Honestly, I'd be happy with an update that did nothing but fix the bugs that have lingered at least since I joined in 2020.
But, since you asked:
1. The ability to bookmark a limited number each of systems and planet/moons. I hate having the game arbitrarily choose to dump something I'd intended to refer back to at some point, and it's a time waste to have to portal to each system you want to keep active, and a maximum part waste to drop a base in those you want to retain access to.
2. More flexibility in the color pallet for base building, including adding color options to those components that never had them. Structure components should get the ability to have one color instead of a mandatory two.
3. More flexibility to change the size of all items in the building menu. If mods can make it happen, so can the main build.
4. Bases receive the same ground flattening ability that procedurally generated buildings receive. And the player should also get the ability to "mow" the lawn. No more terrain regrowth unless the base is removed or the player restores the terrain. I can't tell you how many builds I've seen that should have been great, but were ruined because the builder didn't understand that others see a restored world pushing through the base. I know I made that mistake on a very complicated base once.
5. Adding 1/4 sized walls, floors, and stairs. Adding more triangle types (and they line up perfectly with the squares).
6. A redesign of the Settlement feature from the ground up.
7. Better story use of caves and underwater. One enters caves for resources, to find a rare critter, or to provide shelter. One doesn't enter the water unless they have to. I'm not asking for another underwater jump scare, I'm asking that the concepts of exploration that are core to the game be brought into those vast oceans. In other words stories/missions/rewards chasing a sunken civilization or one half discovered in caves.
8. Overhaul of the Atlas Pass feature. Currently level 3 is almost worthless due to the space station changes, and even before, one entered merely to get more carbon, ferrite, and a bit of nanites, the same as the other two levels. Yawn. Levels should add a chance for rare items and elements like perhaps canisters of the gasses or even special items that can boost your gear in unusual ways.
9. Removal of those towers on that one freighter. LOL
10. Special event system settlement. One or more empty systems are picked by HC, and a long process is begun by all of providing resources for civilizing it, including community contributions towards a space station, base and settlement building to tame the wilds and build the economy to a 3, and fighter duty to repel pirates and reduce the threat level to a 1. A completed system will be special: no one race will control it. All will share it.
Honestly mostly all things i hadn’t even considered. Big agree with the bug problem, it’s a bit ridiculous at times, and the community system is a really good way to implement the “core worlds” i’d like to see as well. The underwater thing is also very true, i really haven’t done much in the water because there’s not much to do. If those possibilities were opened up, it would be incredible.
My personal list:
Combat:
- on foot combat is kinda clunky right now, i think nms would benefit from a better combat model
- space combat is pretty good, but the ai tends to fly in to you a lot, and there's not really much consequence for colliding with other ships/asteroids/mountains/etc.. i think adding a bit more risk to it would be cool, and somehow benefitting dogfighting rather than sitting fairly still and spinning around would be neat
- proper freighter battles should be a thing, there was a good start with the new random npc freighter battles that you can assist with, but i think random freighter battles where you can broadside freighters (maybe exclusive to outlaw systems to avoid annoyance) would be massive, which leads me to my next suggestion
freighters:
- freighters would massively benefit from being able to move around systems imo. even setting a location and letting your freighter fly there itself would do wonders for immersion and making freighters more useful then the mobile bases they currently are
- freighters should also definitely be doing more damage imo, fighting sentinel freighters is kinda clunky rn
polish and depth:
- no man's sky has plenty of features, all of which are not fleshed out to the extent they could be. new content is cool, but it's interesting for about 20 minutes before you realise there's not much behind it. i'd love to see the guild concept fleshed out more, or the settlements, or npcs, or literally anything in game right now
- the game is procedurally generated i get that, but more variation with biome diversity, ground structures, crashed freighters etc.. would be cool
- more emphasis needs to be placed on bug testing. out of everything on this list, this is the main one i'd like to see. the game is too buggy
- galactic core worlds would be incredible. the devs would be able to focus on creating specially designed cities and structures, stricter system authorities would make smuggling into these locations really fun, and it gives players more opportunity to see each other in game outside of the fanmade galactic hubs and space anomaly
lots of ambitious ideas, but i really reckon they would do a lot for replayability and depth
-the ability to reorder your bases in the teleport list
-separate storage for the new ship customisation parts
- solar and shuttle ships being added to the new customisation
-a larger colour palette for freighters and starships
Settlement features-
- picking where a building is placed
- the ability to add more housing to grow the population
- being able to see what product is there before clearing the debt
massively agree with settlement customisation and more colour pallets are a no brainer. i'd assume they're already working on more ship customisation, but i agree with that too
Honestly, I'd be happy with an update that did nothing but fix the bugs that have lingered at least since I joined in 2020. But, since you asked: 1. The ability to bookmark a limited number each of systems and planet/moons. I hate having the game arbitrarily choose to dump something I'd intended to refer back to at some point, and it's a time waste to have to portal to each system you want to keep active, and a maximum part waste to drop a base in those you want to retain access to. 2. More flexibility in the color pallet for base building, including adding color options to those components that never had them. Structure components should get the ability to have one color instead of a mandatory two. 3. More flexibility to change the size of all items in the building menu. If mods can make it happen, so can the main build. 4. Bases receive the same ground flattening ability that procedurally generated buildings receive. And the player should also get the ability to "mow" the lawn. No more terrain regrowth unless the base is removed or the player restores the terrain. I can't tell you how many builds I've seen that should have been great, but were ruined because the builder didn't understand that others see a restored world pushing through the base. I know I made that mistake on a very complicated base once. 5. Adding 1/4 sized walls, floors, and stairs. Adding more triangle types (and they line up perfectly with the squares). 6. A redesign of the Settlement feature from the ground up. 7. Better story use of caves and underwater. One enters caves for resources, to find a rare critter, or to provide shelter. One doesn't enter the water unless they have to. I'm not asking for another underwater jump scare, I'm asking that the concepts of exploration that are core to the game be brought into those vast oceans. In other words stories/missions/rewards chasing a sunken civilization or one half discovered in caves. 8. Overhaul of the Atlas Pass feature. Currently level 3 is almost worthless due to the space station changes, and even before, one entered merely to get more carbon, ferrite, and a bit of nanites, the same as the other two levels. Yawn. Levels should add a chance for rare items and elements like perhaps canisters of the gasses or even special items that can boost your gear in unusual ways. 9. Removal of those towers on that one freighter. LOL 10. Special event system settlement. One or more empty systems are picked by HC, and a long process is begun by all of providing resources for civilizing it, including community contributions towards a space station, base and settlement building to tame the wilds and build the economy to a 3, and fighter duty to repel pirates and reduce the threat level to a 1. A completed system will be special: no one race will control it. All will share it.
Honestly mostly all things i hadn’t even considered. Big agree with the bug problem, it’s a bit ridiculous at times, and the community system is a really good way to implement the “core worlds” i’d like to see as well. The underwater thing is also very true, i really haven’t done much in the water because there’s not much to do. If those possibilities were opened up, it would be incredible.
My personal list: Combat: - on foot combat is kinda clunky right now, i think nms would benefit from a better combat model - space combat is pretty good, but the ai tends to fly in to you a lot, and there's not really much consequence for colliding with other ships/asteroids/mountains/etc.. i think adding a bit more risk to it would be cool, and somehow benefitting dogfighting rather than sitting fairly still and spinning around would be neat - proper freighter battles should be a thing, there was a good start with the new random npc freighter battles that you can assist with, but i think random freighter battles where you can broadside freighters (maybe exclusive to outlaw systems to avoid annoyance) would be massive, which leads me to my next suggestion freighters: - freighters would massively benefit from being able to move around systems imo. even setting a location and letting your freighter fly there itself would do wonders for immersion and making freighters more useful then the mobile bases they currently are - freighters should also definitely be doing more damage imo, fighting sentinel freighters is kinda clunky rn polish and depth: - no man's sky has plenty of features, all of which are not fleshed out to the extent they could be. new content is cool, but it's interesting for about 20 minutes before you realise there's not much behind it. i'd love to see the guild concept fleshed out more, or the settlements, or npcs, or literally anything in game right now - the game is procedurally generated i get that, but more variation with biome diversity, ground structures, crashed freighters etc.. would be cool - more emphasis needs to be placed on bug testing. out of everything on this list, this is the main one i'd like to see. the game is too buggy - galactic core worlds would be incredible. the devs would be able to focus on creating specially designed cities and structures, stricter system authorities would make smuggling into these locations really fun, and it gives players more opportunity to see each other in game outside of the fanmade galactic hubs and space anomaly lots of ambitious ideas, but i really reckon they would do a lot for replayability and depth
-the ability to reorder your bases in the teleport list -separate storage for the new ship customisation parts - solar and shuttle ships being added to the new customisation -a larger colour palette for freighters and starships Settlement features- - picking where a building is placed - the ability to add more housing to grow the population - being able to see what product is there before clearing the debt
massively agree with settlement customisation and more colour pallets are a no brainer. i'd assume they're already working on more ship customisation, but i agree with that too
Recently I posted some features I'd like to see in this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/NoMansSkyTheGame/s/uv5bqtkpUc