When getting started, it is important to remember that our server makes use of a few small but impactful mods to enhance and diversify your gaming experience. The most important mod used is the Nexus plugin; this allows a single multiplayer game to be split up into several “instances”, or individual servers. These are stitched together into a single map, allowing multiple servers to handle the computational load of one map. Not only does this bring a smooth experience and 1.0 sim speed (server performance), it allows the administrators to curate your experience to a variety of tastes and skill levels, creating a broad palette of Space Engineers experiences.

When you first spawn in, you will not see the typical drop-pod spawn screen present in unmodified games. Instead, you will enter the Lobby, a standalone instance of the aforementioned Nexus system. In front of you, you will find multiple LCD's with server information. These list in detail the rules, available commands, block limits, and other relevant information. Make sure to review them before you continue. Beyond those screens, you will see in the center of the room screens with arrows. Follow those arrows to reach the teleport pads. Each teleport pad has an LCD above it describing the destination. You can spawn into any sector from here, with each sector offering a different level of play. See the server map

Admin Trade Stations

Each location has 4 Store Blocks which have inventory that rotates every 20 minutes. You can buy and sell at each of these, including ships. Each Station also has a pair of Data Analyzers which can be used to turn in scientific research for Space Credits. Research Missions will be generated by staff and can be turned in at any station!

• Corum (PvP Sector)

Custom Respawn Options on all Sectors

Some spawns place you within the same sector, as many planets share a sector with their relevant moon. The only sectors in Skunkworks that are completely separate instances are the Lobby, sometimes the Events server, Zeta (the hardcore server), and SunkWorks Naval.

Each sector is tailored to a different level of play. Anyone can join any sector, but for a better experience you may want to consider these recommendations.

• Completely new to multiplayer, or Space Engineers in general? Check out our PvE sectors!
• More comfortable with multiplayer, Space Engineers, or both? Check out our PvP planetary sectors!
• Experienced player looking for engaging combat? Both New Europa and Titan are PvP hotspots, while Outer/Inner Core feature shielded NPCs and boss encounters!
• Looking for an extreme challenge? Travel out to the Deep Space sector, home to the most challenging NPCs we have to offer.

If you’re looking for a particularly punishing experience, Zeta Hardcore is the server for you.

Once you’ve chosen your appropriate sector, you’re good to go! Seek out trading partners, legitimate salvage opportunities, and living targets.

Completely new to Space Engineers? Check out our handy quick-start guide below

1. Build a Basic Assembler and Basic Refinery, if your starter pod does not already have one
2. Survival Kits, while allowing you to respawn, also function as a weak assembler and refinery
3. Assemblers and Refineries, like all blocks with inventory, are connected via the conveyor system. Place them so that their square yellow ports are touching, or use conveyor tubes to accomplish the same effect. Always make sure blocks with inventory are connected to your grid’s system by their port!
4. Whenever possible, upgrade to the normal Assembler and Refinery. This will grant you access to all ingots & components, along with production bonuses and modules!
5. H2/O2 generators are a subset of the Refinery, and they are the only block able to refine Ice into Hydrogen and Oxygen gas
6. Gain a reliable source of power
7. In space, this can easily be obtained through stealing NPC reactors in the early game. Solar and Hydrogen power are also available, but are unreliable due to low power production and fuel consumption, so they are best kept as backups
8. On planets and moons, wind turbines and solar panels are your best bet for power production
9. Remember: wind turbines only produce power on static grids (stations)
10. Construct a fleet of utility vehicles
11. Small grid craft are more cheap and cost effective in the early-game, but as you progress you may want to transition to large grids
12. Ships need the following to function:
    1. Thrusters in all six directions
    2. Gyroscopes
    3. Power supply
    4. Cockpit
13. Remember to design your ships in creative! Using the blueprint function and a projector, you can quickly design an appropriate ship, blueprint it, and then weld the ship from a projector
14. This is the basic concept behind ship printers
15. Build a mining ship and a welder/grinder ship
16. Both these ships make extensive use of the conveyor system. Expect to design around your tubes and make sure you have plenty of cargo space
17. If you are within a gravity well, ensure there is enough thrust to keep your ship afloat when full of materials
18. Note that ore can travel through small conveyor tubes, while most components must use the large tubes
19. Build up a stockpile of raw materials
20. Use your utility fleet to gather ore and salvage faster than hand drilling and grinding
21. Your starter pod or base can act a center of operations; keep your refineries, assemblers, and H2/O2 generators here!
22. In space, materials are very plentiful in asteroid deposits. Stick to these if you want to progress quickly
23. On planets, NPC spawns are a great way to get a head start on materials in the early-game. Planetary ore deposits are comparatively small, so you should get out to space and start asteroid mining as soon as possible!
24. Certain materials, like Platinum and Uranium, can only be found in special locations. Platinum can be found on most moons, while Uranium only appears in asteroids
25. Obtain Shields
26. Shields are expensive, but very important in the Skunkworks server cluster
27. Expect to collect a lot of platinum and other rare ores to outfit your ships and stations with shields
28. If resources are especially scarce, placing your shield components on a small subgrid
29. Design and Construct a large grid ship of your choosing
30. This can be a better miner, a mobile industrial processing plant, an exploration craft, a warship, or anything else!
31. Large grids are far more versatile and useful than small grids; it is well worth the material investment to switch to large grid ships as soon as possible
32. A good large grid ship should have the following:
    1. All the requirements of small grid craft
    2. At least one jump drive
    3. If you are living in a gravity well, you will need to get to 0g to operate your jump drive
    4. A suitable outfit of weapons
    5. Check out the weapon limits for further information
    6. Most ships that are not warships will not see PvP combat, and so they can get by with a basic outfit of weapons
    7. A shield system upwards of 2 million health
    8. A function!
33. From here, the entire server opens up. What you do from here is up to you!
34. If you have any further questions, the in-game chat and the Discord are both friendly and capable of answering questions
35. There is also a very well acclaimed survival tutorial series Space Engineers: Getting Started in Survival (Tutorial Series #1) on Youtube