Update 8/25/2016: Added pages on Finding Trade Posts, Sentinels and Wanted Level, in addition to Shielding, Power, and Unstable Plasma Items. Also see my guide to Making Money in No Man's Sky for some tips on the best methods for earning cash, what crafting items are most profitable, and a list of all resources in the game.

No Man's Sky: Walkthrough

The Second Quest, Getting Warp Drive & Antimatter

How to craft a hyperdrive in No Man's Sky

Now that we've left the starting planet, we can learn to make hyperdrive by following the game's simple quests.

When you've left the first planet after repairing the ship, you should get a new beacon on a nearby world. If you don't have the preorder ship, you'll need to get warp drive before you can ever hope to explore the galaxy. The game has different types of hyperdrive, which let you visit various types of systems. We need to be able to travel to yellow star systems to begin exploring.

Entering Space and Controlling Your Ship

Pulse drive lets you move quickly through one solar system's space, while hyperdrive (warp) is used to jump between entire star systems. You can't do the latter until you make a hyperdrive for your ship.

You press 'W' on PC to lift off, and pointing your ship upward will lead you to space. Out there, you will see other planets as well as space stations. You should ignore space stations for the moment because you may need to go back right after visiting the next planet. About controls: note the screen second from the left in your ship's cockpit. It tells you how fast you're going. Use this to figure out how to speed up and slow down.

Mining for materials by shooting asteroids in No Man's Sky

Shooting asteroids is a great way to get Thamium9

Even within one star system, distances are vast and you can easily see hour-long travel times to get there. Holding the forward button on PC will make your ship go faster (and back slows down or goes in reverse), but in order to cross distances quickly use your pulse drive to fly much faster by holding holding space on PC (possibly holding R1 + R2 or L1/L2 on console). You cannot use pulse drive while in a planet's atmosphere, you must be in space and in the clear. If your ship's pointed directly at a structure or planet, it'll automatically disengage its pulse drive and avoid a collision.

Land Near the Beacon

Beacons are markers for quest objectives in No Man's Sky

Landing near the beacon will cut travel time on foot substantially. Practice flying your ship a bit, and use the action button (the same one you use to board the ship) to automatically land. Gather some resources if they're unique, but mainly focus on getting to that beacon and activating it, while looting any crates nearby. Remember you can transfer items to your ship from the exosuit's inventory to free up room. If the planet is hostile - hot or cold - realize you can head into the inventory to repair your exosuit's environmental defenses by using some resources. If you landed close enough to the beacon, it should be a non-issue.

The Outpost: Encountering Sentient Life

Learn to make hyperdrive in No Man's Sky

The outpost you visit will be different than mine, though you should still get the same blueprint.

Board the ship once more and fly toward the outpost, it's likely too far to go on foot. Don't sweat it if you miss landing on the pad outside, at least you managed to get close. You should be given a blueprint when you visit the outpost and interact with the alien. Now you know how to build a hyperdrive! Before you leave, make sure that you interact with everything in here - there may be useful materials, and you'll probably find something you could by if you only had more money!

Waypoints allow you to save while on foot, and frequently feature crates that can be looted. Some require a pass to open.

Outside the Outpost you may see a '?' icon that indicates an area you can visit to find supply drops and save your game.

The Space Station

A space station entrance in No Man's Sky to learn to make warp drive

Fly to the space station and enter the side door. While one of the ramps may require you to have a pass to go through the door, you can indeed use the other to access the galactic market. Consider fueling up your ship and topping off all of your equipment before you begin trading.

Fly to the next outpost in this walkthrough for No Man's Sky

Flying to the next outpost should be easy for you, now that you've learned to pilot the ship.

Because you'll need it, save any: Heridium and Thamium9 as they're used in getting the warp drive functional. Of course, if you just cannot afford the Dynamic Resonator, you may as well because you can return to a planet and find these materials. If you need money, go looking for resources on nearby planets. You're able to do so much more swiftly now that you have a ship!

Galactic terminal lets you buy and sell things in No Man's Sky

Shop at galactic terminals. Always talk to the aliens you meet, you may learn new languages!

The resonator cost me about 32k credits, and I had enough Heridium to immediately install the hyperdrive on my ship. Head to the inventory screen > ship > and click and empty slot to craft your hyperdrive. Anything in the inventory is automatically equipped to the vessel.

Getting a Free Antimatter

Crafting a warp cell is very easy once you have the antimatter. One day you may learn to make your own, for now the one you're given has to suffice. Fuel up the hyperdrive using the warp cell once you've crafted it.

Once you've left the space station, you should have yet one more objective to fly toward. This goes very similar to the last, only this time you are given antimatter directly. You already have the recipe to make a warp cell, just select an empty slot on the ship and press craft product (should be indicated). Now you can use the warp cell to fuel the warp drive. If you lack Thamium9, note that many asteroids contain this element.

Learning to Make Antimatter

Learn to make Antimatter in No Man's Sky

Warp to the next star system, and you can learn to make Antimatter. Use your ship's scanners to search for an old manufacturing facility.

From here, you know many of the game's mechanics. Warp to the system nearest you by using the map, selecting the system and pushing the warp button (I had only one option for a jump). Once you're in that system, fly about for a bit and use your ship's scanners. You should detect a manufacturing facility that will teach you to make Antimatter!

Sentinels can be challenging to fight in No Man's Sky

Sentinels will likely attack you, too, when you visit the manufacturing facility. Consider it a check of skill, because you're able to explore much much more of the galaxy once you know how to make Antimatter to fuel your warp drive.

Be aware that at this facility, you will likely face Sentinel opposition (old security) and they can be very tough! In order to break down the door, you have to go to the multi-tool section of the inventory and install the bolt caster upgrade, which lets you switch weapon modes (default X on PC) from mining laser to bolts, which consume resources in order to reload. I had to fire 3 clips into the door and fought a total of about 9 sentinels before finally making it inside. Park your ship nearby in case you need to escape!

Path of the Atlas

Now you can see instructions on making Antimatter. If you've chosen to follow the Atlas Guidance, you may want to learn more about the Atlas Path and getting an AtlasPass V1.

Other No Man's Sky Guides