What, the hell, is this ? I started a game and had to find out the second system was already named and all ruins are explored (no chance to learn new words)

Damned, I want o play offline. I want to explore the galaxy on my own.

Am I really forced to shut down the web connection or is there another way.

Maybe try starting again.

If all the humans that ever lived throughout history played the game from birth to death and lived for 100 years, spending 5 minutes to discover each new planet, it'd still take them 3 and a half lifetimes to collectively visit every planet.

Not all of those 18 quintillion will be near game start locations, but you'd be unlucky for this to keep happening.
However, this was a known part of the game, so ...
Send feedback to Hello Games.

I'll send a feedback, that's for sure.

You call this "unlucky" ? With your numbers it should be impossible. And restart? I played for about 7 hours to get enough credits and buy a better ship before I started to explore. Every effort and fun's blown away.

It was such a good game. And only because the programmes want to read the silly names the player gave animals and plants? Why, if no one can ever meet another player?

Pity.

It is similar to the "birthday paradox." Given 365 days in a year, how many students are required in a classroom to make the odds of at least two students with the same birthday greater than 50%? (answer: 23)

It may also be the case that some regions of the "galaxy" have bottlenecks (routes through otherwise empty voids (as differentiated from full voids, I guess)) that funnel most of the players who enter that region into just a relatively few exit pathways towards the center.

I"ve run across three previously visited systems; two by the same player (yayajefferies, are you out there?) It happens; it's part of the game.

I'm just going to point this out to stop that overblown and very exaggerated number from continuing to be used:

There are 256 unique galaxies. When you go through the Centre (not to) on the last Galaxy you are transported to the same Galaxy 256 with a new name, but you can prove it to be the same Galaxy by going to planets discovered while in the last Galaxy (256).

There is no where near 18quintillion planets.

There are 256 unique galaxies.

Each Galaxy goes to a sector count of 0FFE,0FFE,0FFE (4095 counting sector 0,0,0). A large number of those sectors around the Centre are not populated with selectable star systems and left as empty space.

Each sector of space has a number of solar systems. The highest Valid solar System Index I have encountered was around 600 (a valid SolarSystemIndex value is one where the solar system shows on the GalacticMap).

Each Solar system has up to 6 planets.

256 Galaxies * 4095 X Sectors * 4095 Y sectors * 4095 Z sectors * 1000 Solar Systems * 6 planets = at best 105 Quadrillion which is a major factor away from 18 Quintillion

18,000,000,000,000,000,000
-105,475,825,728,000,000
=
17,894,524,174,272,000,000 planets short of 18 Quintillion

That is using the most generous form of the math that includes sectors where there are no selectable solar systems and has a 400 buffer over the highest valid solar system index noted so far. Even if you were to include the Invalid SolarSystemIndex values (which do create solar systems that have planets) your best amount is 431.9 Quadrillion which is still 17.56 Quintillion short. That is with each Solar System having 6 planets which we know is not the case.

Even if we double the number due to the planets being different in Normal/Creative versus Survival/Permadeath that leads to still being short by over 17.13 Quintillion planets.

Very interesting inputs here, however I think the '18 quintillions' refers to how many distinct possibilities a planet can be presented to the player from the code of procedural generation. This also means that these objects are not 'really' placed in the game, but the grafics engine generates them from the code as soon as you enter a planet. And that's logic, no computer system could currently store such a large nr. of information, also todays processors are limited, they cannot handle very big numbers (e.g. with 64-Bit systems, your credits in the game cannot go over about 2.2 Billions).

For OP's concern about playing offline: I do this from december now (from Foundation). You just never hit R to upload anything, means also you won't donwload anything, and so all names in the game will stay as default. However: you need to do this from the game start, otherwise the uploaded names will be in your save files. And still you can change names to your liking, also be sure to hit the 100% squares for the fauna discoveries, otherwise you will miss some important object upgrades in the game...
As an additional measure you can setup your firewall to deny any traffic with the NMS server (I haven't done this however). I don't think they have changed this in Pathfinder.

XenonS

Hmmm. looking at your reaction to this 'game feature', did you not go into NMS wanting to stay offline? I mean if this upsets you that much it should have been a consideration for when you started the game?

I have about 300 hours in NMS (not playing currently, but will get back into it). I have never connected online. I always knew before i started the game (or even bought it!) that i would never want to connect online as it would be 100% guaranteed to ruin my games immersion if i saw some of the really dumb names people will have given to planets and creatures etc.

If i could code out the online connection i would. But i knew that was my opinion on the online aspect of NMS before i even started to play it.

So just do not connect, the game is 100% functional (and 100% less immersion breaking) and more fun that way, imho.

Offline is the way to go. IMHO. No rude ratfaced spoiled kids. But I quit this game. So.. But I keep an eye on it, because they robbed me $. Just wondering if this 3.9G patch is worth it, I have a limited data linkup. Terribly upset with HG. I do not want to balloon their stats blindly, just to to find out its just another lame, unfun overpriced lie.

No, not a lie, HG was forced by Sony to release the game too early, but they have added a lot since.

XS

Please provide your evidence for this claim. HelloGames has never been forced to do anything. They may have been legally obligated based on their own choices, but those are choices they made and are fully responsible for unless you can provide evidence they were either not mentally fit to enter legal agreements or forcibly coerced. Any deflection of blame without such evidence is just bias and fantasy.

Yes, that's what I meant, but still they didn't lie. I have discussed and can refer you to a post I did here - page 13:

http://spacesimcentral.com/forum/discussion/4100/no-mans-sky#latest

XenonS

Probably just bad luck but could be the path you are taking.I was following the atlas Path and ran into a string of systems and planets discovered by "The Duke". I didn't want to follow someone elses Atlas path so I went free exploration for a while before getting back on the Atlas path. I never saw that players discoveries again. I never finished Atlas path. I used the find nearest discoveries button in lower left of galaxy map and found a system discovered by Baconslayer. I have almost 600 hrs in and have only found those 2 players systems. So, ya, I'll go with it's just luck.

Very nicely explained. For not creating any confusion, I'd like to add that the *Atlas Path* is a scripted series of waypoints designed by the game makers (and not created by any player), as well as the path to galaxy center.

That maybe the case, about being forced to release it early. But its the case with all companies, working under the spectre of a debt collector. I would think some pressure existed like you claimed it did, without your claim. Otherwise, its safe to assume it would always be in alpha, retooling, tinker limbo. The "Lie" part, however, I see that as very different, directly their own fault. That is fraud. Many old games on GOG have trailers, that include no actual gameplay footage, because at the time, we used VHS, and did not have cellphones ans Youtube. The shit came in a box we could return. The sophistication was just not there. But not, today. Buyers, or endusers, expect honesty, expect Devs to, put up or shut up. They are geniuses, are they not? There is no room to wiggle. Multiplay games sell at a premium. This has none, worth mentioning. Its a char driven game with no ragdoll. 3 aliens in a sandbox of infinite proportions? When returns and demos are not offered, retailers are asking the consumer to perform a leap of faith. HG conducted bad biz and made a bad product, needing more than 5 patches, thusfar. It would be nice to see a decent player driven franchise, with space themed products, on the market, buy the rights, and make a clean break from Hello Games. I think that is what I need to pick this back up. Afterall, nobody, even OP of thread, said it was worth the 3G patchup to re download.