To pass the time?
Hey fellow Travellers,
With the Swarm Expedition in full swing, a lot of us are hitting that 7-8 hour cooldown between the three daily mission types (Purge, Restoration, Sabotage). Instead of just staring at the timer or doomscrolling, what are some actually good ways to spend that downtime?
Here are some productive/smart ideas I’ve come up with (and seen floating around):
In-Game :
Base building / Freighter upgrades — Finally finish that massive project you’ve been putting off. The wait gives you solid focused time.
Farm runs & economy — Set up or optimize a good activated indium / stasis device farm. Come back after the cooldown richer.
Ship/Sentinel multitool hunting — Go on a dedicated S-class or high-tier mod hunt.
Frigate expeditions — Send out your fleet and actually check on them properly.
Story/lore catch-up — Finish any unfinished main story, Artemis path, or expedition milestones you skipped.
Nexus missions or guild standing — Grind some reputation while waiting.
Outside the game (multitasking while the timer ticks):
Learn something — Listen to a podcast, audiobook, or YouTube video (space/science/history stuff hits different while playing NMS).
Language learning — Duolingo or Anki sessions go crazy during cooldowns.
Exercise — Quick home workout, walk, or stretch. Come back to the next mission feeling better.
Meal prep / cooking — Use the time to make real food instead of gaming snacks.
House chores — Clean your room/desk, do laundry, dishes — small wins that make you feel accomplished.
Read a book or catch up on articles.
Side hustle / learning — Work on a personal project, coding, writing, drawing, etc.
The event is designed to be spread out over weeks, so we might as well turn the forced breaks into something useful instead of frustration.
What are you guys doing during the wait? Drop your best tips below!