In No Man’s Sky, space travel is one of the most essential aspects of gameplay. Whether you’re engaging in starship combat, exploring distant planets, or navigating asteroid fields, your ship’s maneuverability plays a huge role in how smooth and effective your experience is. Many players overlook the importance of increasing their maneuverability stats, focusing instead on raw speed or firepower. However, upgrading maneuverability in NMS can drastically improve your control during flight, especially when dogfighting or flying through dense environments. Improving your ship’s agility isn’t just about faster turns it’s about creating a more fluid, responsive starship that makes every journey easier to handle.
Understanding Maneuverability in No Man’s Sky
What Maneuverability Affects
Maneuverability in No Man’s Sky refers to how agile your starship is when turning, dodging, or making tight directional changes in flight. It is especially noticeable in combat scenarios where you need to quickly face an enemy or escape incoming fire. It also helps when trying to land in awkward terrain or fly through complex structures like derelict freighters or cave systems on planets.
Stats That Influence Agility
When viewing your starship’s stat screen, the key attribute to look for is Maneuverability. This stat is displayed as a number, typically ranging from low hundreds (for larger ships) to over a thousand for nimble fighters. The higher the number, the more responsive your ship will be when turning or adjusting its heading.
Choosing the Right Ship Type
Best Ship Classes for High Maneuverability
Before diving into upgrades, your ship choice heavily impacts how maneuverable you can become. Some classes are inherently better suited for fast, responsive movement:
- Fighter Class: Fighters generally have the highest base maneuverability stats. They are built for combat and speed, making them ideal for players focused on dogfights and fast movement.
- Explorer Class: Explorers have decent maneuverability but lean more toward warp range and efficiency. They can be a good balance if you want moderate agility with strong travel potential.
- Shuttle and Hauler Classes: These ships tend to be bulkier and slower, making them poor choices if agility is your priority.
Exotic Ships and S-Class Ships
Exotic ships, which are often S-class by default, tend to have excellent stats across the board. While not always as nimble as a pure Fighter, they offer good maneuverability alongside top-tier bonuses. S-class ships of any type often offer higher upgrade potential, so choosing an S-class Fighter or Exotic is ideal for maximizing agility.
Installing Maneuverability Upgrade Modules
Understanding Upgrade Modules
Upgrade Modules, also known as Technology Modules, are the primary method for enhancing ship stats. They can be purchased from the Starship Outfitting Terminal on space stations or acquired through missions and looting. For maneuverability, you’re looking for modules labeled with terms like Pulse Engine Module or Maneuverability Booster.
Types of Maneuverability Upgrades
There are a few module types that directly impact your maneuvering ability:
- Pulse Engine Modules (S/A/B Class): These upgrade your pulse engine’s efficiency, boosting thrust, speed, and turning ability.
- Launch Thruster Modules: While mainly for takeoff cost reduction, some also add slight improvements to maneuvering while close to planetary surfaces.
- Starship Shield Modules: Indirectly useful by allowing more time to escape or turn during battle, especially when combined with high agility.
How to Install Efficiently
Placement matters when installing upgrades. Install similar modules next to the core tech component to receive adjacency bonuses. For example, placing three S-Class Pulse Engine Modules next to your default Pulse Engine will provide extra maneuverability bonuses due to the synergy effect. Try to keep them grouped together on your ship’s technology grid for maximum performance.
Using the Starship Outfitting Terminal
Buying S-Class Modules
Each space station has a vendor that sells randomized upgrade modules. Look for S-Class Pulse Engine Modules, as these provide the highest bonuses. You can refresh their stock by warping to another system or reloading your game. It might take time to collect three S-Class maneuverability modules, but the result is worth the effort.
Scrapping Ships for Modules
If you find duplicate ships or ones you no longer need, scrapping them at the terminal provides upgrade modules, nanites, and sometimes even storage augmentations. You can get lucky and receive Pulse Engine upgrades that increase maneuverability this way.
Improving Ship Handling Through Customization
Upgrading Your Existing Ship
If you love your current ship but it feels too sluggish, you can use nanites and augmentations to improve it. The Starship Outfitting Terminal allows you to upgrade its class. Going from B to A, and then A to S, can drastically improve all base stats, including maneuverability.
Augmenting Storage for Efficiency
Freeing up space by moving modules to the Technology tab allows more upgrades to be active. This means you can maximize your agility while still maintaining room for other essential tech like warp drives or shield modules.
Enhancing Maneuverability with Flight Techniques
Practice Manual Control
In space or on planets, switching from auto-pilot landing to manual mode gives you more precise control. Turning off auto-hover (when descending on a planet) can help you make sharper turns and land more efficiently. Combine this with throttle management for tighter cornering.
Use Boost Strategically
The boost function not only increases speed but also affects how quickly your ship reacts to directional changes. In combat, use short bursts to reposition, then immediately release boost to regain tight turning control. This balance improves overall handling.
Experiment with First and Third Person View
Some players find it easier to fly with precision in first-person view, while others prefer third-person for situational awareness. Switching between views can help you find the style that gives you better control, especially when performing tricky maneuvers.
Maximizing Performance for Combat
Combine Maneuverability with Weapons
Agility isn’t just about moving fast it allows you to keep weapons on target. Equip weapons with fast tracking, like the Phase Beam or Infra-Knife Accelerator, to take advantage of tight turns. High maneuverability lets you stay on your target and dodge incoming fire more effectively.
Defensive Maneuvers
When under attack by pirates or sentinels, quick turns and barrel rolls are essential. A highly maneuverable ship can dodge missiles, escape tractor beams, and reposition behind enemies faster. This reduces shield damage and improves survival rates in extended fights.
Tips for Optimizing Your Ship Build
- Focus on S-Class upgrades for maximum benefit
- Use adjacency bonuses by aligning modules properly
- Prioritize maneuverability over speed for better control
- Regularly test your build in combat to find weaknesses
- Use ship upgrade stations to boost class and stats
Upgrading maneuverability in No Man’s Sky is one of the most effective ways to improve your piloting experience. Whether you’re looking to dominate space combat, navigate treacherous planets, or simply make flight more enjoyable, increasing your ship’s agility brings noticeable benefits. Start by choosing a maneuverable ship type, install the best pulse engine upgrades you can find, and take advantage of synergy bonuses in your tech layout. With the right approach and a bit of persistence, you’ll transform your starship into a nimble, responsive vessel that’s a joy to fly in any situation.
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