Entry 1: Chillwood

Planet: Chillwood
Weather: Icy
Sentinels: Typical
Flora: Abundant
Fauna: Moderate

This planet lives up to the name I gave it: even after I got my ship up and running, it was snowy hills and forests as far as the eye can see. The temperature never goes above -50 degrees Celsius, and especially cold nights can go under 70 below. Brrrzies. This, in addition to the dull off-yellow color of the sky during the day, gives the planet a rather drab, uninviting atmosphere. I wonder if Hello Games programmed the engine to generate blah planets for the outset to encourage us to explore space? Fortunately, the rocks here are rich in iron, and I also found enormous slabs of Heridium and abundant Plutonium crystals jutting out of the ground, so it wasn't long before I got my ship up and running.

The fauna here are timid, herbivorous quadrupeds. I didn't see a single predator. One noteworthy species I chose to name the Boilback for the enormous yellow mass on its back that seems to pulsate as it runs. Aside from that, it has reddish, scaly skin, thick front legs and skinny hind legs that almost look like they belong on another animal, and ridged horns that resemble the tiers of a wedding cake. There were also some birds that flew overhead in large flocks, but I couldn't get close enough to scan them.

I was sure a planet like this would have no sapient life, but I soon discovered some Vy'keen settlements, complete with some Vy'keen inhabitants. My first encounter with them went better than I expected, despite the language barrier. They must be used to dealing with travelers like me. The Vy'keen I met were a little rough around the edges, but turned out to be surprisingly friendly. One noteworthy example was Prefect Xog, who I met in Ajoar Station. When I made contact, he demanded that I hand over my Multitool, apparently wanting to confiscate it. Imagine my surprise when he instead offered me a better Multitool in exchange, which not only had two more upgrade slots, but also came in a more aesthetically pleasing color! Other Vy'keen included an injured warrior who gave me money in exchange for some oxygen, and a captain who I apparently convinced to accept a marriage proposal. There was also a Korvax distress call that had gone unanswered by the Vy'keen, but by the time I found the source, the Korvax settlement was abandoned. I did manage to get a scanner upgrade from its computer, though.

Farewell, Chillwood. I wanted to give you a more thorough exploration, but the stars are calling my name. Hopefully the next world will be a little warmer.

Introduction

Hello, and thanks for checking out my blog! As I'm typing this, we're coming up on eleven days until the release of No Man's Sky, a game that allows players to explore a procedurally-generated galaxy consisting of over 18 quintillion planets. Because the whole thing is procedurally-generated, even the game's creators don't know what lies waiting on these planets. And since there are more planets than you can visit in a dozen lifetimes, you're guaranteed to find a planet nobody else had discovered. When you find a new species, you will truly be the first person to have ever seen it, not just in the narrative, but in real life. In fact, you may be the only person to ever see that planet.

That's why I've made this blog. When I get the game. I plan to create a blog entry for every planet I visit on my way to the galactic center, to preserve it for posterity. I'll give as detailed a description as I can, and screenshots if I can figure out how. I'm not exactly an expert when it comes to this sort of thing, so please bear with me. See you in 11 days!