General tips
The basic premise of the game should be familar to you by now. Whatever challenges you find yourself facing, applying the skills learned by following this starting guide will (eventually) work to overcome them. All the menus and interfaces work similarly. All of the components a quest or another item says you need to build, will tell you the ingredients you need, and those ingredients will likewise tell you what materials they in turn require. All you have to do is mouse over things, scan, search, trade, and shop until you find what you need.
Some things happen in inventory slots. Others happen by placing them in the environment, and interacting. You’ve seen both of those sorts of dynamics already. A few will require specific NPCs. Pay close attention. If you can’t find what you need right away… explore. Scan everything and everywhere. Talk to everyone. Try everything. And keep reading the in-game guide entries. (I can’t stress that enough.)
Planets have different kinds of hazards. You may need to discover new technologies to make them survivable. Pay attention to what’s harming you.
If you’re struggling to find a certain resource, in addition to scanning, scan with your visor meticulously. Often you won’t find certan resources until you do. If you still can’t… the planet you’re on, if it’s not a ubiquitous resource, may simply be devoid of it. Search elsewhere.
Don’t get discouraged. Have patience. Be observant. Explore. Search. EXPERIMENT. This game isn’t as overwhelming as you think it is. Don’t be in such a rush. Enjoy the journey. Relax. Have fun. You have a whole galaxy (and then some) to explore. It isn’t going anywhere.