1. Early Game Mistakes
❌ #1 — Skipping the Tutorial
The Campaign tutorial gives you ~5,000 credits worth of free modules. Skipping it means you start with nothing and no guidance. Fix: Restart in Campaign mode. The 30-minute tutorial saves 5 hours of confusion.
❌ #2 — Starting in Sandbox or Survival Mode
Sandbox has zero guidance. Survival will destroy you. Fix: Start in Campaign. Learn the systems first, then try other modes.
❌ #3 — Selling Raw Ore Instead of Refining
Raw ore sells for 1×. Refined metals sell for 3-5×. Every load of raw ore you sell is 60-80% of your potential profit thrown away. Fix: Build a Basic Refinery (5,000 credits) before selling anything.
❌ #4 — Building Too Big Too Early
That 50-module capital ship looks amazing. It also costs 80,000 credits, handles like a brick, and generates enough heat to attract every alien in the system. Fix: Stay under 15 modules for your first 10 hours.
⚠️ #5 — Ignoring Retro Thrusters
Without retros, stopping from full speed takes 3-5 kilometers. With retros, it takes 500 meters. You WILL crash into asteroids without them. Fix: 2 retro thrusters minimum on every ship over 50 tons.
⚠️ #6 — Not Saving Blueprints
You spend 30 minutes perfecting a ship design, then accidentally delete a module and can't undo. Fix: Ctrl+S after every design change. Blueprint slots are free.
⚠️ #7 — Mining Continuously in One Spot
Every minute of active mining increases your heat signature. After 5+ minutes in one spot, you're a beacon for alien patrols. Fix: Move to a new asteroid every 3-5 minutes, or deploy Drill Nodes and leave.
💡 #8 — Not Using the Scanner (V key)
Some players mine blind — they fly up to random asteroids and start lasering. Fix: Press V to scan first. Only mine green+ blips. Grey deposits are a waste of time after hour 2.
2. Mid Game Mistakes
❌ #9 — Delaying Drill Node Research
This is the #1 progression killer. Every hour without Drill Nodes costs you ~3,000 credits in passive income. Fix: Research Drill Nodes (1,500 RP) immediately after the tutorial. It should be your first research.
❌ #10 — Building Multi-Role Ships
A "miner that can also fight and haul" does all three poorly. It mines slowly, fights weakly, and hauls little. Fix: Build 3 specialized ships instead of 1 generalist. Dedicated miner + dedicated hauler + dedicated combat ship = 3× efficiency.
⚠️ #11 — Ignoring Heat Management
Running at 80%+ heat signature "because I need to process this ore now" is how stations get raided. Fix: Radiators should provide 2× your total heat output. If you generate 100 heat/sec, install 200+ cooling.
⚠️ #12 — No Combat Ship by Hour 15
Alien difficulty scales with your total infrastructure. By hour 15, you WILL face Corvettes. A mining ship with a single PD turret won't cut it. Fix: Build a dedicated combat ship (see Combat Ship Builds) by hour 10.
⚠️ #13 — Placing Stations Without Defense
Building a 50,000-credit refinery station with zero turrets is a donation to the alien faction. Fix: Budget 25-35% of every station's cost for defense. Turrets, shields, defense platforms.
⚠️ #14 — Researching Randomly
Spreading RP across 6 different tech trees means nothing gets finished. Fix: Focus on one chain at a time. Drill Nodes → Hauler AI → Refinery → Weapons → Link Gates.
💡 #15 — Not Using Capacitors on Combat Ships
Weapons spike power draw far above your reactor's steady output. No capacitor = brownout on every shot. Fix: Every combat ship needs a capacitor bank sized for its weapon burst draw.
💡 #16 — Paying Off Debt Too Early
Debt interest is low. Investing credits in Drill Nodes and haulers yields 10-20× the return of early debt repayment. Fix: Pay minimum installments. Invest surplus in production.
3. Late Game Mistakes
❌ #17 — Expanding to a New System Without Link Gates
Without Link Gates, hauling ore from a second system takes 20+ minutes per round trip. Fix: Research and build Link Gates (4,000 RP, ~40,000 credits) BEFORE expanding to a new system.
⚠️ #18 — No Backup Shield Generator
One lucky torpedo hit kills your only shield generator → station has zero shields → 30 seconds later, station is debris. Fix: Install a secondary shield generator. When primary fails, secondary auto-activates.
⚠️ #19 — Stacking Radiators Incorrectly
Radiators next to each other lose 15% efficiency each. Radiators behind armor lose 90%. Fix: Space radiators out on exterior surfaces with clear line-of-sight to space.
💡 #20 — Not Salvaging Derelict Stations
Abandoned structures contain functional modules you can salvage for free — including rare modules you haven't researched yet. Fix: Explore every derelict. Use a ship with cargo space specifically for salvage runs.
💡 #21 — Selling to Reclamation 9 at Bad Prices
Prices fluctuate. Selling a full load of Platinum when the market is saturated loses you 40% profit. Fix: Check prices before selling. Wait for high-demand windows. Store ore until prices are favorable.
💡 #22 — Not Using the Power Distribution System
Keys 1-4 shift power between weapons/shields/engines. Many players never touch them. Fix: Use [2] when tanking damage, [1] when you have a clean shot, [3] when disengaging. Switch every 5-10 seconds in combat.
4. General Mistakes
⚠️ #23 — Not Naming Ships
"Ship 7" being attacked doesn't trigger the same response as "Fat Rat the Hauler." Fix: Name every ship. You'll care more and make better tactical decisions.
💡 #24 — Forgetting F5 (Quicksave)
Fix: Quicksave before: deploying expensive Drill Nodes, engaging a Frigate, testing a new ship design, entering an unknown system.
💡 #25 — Playing Too Safe
The most common "mistake" veterans report: spending 50 hours in the starting system because they were afraid to expand. Starminer rewards boldness. Fix: Once you have a combat ship and Link Gates, expand aggressively. The best ores and most interesting content are in the second system.
Also read: 50+ Tips & Tricks · Beginner's Guide · Progression Roadmap