General Tips
- Affordable Language Mastery (Exploit) - You can affordably master languages if you follow this technique. First, acquire around 200 Carbon. Next, find a space station. Enter the regular door and chat with the alien you find waiting there. Each brief conversation costs 20 Carbon, but every second chat will offer the chance to learn a new word. Continue talking with the alien. Once you know enough words, other available options will appear and you can receive either an Isotope or Fuel for using them. Typically, these can be turned into 56 Carbon, a nice return on the 40 you had to spend. After a certain point, you're essentially gaining resources instead of spending them as you master the local language.
- Easy Credits From Bypass Chips - Through at least Patch 1.0.3, you can earn easy money. To do so, first farm Iron and Plutonium, which form in stacks of 250. Next, combine those stacks to form Bypass Chips. For each such combination, you will receive 25 Bypass Chips (each individual chip is comprised of 10 Iron and 10 Plutonium). You can sell your Bypass Chips for around 3100 credits apiece at a Galactic Terminal. The market price varies from terminal to terminal, but you should expect to receive around 775,000 credits in exchange for a stack of 250 Bypass Chips.
- Prioritize Exosuit Upgrades - As you wander the various planets throughout the galaxy, you'll quickly find that you need more inventory slots in order to make better use of your time. You can upgrade your storage capacity by raiding Shelter locations. You can upgrade your inventory for free the first time around, but after that, each subsequent upgrade will increase in price by 10,000 credits.
- Upgrade Your Scanner - Throughout the game, you'll rely on your scanner to find Elements, as well as relays that point the way to Colony Bases, Manufacturing Facilities, and other such destinations. Therefore, it makes sense to start looking for ways to upgrade your scanning capabilities immediately. Typically, you can find scanner Blueprints in Colony Bases and Manufacturing Facilities, secreted in wall terminals. Obtain the blueprint and then the required components and get to upgrading. It will make everything that comes after that moment go more smoothly.