No Man’s Sky is an ambitious game with a massive universe. Now, we have a bit more information on how the economy within the game will work.
In an interview with IGN, No Man’s Sky managing director Sean Murray described the trading and crafting in the game, revealing that players can choose how they interact with the game’s economy.
For example, players can go down to planets and gather materials, and then craft them into objects later on. To craft, players must find different chemical elements on planets, gather them, and then figure out how to put them together. It was stated that players will not be given the formulas for crafting; rather, players must figure out the formulas on their own.
Those who decide to not set foot on a planet and stay in space can still make money. Murray explained that there is a free-market economy in the game, which means that different items can have different prices at spaceports. This will allow gamers to buy items at one spaceport and then travel to another to sell them at a higher price.
The economy in No Man’s Sky economy will also continue to operate without player involvement. AI-controlled characters will travel between planets and spaceports, bringing materials to sell and trade. They will transport materials to other systems. Murray stated that one of his favorite in-game activities is to sit in space and see the economy progress around him. He states: “I often just like to sit there [in space]. It’s quite nice… you get to sit there and watch the trade economy in motion.”
No Man’s Sky is scheduled to release sometime this year on PC and PlayStation 4.