Building a Base is a very important activity in No Man's Sky, allowing you to build your own sanctuary amongst the lonely stars.
Bases provide protection from the environmental hazards that plague many of the planets you visit, while offering you a safe place to store useful machinery, such as the Construction Research Unit and Base Teleport Module.
Here we'll walk you through the building your very first Base in No Man's Sky, including how to upgrade your Multi-tool and find various materials.
On this page:
- What are Bases and Base Building in No Man's Sky?
- How to build a Terrain Manipulator in No Man's Sky
- How to build a Base Computer in No Man's Sky
- How to build your first Base in No Man's Sky
- How to build a Construction Research Unit in No Man's Sky
- How to find Salvaged Data and build a Base Teleport Module in No Man's Sky
- Other tips and tricks for Base Building in No Man's Sky
What are Bases and Base Building in No Man's Sky?
A Base in No Man's Sky is a hide-out you can build on the planets you visit throughout your journey through the stars. You can build as many or as little Bases as you like.
Bases provided you with protection from any environmental hazard that plagues the planet you visit and as well as a safe place to store any important technology you might need.
If you're going to be on an inhospitable planet for a while, you're going to want a Base.
You can also use Base Teleport Modules to quickly travel between your various Bases and any Space Station Terminuses that are connected to the network.
Base Building is, of course, the process you use to build a Base. It's a very simple mechanic that intuitively places premade the panels into place, allowing you to quickly build your Base no matter the climate.
How to build a Terrain Manipulator in No Man's Sky
Before you can start building your base, you need to add a Terrain Manipulator to your Multi-tool. This will allow you to mine for various metals and buried objects across your new planet.
To create this the Terrain Manipulator you need:
- 2 Carbon Nanotubes
- 2 Di-hydrogen Jelly
You should already know how to make these materials as they were important parts of repairing your ship.
In total, you will need to gather 80 Di-hydrogen for the two Di-hydrogen Jellies and 100 Carbon for the Carbon Nanotubes. Analyse any crystals you find while gathering Di-hydrogen, as they can be broken down for more of the resource.
Once you've crafted these materials, you can install the Terrain Manipulator by opening your Multi-tool inventory and selecting the flashing option for this new technology.
Now you can start mining your new planet!
How to build a Base Computer in No Man's Sky
If you want to build a base, then you must first build a Base Computer.
For this you'll need 40 Chromatic Metal and to make that you'll need 80 Copper.
To find a Copper Deposit, activate your Analysis Visor and scan the surrounding area.
The symbol for a metal deposit is a diamond shape made out of four triangles. Hovering over the symbol will tell you what kind of metal you'll find there and how far away it is.
Once you find a Copper Deposit, you can tag it, allowing you to track it down without having your visor constantly on.
When you reach the Copper Deposit, whip out your Terrain Manipulator and mine 80 Copper.
Next, you need to process this Copper into Chromatic Metal. To do this deploy your Portable Refiner nearby.
First, fuel the Portable Refiner with Carbon and then place your Copper into the Input. Now all you have to do is wait until it has been completed transformed into Chromatic Metal.
Remove your new pile of Chromatic Metal from the Portable Refiner and make sure you pick your Refinier up again.
You'll now be able to build your fist Base Computer.
Don't just place it anywhere though, find a place where you actually want to build a small base. We suggest doing this close to where you parked your ship, since this is your first base and is going to be rather small.
When you reach the ideal spot for your new base, select the Base Computer from the Build Menu and set it down.
How to build your first Base in No Man's Sky
To begin building your base you must first activate the Base Computer to claim this area of the planet as your own.
Next you need to search the Base Computer's archives and extract the plans hidden within.
These plans are the first set of blueprints you'll use to build a base and include:
- Wooden Wall
- Wooden Door Frame
- Wooden Floor Panel
- Wooden Roof
- Flag 2
- Lamp
- Flora Container
With this done, you can finally start building your first Base.
This Base will be built entirely out of wood, which requires Carbon, so we suggest that, before you start building, you go on a Carbon hunt to save time later.
In total you'll need 200 Carbon. You'll also want to gather 10 Ferrite Dust.
You will be able to find both of these resources by using your Mining Beam on the local plant life and rocks.
First step is base building is laying your foundations. To do this select Wooden Floor Panel from the Build Menu and place it where you want your Base to stand. Each Wooden Floor Panel cost 20 Carbon.
We suggest only putting down one floor panel, because this only a starter base and it will save on Carbon. Feel free to experiment if you like, but remember - it will cost you more Carbon!
Next come the walls. Each Wooden Wall costs 40 Carbon, making the total total for three walls 120 Carbon. Like the floor panel, you find the Wooden Wall in the Build Menu and then can place them around the edges of your base's foundation.
Make sure you leave a spot open for the door frame you'll be adding later.
What is a home without a roof?
Drafty.
Add a roof to your Base, providing you will shelter from the environmental hazards of your planet, by, again, selecting it from the Build Menu. Each Wooden Roof costs 20 Carbon and 10 Ferrite Dust.
Finally, the last piece of your Base is the Wooden Door Frame.
One Wooden Door Frame will cost you 40 Carbon. With that in place you'll have yourself a completed Base.
How to build a Construction Research Unit in No Man's Sky
Now that you've built your Base, it's time to put something in it.
Head back to the Base Computer and extract some more plans. You can have the ability to build a Construction Research Unit.
For this you'll need:
- 20 Magnetised Ferrite
- 1 Carbon Nanotubes
You already know how to make a Carbon Nanotubes and might even have enough Carbon left over from your Base building. If you don't, you'll need 50 Carbon.
Magnetised Ferrite is found just like how you found Cooper.
Turn on your Analysis Visor and scan the local area until you find a Magnetised Ferrite Deposit. Tag the deposit and transverse the landscape, then use your Terrain Manipulator once more to mine 20 Magnetised Ferrite.
Return to your Base and you'll be prompted to place the Portable Refinier down. We suggest placing both it and the Construction Research Unit inside your Base, so that you're protected from environmental hazards while using them.
Open your Build Menu and go to the Portable section of the Technology branch to build your Construction Research Unit.
You can now use the Construction Research Unit to receive blueprints for various new technologies, such as a Save Beacon, and new Structures you can use to build better Bases, like windows.
How to find Salvaged Data and build a Base Teleport Module in No Man's Sky
The first piece of new technology you can add to your base is the Base Teleport Module.
A Base Teleport Module will allow you to travel between your various bases and any Space Station Terminuses that are also connected to the network. This makes them an essential part of any base building.
To build a Base Teleport Module, you'll need:
- 4 Metal Plating
- 2 Carbon Nanotubes
- 40 Sodium
- 2 Salvaged Data
In total for the 2 Carbon Nanotubes you'll want 100 Carbon and you need 200 Ferrite Dust for the 4 Metal Plating.
You'll easily be able to collect the majority of these resources now and we have a guide dedicated to finding Salvaged Data.
Use the Construction Research Unit and your new Salvaged Data to retrieve the plans for the Base Teleport Module. Now you can build your first Base Teleport Module and, due to its size, we recommend you place it outside of your first Base.
Take this time to gather any remaining materials that you need, such as more Sodium, and then open your Build Menu. You'll find the option for Base Teleport Module in the General branch of the Technology menu.
Fantastic! You now have your very own Base Teleport Module, but there's one problem - its not turned on.
You can fix that, however, through the use of power and Electrical Wiring.
Cycle back to our main hub for what's new in what's new in No Man's Sky Beyond and more basic info on the big update, otherwise take a look at our deep dive on No Man's Sky multiplayer explained for more on teaming up, our guide to base building, an introduction into electrical wiring and powering your base, to how to expand your Exosuit, Ship and Multi-tool inventory space, and Freighters and Frigates explained. Plus other handy stuff like how to repair your ship and get the Hermetic Seal, Pure Ferrite, Metal Plating and Di-Hydrogen Jelly, locations of theAtlas Pass v1, v2 and v3, a guide to No Man's Sky money and how to earn Units fast, plushow to get Antimatter and the Antimatter recipe, and even how to save the game in No Man's Sky, too. Finally, we have pages on how to reach the centre of the galaxy, how to get Chromatic Metal, and a Journey Milestones list, too.
Other tips and tricks for Base Building in No Man's Sky
Here are some important tips to remember when building a Base in No Man's Sky:
- You can name your Base! You can also rename each planet you visit too. This will allow you to add some personality to your space journey and stretch those creative muscles. Or you could just name your planet Derek.
- Bases protect you from environmental hazards. Being inside a Base will also allow you hazard protection to recharge without having to add any resources, such as Sodium. So if you land on a particularly toxic planet, make building a new Base your first task.
- You can quickly craft multiple materials. When crafting materials, such as Metal Plating, hover over the material to be given the option to Craft More of that material. This will allow you to quickly create more of this material and it will stack the material, saving you Inventory space.
