber
Gear up with Maxed Out Modules
Now it‘s time to pimp your rides with S-Class technology, materiel and modules pushing all ratings to max capacity for fighting, flying and freighter jumps:
Upgrade Priorities
1. Exosuit: More slots to carry crafting minerals and system-hopping fuel.
2. Starship: Higher hyperdrive range to leap between stars and galaxies rapidly.
3. Multi-tool: Amp damage and mining scan size – fight Sentinels and gather resources faster!
4. Freighter: Increase fleet coordination for lucrative frigate missions.
"No upgrade‘s too small – additional backpack and cargo slots made my NMS journey infinitely more smooth." – Commander Chaotica veteran player
Establish Your Galactic Headquarters
Once you‘ve claimed a capital freighter, it‘s time to start building planetary bases focused on generating "passive income" without lifting a finger. This will finance your war against Sentinels and journey to the center.
Optimize for Max Production
My preferred setup:
Desert Planet
- Solar panels/batteries
- Mineral/gas extractors
Lush Planet
- Bio-domes for circuit boards
- Atmosphere harvesters for gases
Aquatic Planet
- Underwater NipNip farm
- Above-ground mineral mining
With three bases churning out product and a fleet of frigates bringing home the bacon, you‘ll soon be a billionaire without trying.
Tip: Build on unclaimed planets without aggressive Sentinels to avoid constant attacks!
Raid Freighters, Pirate Space Loot
Engage your Phase Beam, stock up on Metal Plating and Ion Batteries and start blasting!
Freighter hulls contain precious upgrade modules you can yoink via expertly aimed cannon fire. And their storage facilities are loaded with priceless contraband like:
- Antimatter Housing
- Antimatter
- Liquid Explosives
- Semiconductors
- Enriched Carbon
Selling pilfered goods at black markets easily rakes in 30-50 million units over an hour.
Tip: Quickly blast turrets and engines to avoid massive fleet damage, then target storage pods!
| Loot Table Treasures | Average Value |
|---|---|
| Antimatter | 2.5M per Unit |
| Enriched Carbon | 1.2M per stack |
| Liquid Explosive | 1M per stack |
"No better adrenaline rush than getting chased by system authority craft with 20 frigates firing at you while you jettison your plunder back through the portal!" – Panzershrekt
Unlock Portals for Instant Star-Hopping
Activating all 12 unique glyphs enables using the enigmatic portals found on planets across galaxies. Portals offer instant point-to-point transport to destinations up to 5,000 light years away.
This vastly accelerates:
- Reaching the Galactic Core
- Completing Nexus missions
- Visiting other players‘ farms
- Exploring uncharted systems
Unlock Method #1: Complete the Artemis story quest
Unlock Method #2: Locate 16 travelers in space stations
Pro Tip: Always enter new glyphs as you acquire them to index more planets!
Get Exalted Reputation with All Guilds
Currying favor with the legendary space federations confer major advantages:
| Faction | Reward Bonuses |
|---|---|
| Gek | Nanite gifts, ship discounts |
| Vy‘keen | Weapon/ship upgrades, rare artifacts |
| Korvax | Suit inventory bonuses, free walker brain mods |
Efficient grinding tips:
- Take on combat, exploration and trade missions
- Look for lost Guild artifacts on planets
- Give donations at Guild envoy helix trees
- Answer monolith lore questions correctly
Note: Max standing takes 8-10 hours per Guild
"Allying with the ancient Guilds gave me huge discounts towards my S-Class Royal starship – well worth the effort!" – Aeyvi la Sage
Obtain Every Vehicle for Planetary Conquest
Nomad rovers, Pilgrim bikes and other worldly mobility add spice to surface Operations.
| Name | Unlock Method | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Nautilon | Lost in the Anomaly Quest | Underwater Adventure |
| Pilgrim | Trailblazer Quest | Dune Buggy Transport |
| Colossus | New Beginnings Quest | Heavy Cargo Hauling |
| Roamer | Artemis Story | Overland Exploration |
Tip: Build Geobays at all your bases for quick exocraft access!
Follow this battle-tested path of main mission completion, rapid upgrading, base building, freighter raiding, portal unlocking, faction rep grind and vehicle acquisition and you‘ll squeeze out every last succulent drop of adventure from the No Man‘s Sky cosmos!
What will you do once you‘ve critically "beaten" NMS? Tell me your post-game plans in the comments!
