There are several buildings and structures that you can explore and enter in No Man’s Sky. So far, we’ve found five different types of buildings that you can interact with in the game. However, you don’t want to end up doing the wrong thing and offend any inhabitants that might be hanging out in there.
Here are all the different types of buildings that can be found in No Man’s Sky, and their various purposes.
Bases
Bases often look like odd space houses with multiple branches. There will always be an alien waiting for you inside. After interacting with the alien for the first time, it will offer you a variety of services including healing, repairing, and providing you with useful information. You can also interact with them for a chance to earn some rewards.
Bases will also always have a Multi-tool upgrade or exchange station, where you can reinforce your gear before setting off to explore the new planet. Sometimes, you’ll get access to a trade terminal, as well.
It’s worth noting that some bases are locked off and can only be accessed with an Atlaspass. These will sometimes contain save stations, resources for you to collect, and maybe even an Exosuit upgrade if you’re lucky.
Factories
You can easily recognize a factory by the reinforced steel door that blocks off entry to trespassers. In order to break through the door, you have to rely on your Boltcaster or Land Disruptor to deal damage to it. Do be warned that once you’ve started dealing damage to the door, the Sentinels on the planet will become alerted to your presence and start homing in on your position. You can choose to either engage them in combat or ignore them and focus on breaking through the door.
Once you’ve broken through the door and entered the factory, the Sentinels will stop firing at you. The factory will contain one terminal where you have to either solve a puzzle or answer a question. The puzzles usually require you to identify a recurring pattern and provide the next logical step in said pattern, while the questions are usually multiple-choice where you have to assess a scenario and choose the most rational solution to it.
If you answer correctly, you’ll be rewarded with a blueprint. If you answered wrongly, the Sentinels will leave you alone, but you’ll go away empty-handed.
Residential Pods
The residential pods in No Man’s Sky basically look like trailers in space. These only have one room, and there will be one random terminal inside for you to interact with. If you’re lucky, you might be able to get an upgrade, learn some alien words, and find resources.
If you’re unlucky, you won’t find anything at all.
Space Stations
Space stations are floating structures in space, and they can come in different shapes and sizes – they’re usually spherical, or shaped like a DnD die. You’ll be able to find the entrance to the space station by looking out for the glowing beam of light shooting out of it.
Inside the space stations, you’ll find a save station, a trade terminal, and even landing spots for other traders that you can interact with. If you happen to have an Atlaspass with high enough clearance, you can even gain access to rooms that contain rare and useful items and resources, and even an Exosuit upgrade.
Atlas Stations
It’s impossible to locate Atlas stations on your own. As you access monoliths and other relics, eventually Atlas will speak to you and invite you to an Atlas station. The station will then be marked on your radar and you’ll be able to fly to it. You’ll usually have to do several Warp jumps to reach them, but the rewards will be worth it.
Atlas stations will provide you with blueprints, better Atlaspasses, Warp drives, and resources. This is also the only place you can get the Atlas Stone, a very valuable resource that’s worth quite a bit of money. You’ll also be able to learn a few words at Atlas station. If you get invited to one, make sure to visit it.
Trading Depots
Trading Depots are a lot like bases, except they’re also a lot larger than your regular base. This means that a lot of ships will be able to land there at once, and you have better opportunities to interact with other traders. Trading depots will also always contain a Galactic Market terminal.
There’s always an alien working at the trading depots, so this will be a good chance for you to get some rewards, too.
If you need any more help with No Man’s Sky, check out our robust wiki full of guides and tips.
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