Can't hire *spoiler character*

[Aksamitny Grzmot]

Hey. Obviously, I'd like to warn people about spoilers once again. Okay, here we go:
I've just saved the president, cleared Major's camp and (according to the guides) I should be able to hire him now. I pick only "good" dialogue options and I have character with high leadership (Raider - 96). But still, I get only "You will answer for this" dialogue option. Is there some trick to hiring this guy? Should I have done something else in order to be able to recruit him?

[Lightning]

Yeah negotiator and don't mention Biff as well

[Aksamitny Grzmot]

Originally posted by Lightning:

Yeah negotiator and don't mention Biff as well [/quote]
My IMP character has negotiator perk but it doesn't seems to affect the conversation in any way.

[Lightning]

if you mentioned Biff might be the only reason then from what i can tell

[Aksamitny Grzmot]

Originally posted by Lightning:

if you mentioned Biff might be the only reason then from what i can tell [/quote]

Yeah, I also already tried not mentioning him, but all I've got was the same outcome with no recruitment option. I already done this conversation a dozen times now with different combinations of characters in the squad.
Thanks for the help anyway.

[Vicid]

I'm also beyond frustrated that I couldn't hire Spike. The 'you were a Merc like us" option isn't there - and "did you break the contract with (other spoiler bad person) just leads to an influence fail

I have high wisdom, leadership and Nagotiator/Scoundrel on my team.


I'm curious OP if you don't have a lot of outpost at this time? Another spoiler event means I have none when I tried to recruit spike. I also didn't destabilize Spike before the attack (lower his camp's shields)

I wonder if one or two of those facts has something to do with it. I really want to hire spike so I can do the rest of the game with him

[Alpha]

Ive read that the time you need to get to him also plays a role. As well as some of the side quests.
That said, i failed to hire him twice now.

[Mora]

In my game I remove all his camp shields and I was able to recruit him and talk about biff no problems.

I leave here a few details of my game maybe that help you guys.

A big thing a notice is that having Len in your squad changes a few things like I choose to put him in prison and Len shot him instead saying quote; This is the least I could do my old friend or something like that.

I was able to recruit him too I mention Biff there was no problems with saying that, maybe the issue is if Biff dies or not , in my game he survive and he left with the Green Diamond.

I also capture Corazon maybe thats something that affects the outcome.

If he lost all the mines and outposts I also got the option to say his group is over and he is done, maybe that's it? so basically remove all his camp shields.

Saving the President or not was not a issue I was able to recruit him either way.

[Aksamitny Grzmot]

Originally posted by Vicid:

I'm also beyond frustrated that I couldn't hire Spike. The 'you were a Merc like us" option isn't there - and "did you break the contract with (other spoiler bad person) just leads to an influence fail

I have high wisdom, leadership and Nagotiator/Scoundrel on my team.


I'm curious OP if you don't have a lot of outpost at this time? Another spoiler event means I have none when I tried to recruit spike. I also didn't destabilize Spike before the attack (lower his camp's shields)

I wonder if one or two of those facts has something to do with it. I really want to hire spike so I can do the rest of the game with him

Yeah, if I had to guess, I think it may be related to certain side quests/progress in the main story. I also didn't lower his "shields". I went to him after dealing with the *traitor character* and he seems to provide some evidence that might have been useful against that antagonist.
Well, I'm not gonna cry, though I have to admit that I've spent the whole day rushing to recruit him. No idea what I did wrong. I have the '...Merc like us' option, I passed all of the influence checks and still no option to hire him.

[Paul]

I just hired him no problem. Mentioned Biff as well.

[Vicid]

Originally posted by Paul:

I just hired him no problem. Mentioned Biff as well.

Did you own a lot of outposts?

[Vicid]

Originally posted by Mora:

In my game I remove all his camp shields and I was able to recruit him and talk about biff no problems.

I leave here a few details of my game maybe that help you guys.

A big thing a notice is that having Len in your squad changes a few things like I choose to put him in prison and Len shot him instead saying quote; This is the least I could do my old friend or something like that.

I was able to recruit him too I mention Biff there was no problems with saying that, maybe the issue is if Biff dies or not , in my game he survive and he left with the Green Diamond.

I also capture Corazon maybe thats something that affects the outcome.

If he lost all the mines and outposts I also got the option to say his group is over and he is done, maybe that's it? so basically remove all his camp shields.

Saving the President or not was not a issue I was able to recruit him either way.

Interesting. I'll try to lower his shields. I want there to be a game left to play before I get him so I'll leave the other stuff in place. Seems like the game will just end otherwise

[[ic] OldDirtyBastard]

I managed to hire him while mentioning Biff aswell and i didnt even plan to lol.. i had Fauda, Gus, Scully, Len and Dr. Q on my team and i forrget the last merc i had

[Ichthyic]

Originally posted by Mora:

In my game I remove all his camp shields and I was able to recruit him and talk about biff no problems.

I leave here a few details of my game maybe that help you guys.

A big thing a notice is that having Len in your squad changes a few things like I choose to put him in prison and Len shot him instead saying quote; This is the least I could do my old friend or something like that.

I was able to recruit him too I mention Biff there was no problems with saying that, maybe the issue is if Biff dies or not , in my game he survive and he left with the Green Diamond.

I also capture Corazon maybe thats something that affects the outcome.

If he lost all the mines and outposts I also got the option to say his group is over and he is done, maybe that's it? so basically remove all his camp shields.

Saving the President or not was not a issue I was able to recruit him either way.

Len was in my party and was the one to use the "you were a merc like us" line when it was offered. you need to have 3 influence checks succeed on him to be able to bring him into your party. that was one of them, biff telling you his real name is another. you asking him about evidence against corazon is the third. you likely need 90 wisdom for at least one of those checks.
shields mean nothing. there were still two up when I attacked.
1. You need to know his personal history
2. You need to know his name
3. You need to have captured corazon (not killed).

pretty sure that is all you need. you will see the influence checks being made during the dialogue. Pass 3, and he's all yours.

but as he himself says? are you SURE you want a real war criminal in your party?
*shrug*
also? I got Biff to give me the green diamond. I doubt it has anything to do with it. pretty sure hiring him just has mostly to do with your knowledge of his past and that you have already captured corazon (because Spike wants to see her suffer for betraying him).

lastly, obviously the game considers this the "good" ending for the major, as there was a major (get it) moral boost for my team when I did so.

I really like Len. took him as my first pick in JA2, and again here in JA3. he's the epitome of the "honorable" merc. He's like the squad sarge you always want in your team. plus they gave him quite a powerful unique skill.

[Bloodwest]

Originally posted by Lightning:

Yeah negotiator and don't mention Biff as well

I had negotiator and avoided talking about Biff because guy was sent to kill him after all. That "Biff was your friend" line sounded kinda cringe with all the circumstances.

[Vicid]

It seems like the major factor is having already killing the general who you meet at the Refugee camp

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ciUwY0bAVEg

That and having high leadership for the checks I guess