The most important thing to understand is that this isn't primarily built for player combat, since the core experience focuses on exploration and working together (this is why most players actually spend their time building bases and crafting). That said, you absolutely can engage in combat with others when multiplayer's turned on, which happens because the game wants to give players flexibility in how they interact.

Youll find that organized community events often feature some exciting combat scenarios, and there's actually quite a bit of depth to the pvp mechanics when you dig into them (weapons like the blaze javelin can be particularly effective). Something worth noting is that you're never forced into these encounters, the game gives you full control over your multiplayer settings, which is really helpful if you're just wanting to focus on the peaceful aspects of space exploration.

A good tip here is to communicate with other players about pvp intentions before joining their sessions, since this helps avoid any unwanted surprises during your cosmic adventures.