Having a good ship in No Man's Sky is almost more important than knowing how to pilot one. No matter how good of a pilot the player is, they will always be restricted by the limitations of their ship. This is extremely noticeable early on in the game while piloting the starter ship. Players will want to buy a better ship as soon as they possibly can.
The biggest issue with this though is that there are a countless number of ships out there in the universe, and every single one of them can be bought for the right price. This means that it can be overwhelming to decide which ship to buy, especially because players may be using ships for wildly different purposes depending on their playstyle. This guide will show players how to decide which ship is best for them.
No Man's Sky: How to Purchase Ships
The first thing that players need to know before buying a ship, is how to actually purchase one. This can be kind of tricky because there isn't a catalog or store that allows players to pick ships from a list. Instead, players will have to either travel to a space station or trade-depot first. Once players arrive at one they will have to wait until another ship lands nearby. Players can then walk up to the pilot of a ship they are interested in and speak to them to engage in trading with them.
If players have enough money in their inventory they will be able to purchase a ship straight out from another pilot. Additionally, players can sell their trade their own ship to the person as well in order to cut down the overall cost. Players who do this though should move their ship's inventory and technology to the new ship before purchasing though or they will be gone forever.
The downside here is that players who are looking for specific ships will have to sit around and wait for that ship to show up. If a ship is too expensive for the player to purchase they will have to leave and try to earn more cash, but sadly the ship won't stick around for very long. Players should always make sure they have plenty of units before trying to purchase something. There is nothing worse than watching the perfect ship slip out from between your fingers.
No Man's Sky: Ship Archetypes
There are six different types of ships that players will be able to purchase or find in No Man's Sky. Each type has specific advantages and disadvantages that players will want to keep in mind, and each kind will be suited to different playstyles. These types are as follows:
Shuttle- These ships are very small and have no class bonuses, but have relatively well-balanced stats. A shuttle is a pretty solid starter ship for a player to have because they are extremely cheap to purchase. Players who aren't really focused on earning a lot of money or resources and would rather just explore the universe would be well suited to sticking with a shuttle for a decent portion of the game.
Fighter- A fighter ship will give players increased class bonuses to damage, and players will most likely see an abundance of fighters across the galaxy. The starter ship of No Man's Sky is actually a Fighter, so players will become well adjusted to piloting ships of this class. They have high maneuverability as well which makes them perfect for dogfights.
Explorer- Players with an explorer ship will be given a boost to their hyperdrive range. This means that they will be able to make longer trips through galaxies. Players who want to explore the universe more efficiently will want to pick up an explorer as soon as possible.
Hauler- These vehicles all have the most amount of inventory space in the game, and also sport an increased shield as well. This means that players will be able to sustain more damage to make up for their very poor maneuverability and speed. This vessel is good for players who wish to travel galaxies and sell rare components and resources at space stations.
Exotic- All exotic class ships will have very high stat bonuses in all categories and will be an S-Rank ship. This means that exotics are extremely expensive despite their small size and will be difficult to acquire. Players will need to work very hard to acquire this style of ship.
Living Ship- The newest and strangest additions to No Man's Sky are the living ships. These ships are completely organic and are not compatible with any technological upgrades. Players will need to use special fuel and components to power all of a living ship's functions. These ships do have increases hyperdrive range and damage output though, so they are great for players who want to combine both the fighter and explorer class vehicles. Players can also obtain a living ship very easily by completing the Void Egg questline.
No Man's Sky: Ship Class Types
Another thing to keep in mind when buying ships is that each ship has a specific class as well that determines how high its stats are and how much it will cost the players to purchase. Players should keep an eye out for the class of the vehicles they are considering buying as they can change a lot of features of the vehicle. The different classes are:
Class C: Any vehicle with a Class C rating will have the lowest amount of inventory spaces possible for that kind of ship. If it has a class bonus then it will be extremely low as well.
Class B: The class can have up to three inventory slots lower than the maximum and will have at least a 20% class bonus.
Class A: These will sport either the maximum inventory space or one less than the max and will have a 35% class bonus.
Class S: This class of ship may not have the maximum inventory space, but they will all be pretty close to the max. Class S also will have a 50% or more boost to the vehicle class bonus.
No Man's Sky: Acquiring Crashed Ships
Players can also acquire ships without having to purchase them. Ever so often while exploring the universe, players may come across a crashed ship on a planet's surface. These ships will be basically unusable with damaged engines, shields, weapons, and other technologies. They can be extremely costly to fix, and most of the time this isn't worth it.
Occasionally, players can find an exotic or a Class- S ship that they will for sure want to add to their fleet. Since these kinds of ships are incredibly rare and expensive, players might be able to fix them up for less money than it would cost to purchase one outright. Additionally, crashed ships can be traded in for other ships at space stations and higher-tiered ships can still sell for millions of units while damaged. Trading ruined ships can be a great way to trade up in a pinch.
No Man's Sky can be played on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.