I just recently got into NMS just before the Aquarius update. I've really enjoyed things so far, but I'm at a weird point now. Every one of my primary missions has some vague objective that I can't actually complete. The story (as it is) seems to have completely stalled out. I'm left to repetitious side missions like the Base Computer Archives and Settlers.
Is there anything else in terms of story, or am I on my own now? I just figured there would be some sort of resolution to Artemis, Atlas, or any of the really cool and interesting plots that seem to be going on here.
There are resolutions to all the quests, yes, but you'll come across the pieces as you explore the universe. You are pretty much on your own now, but I can offer a few tips to progress I think.
You can ignore the base computer quests, and the settlers - those are endless for you now, I think. Something more interesting will pop up from them if it's a major story beat.
As far as what you're even looking for: Do you have all 16 glyphs? Have you saved any freighters in battle yet? Looted a derelict? Tamed a little companion buddy? Have you made it to the centre of the galaxy? Got an organic ship? Got a fleet? Can you travel to any colour star? It took me ages to find the Constructs, dunno if you've run across them yet... And this is far from a comprehensive list. It's a big universe with lots to find!
Er, well, the tips were kinda in the form of the questions haha 😂 If you can post your mission log (posted mine in a response to OP elsewhere), I or someone else might be able to give more specific pointers (without spoiling anything, if possible).
Good to know. I've seen people online almost Stargating with this big teleporter and figured things would eventually resolve somehow. I suppose I just need to keep exploring!
I've started a settlement, I have a freighter with a bunch of frigates. I have S or A class in every type of ship. I've done a could of derelict frigates. I'm still trying to customize my freighter, but man finding modules is hard! Haven't found any glyphs yet though ...
I'm still planning on exploring and playing, I just wasn't sure if I did something wrong in terms of the story. I think it's super interesting and compelling, so when it just ended I was thrown for a loop.
Can you post a screenshot of your mission log to give more of an idea what stage you're at with each one? I'd kind of assumed you'd found the Anomaly for example, but I shouldn't have. Mine looks like this, on my permadeath save:
I think you're guaranteed the choice of a frigate upgrade module or a bulkhead expansion (freighter inventory slot) at the end of every emergency beacon derelict (the space ones).
Do whatever you want. I like setting goals for myself like building stasis chamber farms, maxing equipment, getting all the techs, building beautiful bases, collecting rare ships, etc.
I honestly don't really remember the main quest progression (I last did it a really long time ago), but I think there were a couple of steps that were time or exploration/research gated..
I can say that the story of Artemis has an ending, you should probably just try go on and research some Archive related things on the Base computer or jump around to new systems
As a general rule, IMHO, to really enjoy it you should treat NMS as a sandbox game that happens to have a story that sometimes pops up
Haven't been to the center of the galaxy yet. I made the Heart of the Sun for Atlas, but then it just wants wonders. I've done this about 5 times and it just keeps repeating.
If you're looking for something to do outside of the story, I'd also recommend checking out the Galactic Hub Project civilization! Many end-game players (including me, playing since release night) have found that it adds substantial life into the game.
No Man's Sky gets regular content updates that add new stuff to the game - graphical updates like new water behaviours for example, new quests, new cosmetics, and new mechanics. Aquarius was the latest update and added fishing and a bunch of fishing related items, quests, and cosmetics.
I've had the game since launch and highly recommend it now. It's very chill, and very pretty. A nice way to unwind after work. When not on a quest, it's a very unguided experience; the trick, I've found, is to set little goals for yourself and then focus on those, one at a time.
The whole message of the game is "the journey is what's important, the destination never existed at all", and the gameplay loop reflects that.