Is there a city planet in no man‘s sky?

As a passionate No Man‘s Sky explorer closing in on my 500th hour traversing the procedurally generated galaxies, a common question I see is: "Are there cities or city planets where I can walk among skyscrapers and dense populations?"

The short answer is: Not yet. But let‘s dive deeper into the current state of settlements, why city planets could happen someday, and in the meantime, how players are collaborating to build their own bustling communities.

Understanding Planet Types and Settlements

With over 18 quintillion planets awaiting discovery, No Man‘s Sky contains different planet types that determine environment hazards, resources, flora, and fauna. Barren, frozen, irradiated, scorched, and toxic worlds pose varying threats. More hospitable are luteous, verdant, tropical, and abandoned worlds which contain scattered ruins and minor settlements.

These minor settlements consist of a trade outpost manned by a lone NPC along with 3-5 buildings. Since the Frontiers update in 2021, some planets also spawn larger settlements which are essentially small towns of 10-30 alien buildings and 5-15 NPC inhabitants.

As the appointed overseer in these frontier settlements, I‘ve constructed new dwellings, production facilities, defenses, and decorations limited only by the settlement boundaries. I‘ve also welcomed new settlers including scientists, armorers, farmers, and merchants.

So in summary – settlements are procedurally generated villages, not cities or advanced civilizations. But do the underlying mechanics allow for future cities?

Envisioning City Planets Through No Man‘s Sky‘s Code

Having studied some of the data mining details from each update, I believe the framework likely already exists to support much larger settlements. architectural parts, production chains, resource management, settler jobs, planetary detail levels – these all seem structured in a robust and scalable way.

In fact, dataminers uncovered evidence that Hello Games experimented with more urban settlement layouts during development. And in my own travels documenting particularly stunning planets, I‘ve discovered ones that would serve as perfect hotspots for civilized life:

Based on Hello Games‘ track record of major updates like Frontiers, plus these ideal worlds awaiting settlement, I believe urban cities are likely in store down the road! Perhaps they are already testing internally.

Just imagine walking narrow streets lined with alien shops and dusk lights filtered through dense polymers. Districts and neighborhoods devoted to science, defense, manufacturing, commerce – citizens busily commuting about their evenings. A true city showing what advanced civilizations may develop across the galaxies.

Player Bases Building Today‘s Multiplayer Cities

While we may wait a bit longer for Hello Games‘ vision of cities to fully materialize, creative players have already taken settlement construction into their own hands!

Group projects stitching together multiple bases and farms into sprawling communities have existed for years. But the ability to now share settlement oversight introduces a new cooperative dynamic – single cities can be structured across nearby planetary real estate.

Two standout examples of early player cities:

• Unea City Colony – a dead planet hosting an experimental open settlement nearing 60 buildings. Architectural marvels that push boundaries!
• Harmony Village – tropical world with meticulously planned roads and infrastructure shared by over 30 players. Stunning views!

The creativity and dedication of the No Man‘s Sky community never cease to amaze me. And beyond impressive builds, these player cities create new social dynamics – localized amino hubs, markets, events, and more.

A Bright Future Lies Ahead!

As someone passionate about both the technical and social aspects of this game we all love, I hope this piece has painted a detailed picture about:

• The current state of settlements in No Man‘s Sky
• Reasons why immense procedurally generated city planets could someday be possible
• How players are collaboratively building awe-inspiring mini cities today

The steady iteration on existing settlement mechanics combined with trailblazing HUB projects spark my imagination for what lies ahead. I for one eagerly welcome whatever boundary-pushing urban advancements Hello Games might unveil next!

What are your thoughts? Maybe you‘ve discovered impressive worlds ripe for civilization too? I welcome all insights from fellow explorers when it comes to possibilities for the future!

Safe journeys out there among the stars, my friends! 🚀