What broke the Starbound experience for me

is the inability to save the game during the missions. Yes I know there are checkpoints, yes I know I should have created a first full armor set and all. The toughness of the first mission (mining station) made me stop the game and not playing it for several weeks. I will try a new run again now. However, it feels to me that the mission is too tough, and the fact that the player has to fully exploit every possible progress before the mission, feels somehow exceptional in an otherwise very free-to-do game. It's a great game overall, but the mining station killed the motivation when I last tried.

 

Agreed with Iris. The mission is actually too easy!

 

Most importantly... DO NOT run into the mission all gung-ho. Don't go in expecting the slice-and-dice your way through. That's a good way to die.

Get a gun (typically if you explore underground enough you'll find one), and progress slowly. Pick your vantage points and attack from outside the mutants' range. Get at LEAST the double-jump tech to escape bad situations. Make a lot of bandages, salves if possible. Find a few dishes that'll boost your stats.

 

Unless you have mods that adds CS: GO weapons

 

Craft your armor, explore what you can for weapons (or craft), get yourself set up first - there is no reason to try to rush it. The first mission is *very* easy if you take your time.

To address your issue of "the fact that the player has to fully exploit every possible progress before the mission" - thats how these games usually work, I assume you are new to the genre? You explore around, gather resources and craft/gear up and then tackle the mission/boss/what-have-you.

 

It isn't like Castlevania SOTN where you can go get a Crissaegrim and dice your enemies into nothing effortlessly. As others said, you've got to progress slowly. Another strategy is to avoid a lot of enemies entirely, but then you'd have to consider the fact you left the friendly miners to die (if they don't defeat them, that is.)

You don't have to fight EVERY BATTLE in a mission. Just the boss (with the exception of the final mission, where you do have to fight everyone.)

Speaking of which...why don't they add a Crissaegrim like sword into Starbound? That'd be awesome.

 

Also, you can replay these missions any time you like once you beat them, so you don't have to worry about fully exploring the entire thing the first go-through. Don't worry about the multiple paths, just make your way to the boss. Beat that, then come back for a more full exploration once you've obtained better gear.

 

AH, and for the boss: bring a shield

 

And if you really can't do that alone, bring a friend along!

 

I don't mind that missions have to be done in one go, it adds a little tension and makes them more exciting. But I do think the very first mission is a bit too rough, especially considering it's the only mission that's actually mandatory. I think it's unfortunate that they gated space travel (which is basically the entire point of the game) behind a mission which is often difficult for new players.

 

The boss don't require any weapon in order to win, just avoid all the monster and run directly toward the boss