That won't help someone who's just starting a new game, as terrain modifier tool comes a bit later.
I don't remember sentinels at game start. Hostile climate. I went couple time in alarm but there is this circle thing scanner and I grabbed all the yellow stuff. Such shiny.
You know what: The - idk - 200 ingredients in total in NMS - kinda annoying but I kept accumulating. He who accumulates will be given a chest, right? RIGHT?
Tip: Inventory space - every new station gives a new inventory slot. Visit left side and check the stores more thoroughly - I never noticed until I asked how to $%!#@ unlock inventory slots.
So with many inventory slots, eventually lots of chests and a bloated list of ingredients (all of which I knew by name beforehand - other than Modular Terminals or Terminal Module nohocuspohocus in ED) I happily accumulated until eventually I had to spend some, so I did (other than in ED, where something was always missing and you had to roll a dice to find stuff. And then again. And again. Reroll. Another time..).
The only grindy thing in NMS is the sheer amount of mats. So heed advice and arrange your mods in a way they give each other boni. Then enjoy the show while wandering the silly planets. Doing little errands here and there and get busy jobs but you kinda always have a clue how to do them or how to find stuff. The game just tells you.