Finding A Planet

This guide covers how to navigate the universe and find a planet. You'll learn to use the StarMap and Telescope, as well as what to look for. If you already know how to navigate and traverse the universe but require help picking a planet, consider skipping to here. Finding a planet may take some time, don't give up!

A startership floating in space above a starterplanet

Navigating and traversing the universe

To navigate and traverse the universe, you will need to learn how to use the StarMap, Telescope, and HyperDrive. Let's start with the former.

An image of a StarMap, along with a Telescope

The Starmap

The StarMap is divided into the Universe and Solar views.

You can toggle between them by clicking Mode in the bottom-right of the StarMap.

In the Universe view, you will be able to see nearby stars and their coordinates. The Solar view will show your current solar system; its star and orbiting planets.

Clicking on a planet displayed on the StarMap will automatically configure the (view)coordinates property of attached HyperDrives and Telescopes to its coordinates.

• A StarMap in the Universe and Solar views.
• 

  A StarMap in the Universe view.

• 

  The StarMap in the Solar view

The Telescope

The Telescope is used to look at the properties of celestial bodies. These include;

• Planet/Star type (See Planets/Star page for more info.)
• Resources (See link for more info)
• Atmosphere (Breathable/Non-breathable)
• Average Temperature
• Gravity
• Rings (True/False)
• Tidally locked (True/False)
• Radius (Only for stars/black holes)

An example of the telescope UI

Before entering a planet, you should always look at its properties (if possible) as entering a planet with conditions you are not prepared to deal with may prove deadly.

You should be especially wary of hot planets, as they may set your propulsion (And if the temperature is high enough even PowerCells and Solar panels) ablaze if proper cooling is not supplied. If this happens, try to quickly craft and attach a few Coolers to a power source, and then leave the game to prevent the fire from spreading or completely destroying your propulsion.

To view a celestial body's properties, simply configure the Telescope's ViewCoordinates property to the celestial body's Universe coordinates and click it. Be aware that the Telescope requires power to operate.

The HyperDrive

The HyperDrive is used to traverse the Universe. Simply configure its coordinates property to the coordinates you wish to travel to, ensure it is powered (Required power is listed in red text on the HyperDrive), and send a trigger signal (A simple yet effective way is to simply place a button on it and click it when you wish to warp).

Note that you will have to input star's coordinates manually using the config tool of the hammer, make sure to add two zeros after the universe coordinates. (x, y, 0,0, NOT x, y)

Looking for a planet

Now that you know how to navigate and traverse the Universe, it is time to look for a planet. Picking a planet out of all the possible ones is hard, so you should first try to narrow it down.

Finding a solar system

You should start with the star and solar system; at least for the early game, this guide recommends likely going for a blue giant (O type), a sol-like (yellow/F type) or orange (K type) star. Blue giants may be slightly more risky due to also being of interest to other players, though the increased power generation from solar panels means it is a risk worth considering. There are plenty of solar systems with these start types, so if you don't like their planets you can always quickly find a new one.

Beutron or black hole systems are also an option, though are much rarer than other system types. This means finding one with the rights planets will be quite difficult. Due to their rarity, these systems may also attract the attention of raiders. Their pros may outweigh their cons, however. Especially so for more experienced players. Neutron stars provide high solar power generation rates and can be mined for Neutronium, while DarkMatter can be extracted from black holes. Both of these types of system also offer increased alien spawn rates; useful for those wanting to hunt them, less so for those just wanting some peace.

Red giants (M type) are the worst of the bunch due to their low solar power generation rates. They can still make a great home system though, as you don't necessarily have to rely on solar power. They shouldn't be disregarded as they may still have great planets, but be aware of the poor power generation you'll get if you heavily rely on solar power.

Once you've decided what type of star type(s) you'd like, you should try to explore around a bit until you find it. Don't instantly dismiss solar systems just because their star type isn't what you desire, though. Some may have planets which more than make up for it, a great opportunity to explore this possibility is if you have to recharge at a star whose type isn't what you want. Instead of sitting around, try to look at some of its planets using your telescope.

Please do note that you should strive to get as far away as possible from starter planets, as players will often visit nearby systems, increasing the risk of your base being found.

It's also good practice to write down plausible solar systems, later comparing their pros and cons.

For solar systems, just look for ones with many plausible planets (you'll learn how to identify these in the following section of this article), and if also possible, no Earthlike ones as they may later become starters.

Finding a planet

As for planets, you should only really look at 5 things, in decreasing importance;

1. Resources
2. Planet type
3. Temperature
4. Tidally locked
5. Breathable atmosphere

First and foremost, you should look for resources. Without good resources, you cannot make any of the more advanced items in this game. The ones which you just pay special attention to are;

• Uranium
• Aluminum
• Diamond
• Titanium

If possible, all required resources should be on your planet, though if you cannot find one with all of them, it may be worth compromising on a planet which has a majority of the ones which you'll be using the most, with the rest preferably being on other planets in your solar system.

Second off, you should look at the planet type.

If you need a lot of resources and don't really care about habitability, go for a barren one. Note you will not have any grass or water, and will have to obtain them using hydroponics and melters respectively. On the contrary, if you just want an easy first base, a terra or forest planet would be ideal as they are almost always easily habitable and can still generate with all of the resources you'd find on a barren (except beryllium).

Tundras or deserts are great if you want to lower your risk of being raided and/or require a lot of space, though they offer slightly less resources than barren planets and can be quite difficult to inhabit. Exotic planets vary, and there isn't really a good general rule of thumb for them.

Ocean planets should only really be considered once you've already set up a base as they are can be hard to inhabit. They have decent resources. If you like living underwater or want to hide, these are a decent pick.

If a planet doesn't meet your requirements, going for a ring base is also an option, in this case you should look for a gas giant. Do know that these can be quite difficult to set up and aren't really recommended for new players. Advanced players may also choose to enter the gas giant itself, this however requires a lot of preparation, and requires a good power source available through relays as there is no other good way of getting power in gas giants.

For a more complete analysis of each planet type, take a look at the pages under Category:Planets.

The conditions of the planet are also important; you should optimally look for a planet with a habitable temperature (Around -10-80 degrees), which is either not tidally locked or is locked to daytime, and which has a breathable atmosphere. Temperature is most important, as having an incredibly hot or cold planet will make building out your base quite difficult. The planet being tidally locked or not is also important, as it being perpetual night means you will have to use night vision goggles or lights at all times, and generating power by using solar panels will be impossible. If you are fine with this, you may ignore it. A breathable atmosphere is also important, though not having one can be solved quite easily as air supplies have a massive range, and can easily be carried on backpacks (Apparel).

Once you've found a planet to call home, (assuming you aren't already there) simply warp to it using your HyperDrive, and prepare to enter it. Once you've made sure you can safely enter the planet, simply point your ship at it and turn on your propulsion. Once you're in planet itself, it is time to find a spot for your new base.

Where to go from here

Congrats 🎉! You've found a planet to call home! Now, you simply have to find a spot for your new, permanent base. To start, you should check whether the planet you are going to settle is already inhabited. If this is the case, you may either choose to ignore the existing base (A lot of them are abandoned), or look for a new planet. You may also choose to raid it and take its resources, though this is up to you.

A spot for your base should have resources nearby, and a lot of space for later expansion. With the knowledge you gained from escaping your starter planet, you should have no problem setting up your first base. If this is the case though, consult Getting Started again.

Good luck!