User Info: CaIiber345 CaIiber345 6 years ago #1 No Man’s Sky



Developer & Publisher: Hello Games

Platforms: PlayStation 4, PC, others unannounced

Release Date: To Be Announced

Players: One



I am humbled by trying to collect and present the information we have about No Man’s Sky. There is still so much that we do not know, but we have learned a lot since E3 2014 and I decided to make a proper FAQ to replace my other topic. Hopefully this will help new fans understand the game a bit more. I will continue to update and revise the FAQ as release dates and other important information becomes available. Please forgive the myriad of errors I am likely to make. Your contributions and collection of data helps tremendously. Thank you for reading!



What is No Man’s Sky?

Watch these trailers first. They represent actual gameplay footage.



Reveal Trailer, VGX December 2013

http://youtu.be/RRpDn5qPp3s



E3 2014, Sony Press Conference, June 9, 2014

http://youtu.be/MZO40WBNA60



HelloGames YouTube channel June 2014

http://youtu.be/0APP5WcX8v8



So, what is No Man’s Sky?!

According to Hello Games on their website, No Man’s Sky is “A science-fiction game set in an infinite procedurally generated universe.” I'm not one to disagree with the fine folks at Hello Games! I also think of it as a First Person perspective, open world, open universe, space exploration and adventure game.



www.nomanssky.com



http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/14/e3-2014-the-journey-to-the-center-of-the-universe-in-no-mans-sky



E3 2014 PS Blog, stage interview with Sean Murray

http://youtu.be/U9muD249qNM



Hello Games and No Man’s Sky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTczqx-PWJU



http://www.stuff.tv/how-build-your-own-universe/feature



Procedural generation… So it’s a roguelike?

Well, yes…and no. The universe is static and the same for everyone; we all share the same universe in No Man’s Sky. The code that determines what and where everything is is procedural, but it doesn't generate different random things when you leave a planet and then return to that planet. Hello Games wrote their own program that uses math to generate everything when it is needed. Nothing is hand-placed but what is generated can still remain constant; the system is based on and uses voxels instead of polygons. Infinite variations of animals, ships, foliage, terrain, etc. are all based on real elements, compounds, and follow the rules and formulas of those things based on the program. Sean Murray (Director) cites the example of each planet being its own “dungeon” in the sense of roguelikes, however every planet is the same for every person, every time. The system is procedural in the sense that Hello Games wrote the program that tells the planets how to generate, but then the planets remain that way forever once the game creates them.



Creatures are designed around skeletal and muscular systems, and then generated with variations from there. Variants are used to generate a wide range of diverse yet physically complex and scientifically based forms of life. Basically a procedural code creates static planets and life forms based on a special procedural variant program. Check these articles out for a better idea of how it all works.



One of the best articles to date about No Man’s Sky procedural generation.

http://kotaku.com/how-a-seemingly-impossible-game-is-possible-1592820595



http://www.edge-online.com/news/hello-games-sean-murray-on-creating-and-exploring-no-mans-skys-procedural-worlds/



PLEASE DO NOT POST YET. TwinStickGaming.com | twitter: @astroduck79

Waiting for: No Man's Sky, Destiny, Rogue Legacy, The Witness, Fallout 4 Developer & Publisher: Hello GamesPlatforms: PlayStation 4, PC, others unannouncedRelease Date: To Be AnnouncedPlayers: OneI am humbled by trying to collect and present the information we have about No Man’s Sky. There is still so much that we do not know, but we have learned a lot since E3 2014 and I decided to make a proper FAQ to replace my other topic. Hopefully this will help new fans understand the game a bit more. I will continue to update and revise the FAQ as release dates and other important information becomes available. Please forgive the myriad of errors I am likely to make. Your contributions and collection of data helps tremendously. Thank you for reading!Watch these trailers first. They represent actual gameplay footage.Reveal Trailer, VGX December 2013http://youtu.be/RRpDn5qPp3sE3 2014, Sony Press Conference, June 9, 2014http://youtu.be/MZO40WBNA60HelloGames YouTube channel June 2014http://youtu.be/0APP5WcX8v8According to Hello Games on their website, No Man’s Sky is “A science-fiction game set in an infinite procedurally generated universe.” I'm not one to disagree with the fine folks at Hello Games! I also think of it as a First Person perspective, open world, open universe, space exploration and adventure game.www.nomanssky.comhttp://www.ign.com/articles/2014/06/14/e3-2014-the-journey-to-the-center-of-the-universe-in-no-mans-skyE3 2014 PS Blog, stage interview with Sean Murrayhttp://youtu.be/U9muD249qNMHello Games and No Man’s Skyhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTczqx-PWJUhttp://www.stuff.tv/how-build-your-own-universe/featureWell, yes…and no. The universe is static and the same for everyone; we all share the same universe in No Man’s Sky. The code that determines what and where everything is is procedural, but it doesn't generate different random things when you leave a planet and then return to that planet. Hello Games wrote their own program that uses math to generate everything when it is needed. Nothing is hand-placed but what is generated can still remain constant; the system is based on and uses voxels instead of polygons. Infinite variations of animals, ships, foliage, terrain, etc. are all based on real elements, compounds, and follow the rules and formulas of those things based on the program. Sean Murray (Director) cites the example of each planet being its own “dungeon” in the sense of roguelikes, however every planet is the same for every person, every time. The system is procedural in the sense that Hello Games wrote the program that tells the planets how to generate, but then the planets remain that way forever once the game creates them.Creatures are designed around skeletal and muscular systems, and then generated with variations from there. Variants are used to generate a wide range of diverse yet physically complex and scientifically based forms of life. Basically a procedural code creates static planets and life forms based on a special procedural variant program. Check these articles out for a better idea of how it all works.One of the best articles to date about No Man’s Sky procedural generation.http://kotaku.com/how-a-seemingly-impossible-game-is-possible-1592820595http://www.edge-online.com/news/hello-games-sean-murray-on-creating-and-exploring-no-mans-skys-procedural-worlds/

User Info: CaIiber345 CaIiber345 (Topic Creator) 6 years ago #2 What do we do?

Whatever we want! The purpose of the game is to explore the planets, solar system, and universe, and to create and find our own adventures. There is lore, but no rigid plot that demands we do things in any specific way. There are no missions or quest givers. The only loosely stated goal is for players to reach the center of the galaxy (where there is a black hole...); however, we don’t know what happens after that. Gameplay will continue, though, and there may well be more than one galaxy. As you get closer and closer to the center of the galaxy, the creatures and environments on planets will become increasingly dangerous and even more alien. Getting to the center of the galaxy is supposed to be challenging and requires strategy and planning. (The recent Game Informer article claims that there is indeed a black hole at the center of the galaxy. Several smart folks on this board have stated they believe a black hole is at the center of the galaxy.)



You can explore, trade goods, haul cargo, attack space pirates, or even pillage and plunder like one. Your space suit will need to be upgraded if you want to explore more diverse and harsh terrain, whether it is underwater or in other inhospitable environments. You can scan and collect materials and resources on planets that are used for these upgrades, and you can also identify new species of creatures while exploring new planets. You can upgrade your ship's storage capacity to carry more cargo, but you'll be heavier and slower; keep it light and upgrade the hyperdrive for easier and serious interstellar travel. You can upgrade the ship's weapons for more firepower if attacking other spacecraft is your thing.



No Man’s Sky drops you into a universe and leaves you to your own devices. It wants nothing more from you other than your imagination and sense of adventure.



http://venturebeat.com/2014/06/16/han-solo-simulator-no-mans-sky-developer-says-the-sci-fi-games-tech-came-after-the-idea/



I saw guns and shooting in the trailers.

You will be able to arm yourself with guns when on foot, however we have no information on how many weapons and what types of weapons will be available. Ships will be outfitted with weapons for dogfighting and space combat.



Is there competitive multiplayer?

No, as of now there is no traditional competitive multiplayer mode. All players exist in the same shared universe, yet the universe is so vast that you won’t stumble across other players with any frequency (or at least not initially). 90% of the planets in the game will be fairly average and barren. The other 10% will be alive and compatible with fantastic life, as seen in the trailers. These planets can be fully explored, including underwater and cave sections. Imagine the time it will take you to fly around and/or explore an entire planet on foot! Hello Games has designed the game with interstellar distances and solitude in mind. We don't know if trading, buying, selling, gifting, etc. are possible between human players. Of course the possibility of player interaction exists, but No Man’s Sky is not a competitive First Person Shooter.



As to what happens if you and another player do find one another… Set phasers to stun?



How do I access suit and ship upgrades?

We don’t know if there will be trading posts, merchants, and shops on actual planets, but Space Stations will be available and will offer commerce for our upgrades. You can even keep track of certain days of the week and what items/ships appear there specifically or only on those days. There will be common ships as well as rare ones. Collecting resources and materials from planets goes toward upgrading suits and ships.



PLEASE DO NOT POST YET. TwinStickGaming.com | twitter: @astroduck79

Waiting for: No Man's Sky, Destiny, Rogue Legacy, The Witness, Fallout 4 Whatever we want! The purpose of the game is to explore the planets, solar system, and universe, and to create and find our own adventures. There is lore, but no rigid plot that demands we do things in any specific way. There are no missions or quest givers. The only loosely stated goal is for players to reach the center of the galaxy (where there is a black hole...); however, we don’t know what happens after that. Gameplay will continue, though, and there may well be more than one galaxy. As you get closer and closer to the center of the galaxy, the creatures and environments on planets will become increasingly dangerous and even more alien. Getting to the center of the galaxy is supposed to be challenging and requires strategy and planning. (The recent Game Informer article claims that there is indeed a black hole at the center of the galaxy. Several smart folks on this board have stated they believe a black hole is at the center of the galaxy.)You can explore, trade goods, haul cargo, attack space pirates, or even pillage and plunder like one. Your space suit will need to be upgraded if you want to explore more diverse and harsh terrain, whether it is underwater or in other inhospitable environments. You can scan and collect materials and resources on planets that are used for these upgrades, and you can also identify new species of creatures while exploring new planets. You can upgrade your ship's storage capacity to carry more cargo, but you'll be heavier and slower; keep it light and upgrade the hyperdrive for easier and serious interstellar travel. You can upgrade the ship's weapons for more firepower if attacking other spacecraft is your thing.No Man’s Sky drops you into a universe and leaves you to your own devices. It wants nothing more from you other than your imagination and sense of adventure.http://venturebeat.com/2014/06/16/han-solo-simulator-no-mans-sky-developer-says-the-sci-fi-games-tech-came-after-the-idea/You will be able to arm yourself with guns when on foot, however we have no information on how many weapons and what types of weapons will be available. Ships will be outfitted with weapons for dogfighting and space combat.No, as of now there is no traditional competitive multiplayer mode. All players exist in the same shared universe, yet the universe is so vast that you won’t stumble across other players with any frequency (or at least not initially). 90% of the planets in the game will be fairly average and barren. The other 10% will be alive and compatible with fantastic life, as seen in the trailers. These planets can be fully explored, including underwater and cave sections. Imagine the time it will take you to fly around and/or explore an entire planet on foot! Hello Games has designed the game with interstellar distances and solitude in mind. We don't know if trading, buying, selling, gifting, etc. are possible between human players. Of course the possibility of player interaction exists, but No Man’s Sky is not a competitive First Person Shooter.As to what happens if you and another player do find one another… Set phasers to stun?We don’t know if there will be trading posts, merchants, and shops on actual planets, but Space Stations will be available and will offer commerce for our upgrades. You can even keep track of certain days of the week and what items/ships appear there specifically or only on those days. There will be common ships as well as rare ones. Collecting resources and materials from planets goes toward upgrading suits and ships.

User Info: CaIiber345 CaIiber345 (Topic Creator) 6 years ago #3 Can I customize my ship?

As of now, no we cannot. We do not know if that will change in the future. Upgrading will alter the ship’s performance and capabilities, while I would imagine customizing might mean cosmetic changes. Sean Murray has stated he wonders if people will even devise their own websites, wikis, etc. devoted to cataloging the various ships and upgrades for reference.



Can I die? Can my ship blow up?

You and your ship can most certainly meet with an unfavorable cosmic accident. If you die, you will respawn at your ship without whatever items you have collected since your last visit to the ship. (Let us say, when you landed. If you found and collected ten pieces of iron, it is gone.) If your ship blows up, its cargo is lost. I do not know if the ship will respawn, or if it has to be repaired.



What happens when I find new planets?

If you discover a planet before anyone else, your name will appear and you will be credited as the discoverer whenever someone else visits that planet. You also have a choice; upload that planet’s location and information to a star map for everyone else to see, or keep that information to you. You can also name the planets that you discover, although more details about how that works are not known yet. Sean Murray guesses that players will encounter places and things that the development team hasn't seen, and they're excited to see what people find and do in their universe.



Why does the game look so…colorful?

Well, I would challenge that with the fact that space is a very colorful place. :)

Hello Games has based the strong sci-fi aesthetic of the game’s universe around old science fiction artwork from novels and posters, as well as their own conceptions. Search for cover art for Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke for some more examples.



http://kotaku.com/what-no-man-s-sky-is-1592766016



http://www.phusewebdesign.co.uk/uploads/SCI-FI6-1.jpg



http://visualmelt.com/#Isaac-Asimov-Book-covers



Why does flooding keep coming up when I google No Man’s Sky?

On Christmas Eve 2013, terrible weather caused flooding and destruction at Hello Games’ office. They lost a lot (but not everything). They have since rebuilt!



http://www.hellogames.org/2014/01/the-flood/



http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/15/5311486/hello-games-reassembled-and-developing-after-the-flood



http://kotaku.com/before-it-was-revealed-no-mans-sky-had-some-skeptics-1593331072





Is this game even possible?

Only four people began work on No Man’s Sky. It took over a year before they felt ready to show it to anyone, including the other employees at Hello Games who were working on the Joe Danger games. They designed and created their own programming for it. They’ve hired on a few more folks recently. They have their own servers where a computer basically plays the game on different files. It is their way of bug-testing, and also seeing just what the game’s code creates given the vast amount of variations.



PLEASE DO NOT POST YET. TwinStickGaming.com | twitter: @astroduck79

Waiting for: No Man's Sky, Destiny, Rogue Legacy, The Witness, Fallout 4 As of now, no we cannot. We do not know if that will change in the future. Upgrading will alter the ship’s performance and capabilities, while I would imagine customizing might mean cosmetic changes. Sean Murray has stated he wonders if people will even devise their own websites, wikis, etc. devoted to cataloging the various ships and upgrades for reference.You and your ship can most certainly meet with an unfavorable cosmic accident. If you die, you will respawn at your ship without whatever items you have collected since your last visit to the ship. (Let us say, when you landed. If you found and collected ten pieces of iron, it is gone.) If your ship blows up, its cargo is lost. I do not know if the ship will respawn, or if it has to be repaired.If you discover a planet before anyone else, your name will appear and you will be credited as the discoverer whenever someone else visits that planet. You also have a choice; upload that planet’s location and information to a star map for everyone else to see, or keep that information to you. You can also name the planets that you discover, although more details about how that works are not known yet. Sean Murray guesses that players will encounter places and things that the development team hasn't seen, and they're excited to see what people find and do in their universe.Well, I would challenge that with the fact that space is a very colorful place. :)Hello Games has based the strong sci-fi aesthetic of the game’s universe around old science fiction artwork from novels and posters, as well as their own conceptions. Search for cover art for Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke for some more examples.http://kotaku.com/what-no-man-s-sky-is-1592766016http://www.phusewebdesign.co.uk/uploads/SCI-FI6-1.jpghttp://visualmelt.com/#Isaac-Asimov-Book-coversOn Christmas Eve 2013, terrible weather caused flooding and destruction at Hello Games’ office. They lost a lot (but not everything). They have since rebuilt!http://www.hellogames.org/2014/01/the-flood/http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/15/5311486/hello-games-reassembled-and-developing-after-the-floodhttp://kotaku.com/before-it-was-revealed-no-mans-sky-had-some-skeptics-1593331072Only four people began work on No Man’s Sky. It took over a year before they felt ready to show it to anyone, including the other employees at Hello Games who were working on the Joe Danger games. They designed and created their own programming for it. They’ve hired on a few more folks recently. They have their own servers where a computer basically plays the game on different files. It is their way of bug-testing, and also seeing just what the game’s code creates given the vast amount of variations.

User Info: CaIiber345 CaIiber345 (Topic Creator) 6 years ago #4 This game looks awesome, but I don’t know much about outer space.

Start here. (Several users here are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about space, astronomy, cosmology, etc. Please try to keep space questions within appropriate topics.)



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_space



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_travel



http://www.outerspaceuniverse.org/



http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/The_Universe_Made_Simple



Thanks to Yunthor_HnC for the following links.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive - The Alcubierre Drive is the only realistically possible theory right now for FTL. In base premise, it’s similar to the Warp Drive from Star Trek. The theory, in the most basic form, is to shrink space in front of the vessel and expand it behind the vessel. This would allow for FTL travel because while matter cannot travel faster than light, in this case the matter (I.E., the ship) is ‘standing still’ and space is moving around it.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_tunnelling - This theory is the closest to a working ‘Star Wars’ style FTL ‘hyperspace’ theory. In Star Wars, rather than warping space around them, they create minor wormholes and ‘slip’ through dimensions. Yes, I’m aware QT isn’t actually the same thing to Star Wars in the way the Alcubierre Drive is to Star Trek, but it’s as close as we have right now. Incidentally, a version of QT was added to the Star Trek universe, as well, first introduced in Voyager and becoming more fleshed out in the books and Star Trek Online game (which takes place in the original Star Trek timeline).



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperspace_(science_fiction) - Of course, still being science fiction, they could do straight up ‘hyperspace’.



Various links to both older and newer articles.



Ted Price (Insomniac Games) and Sean Murray just talking games. 40 minute video.

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/06/26/watch-no-mans-skys-sean-murray-meet-insomniacs-ted-price.aspx



http://www.hellogames.org



http://www.polygon.com/game/no-man-s-sky/35726



http://kotaku.com/tag/no-mans-sky



https://mobile.twitter.com/NoMansSky



http://www.pcgamer.com/2014/01/16/no-mans-sky-wont-face-delay-despite-floods-best-efforts/





5 things to know

http://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/21626/20140124/man-s-sky-news-5-things-know.htm



Playstation blog E3

http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/06/10/mans-sky-coming-ps4/





GameFAQS users’ predictions for No Man’s Sky release.



random_guy257: 2014

Rjmhart: 2015, 2016



Special thanks to the following contributors!

Rjmhart

random_guy257

Re7elaTioN

Yunthor_HnC



YOU CAN POST NOW. THANKS FOR READING! TwinStickGaming.com | twitter: @astroduck79

Waiting for: No Man's Sky, Destiny, Rogue Legacy, The Witness, Fallout 4 Start here. (Several users here are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about space, astronomy, cosmology, etc. Please try to keep space questions within appropriate topics.)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outer_spacehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_travelhttp://www.outerspaceuniverse.org/http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/The_Universe_Made_SimpleThanks to Yunthor_HnC for the following links.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive - The Alcubierre Drive is the only realistically possible theory right now for FTL. In base premise, it’s similar to the Warp Drive from Star Trek. The theory, in the most basic form, is to shrink space in front of the vessel and expand it behind the vessel. This would allow for FTL travel because while matter cannot travel faster than light, in this case the matter (I.E., the ship) is ‘standing still’ and space is moving around it.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_tunnelling - This theory is the closest to a working ‘Star Wars’ style FTL ‘hyperspace’ theory. In Star Wars, rather than warping space around them, they create minor wormholes and ‘slip’ through dimensions. Yes, I’m aware QT isn’t actually the same thing to Star Wars in the way the Alcubierre Drive is to Star Trek, but it’s as close as we have right now. Incidentally, a version of QT was added to the Star Trek universe, as well, first introduced in Voyager and becoming more fleshed out in the books and Star Trek Online game (which takes place in the original Star Trek timeline).http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperspace_(science_fiction) - Of course, still being science fiction, they could do straight up ‘hyperspace’.Ted Price (Insomniac Games) and Sean Murray just talking games. 40 minute video.http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2014/06/26/watch-no-mans-skys-sean-murray-meet-insomniacs-ted-price.aspxhttp://www.hellogames.orghttp://www.polygon.com/game/no-man-s-sky/35726http://kotaku.com/tag/no-mans-skyhttps://mobile.twitter.com/NoMansSkyhttp://www.pcgamer.com/2014/01/16/no-mans-sky-wont-face-delay-despite-floods-best-efforts/5 things to knowhttp://www.idigitaltimes.com/articles/21626/20140124/man-s-sky-news-5-things-know.htmPlaystation blog E3http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2014/06/10/mans-sky-coming-ps4/GameFAQS users’ predictions for No Man’s Sky release.random_guy257: 2014Rjmhart: 2015, 2016Special thanks to the following contributors!Rjmhartrandom_guy257Re7elaTioNYunthor_HnC

User Info: CaIiber345 CaIiber345 (Topic Creator) 6 years ago #5 TwinStickGaming.com | twitter: @astroduck79

Waiting for: No Man's Sky, Destiny, Rogue Legacy, The Witness, Fallout 4 Bump for shameless sticky request. :p

User Info: CruorComa CruorComa 6 years ago #6 If you have a problem with potheads, throw your computer out the window right now. Why should you be able leech off the creativity of those you condemn? Good work, informative and easy to read. Sticky requested.

User Info: Re7elaTioN Re7elaTioN 6 years ago #7 "At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought." Sticky requested.

User Info: CaIiber345 CaIiber345 (Topic Creator) 6 years ago #8 GameSpot's Four Day Video Series.



This needs to be included here. Four videos highlight and explain various aspects of NMS. Thanks to abouttreefitty for posting it in his topic.



http://www.gamespot.com/the-next-big-game-no-mans-sky/ TwinStickGaming.com | twitter: @astroduck79

Waiting for: No Man's Sky, Destiny, Rogue Legacy, The Witness, Fallout 4 This needs to be included here. Four videos highlight and explain various aspects of NMS. Thanks to abouttreefitty for posting it in his topic.http://www.gamespot.com/the-next-big-game-no-mans-sky/

User Info: joshsmith16 joshsmith16 6 years ago #9 Here's a collection of links for various articles and interviews:



http://www.reddit.com/r/NoMansSkyTheGame/comments/2aixfb/suggestion_stickied_information_archivelibrary/