Survival Mode
A new game can be in one of two modes, Creative Mode or Survival Mode. In Survival mode, the player must manage resources in order to survive and build. You set the mode in the game’s World Settings.
Managed resources include health, power, oxygen and hydrogen, inventory size, ores, materials, consumables, and components.
In Survival mode, the player can take damage from the environment and must be mindful of deadly dangers such as crashing, explosions, falling, freezing, suffocation, (being attacked by spiders or wolves, if these optional features are enabled), or being shot by turrets or by other players.
In order to be able to build anything, the player has to:
- Obtain materials, either by looting or by using Refineries,
- then use Assemblers to turn materials into useful Items (such as tools, consumables, and weapons) and Components,
- and finally use the components to build stations, rovers, and spaceships out of Blocks.
To manage your health, you use a Survival Kit, Medical Room, or Medkits. To manage oxygen and hydrogen, you use bottles, O2/H2 Generators, and the airtightness mechanic. To manage power, you use batteries and Powerkits. To manage inventories, you use Cargo Containers. And so on.
Ownership plays a role in survival mode because, in contrast to creative mode, you cannot interact with Terminals and buttons on pirated enemy ships.