You crest the ridge of a new planet, your trusty starship sitting quietly in the distance behind you. Ahead of you sprawls a lush, green valley dotted with trees and alien creatures that skitter across the sun-dappled hills of this strange, new world. Then, suddenly, your peaceful reverie is interrupted by a single, chaotic urge. I’d like to go and take something from someone.
Welcome to your first step on the road to space piracy in No Man’s Sky.
The cavalier life oa freewheeling galactic swashbuckler isn’t easy, but if you’re the kind of player who gravitates towards spectacle and who likes a little space combat, then space piracy just might be the career for you.
Here are a few tips to get you started.
Get Out and Meet People First
The first thing you need to do is get the lay of the land, so to speak. When you find a good cluster of planets worth harassing, spend some time tooling around from planet to planet. Pay close attention to the location of trading outposts and populated areas and be sure to stop in and introduce yourself. Remember, the first time you say hello, you’ll be gifted a blueprint which will help you on your journey.
You should also take some time to set foot on each planet to get an idea of which resources are abundant in the neighborhood you’ll be attacking. These resources influence the trade convoys that circle around the planets.
Shields, Shields, and, Oh Yeah, Shields
It’s pretty ludicrous, but when you attack trade convoys and isolated starships, they have a tendency to shoot back. Larger ships and freighters will have several gun emplacements that can rain down mayhem on your poor little ship. If you want to start looting prizes as soon as you can, and you’d prefer not to look like a fool, then put your resources towards shield technology first so that you can actually survive attacks on your not-so-helpless victims.
Also, be sure to save your money, because you’ll need at least a million credits to get a ship worthy wreathing a swath of terror across the skies.
Start Small, Pick a Side
Finally, don’t get cocky. If you’re running solo, be sure to take down prey that you can actually take down. At first, stick to solo ships and small freighters. You’ll be able to take down better prey once you’ve gotten some fresh kills under your belt.
If you happen upon a space pirate attack (and they’re focused on you), then hang back and see how things go. When it’s nearly over, you can swoop in, land a few shots for the winning team and fly off with your share of the booty.
