The pickup - Option paralysis

[xRandyR00x]

Genuinely cant decide what im to do in this mission, Did a quick google to work out how to remove the virus and then get so many different option outcomes im not sure.

Feels like the right thing to do might be copy the virus and remove it keep the cash and just shoot the Maelstom guys to loot their cave and keep on miitechs good side but also full of people saying not to do that and chatgpt suggesting theres a way to keep both on the good side that doesnt look to exist to validate.

Does it really matter what I do in this mission and whats a good outcome, i cant really say either group has me liking them but also the games just started I dont know much on either.

[NorthernDavid]

The outcome depends on if you want to keep militech happy and get certain iconic items, or if you want to keep maelstrom happy and get certain iconic items. The eddies ultimately don't matter that much. So it shouldn't be a factor. You cannot keep both sides happy and get all the iconic items so you do need to make a choice.

Copying the virus or not, you can copy it and still keep millitech happy by not removing the virus, just copying it. Copying it will get you a free quickhack, so if you are not using a cyberdeck don't bother.

[xRandyR00x]

Thanks, if I said with Miitech after all im corpo makes sense then is there any value removing the virus or is it best to just play ball and let them get hacked?

[Ez Duzit]

Meredith Stout is a wild woman, so you want to keep her happy because that gives you the "Venus in furs" mission later on. Just sayin

[xRandyR00x]

I've heard she has the best weapon in the game :P

[NorthernDavid]

If you want to keep millitech happy just let Maelstrom get hacked, no upside to removing, no downside to copying.

[Bjørn]

There is a handy flowchart that might make it easier to see things a bit down on this page:

The Pickup Flowchart – All Endings & Outcomes

https://www.powerpyx.com/cyberpunk-2077-the-pickup-walkthrough/

Direct link: https://www.powerpyx.com/wp-content/uploads/flowchart-cp-pickup-v2.jpg

[vonMoo]

My Vs usually want nothing to do with corpos, and have done some gigs and suchlike by then so they're pretty confident. So they usually ignore the optional meet with Meredith and go straight to the Maelstrom base, with a view to finalizing negotiations for the flathead. Unfortunately for Royce, he overplays his hand at the same time as being rude as, and gets the bullet he fully deserves.

Streetkid V wants to be direct and cut out the middleman, Nomad V will not work with Militech, ex 'saka V knows they'll get played by any corp actor.


This choice is easier because I don't care about any of the iconics involved in this mission, so they aren't a factor.

[xRandyR00x]

I screwed up somewhere and Stout's gone, i paid with the hacked credits and it lead to a fight was that not meant to happen?

[GoldInfinit7]

This quest is great due to the possible outcomes.
1. Who the leader of Maelstrom ends up being?
2. Do you join Maelstrom or become an enemy of Maelstrom?
3. Does Stout live or does Gilchrist live?

Spoilers
I make Brick the leader of Maelstrom and let Stout live and become an enemy of Maelstrom. But joining Maelstrom is also a cool option to see because in specific missions they become your buddies instead of attacking you (makes the mission easy)

[Bjørn]

Originally posted by xRandyR00x:

I screwed up somewhere and Stout's gone, i paid with the hacked credits and it lead to a fight was that not meant to happen?

The reason here is that you hacked the credit chip before paying with it. It should have been unhacked, as the flowchart I linked to above mentions.

https://www.powerpyx.com/wp-content/uploads/flowchart-cp-pickup-v2.jpg

If you hacked it a long time ago and don't feel like loading from back then, you can instead redo the mission and kill Royce during the dialogue with him. Then you can look forward to a hot date with Meredith later

[PensiveWolF]

If you want the DummDumm gun and The chaos gun in the same playthrough, go for the chaos gun, and use this mod that ads Dummdumm gun to to the inventory of the malstrums dance club bar tender/vendor
https://www.nexusmods.com/cyberpunk2077/mods/7119
your welcome.

[xRandyR00x]

Misspoke sorry I handed over the virus chip and it head to a fight killed everyone freed brick and got the gilhurst guy at the end

[EricHVela]

Need to clarify for certainty.

You stated the hacked chip prior and the virus chip there. Which is it?

If you hack the chip, make sure you're not clearing off the virus when you do.

You can still end up fighting Maelstrom with a clean chip through specific actions/inactions/dialog which will end up with Anthony and missing a weird, iconic weapon through a weird (though considered iconic by some) encounter with Meredith.

[xRandyR00x]

It's the virus chip. I didn't hack it in the end. When I agreed to hand it over it said "really just like that" and then the only 2 options were to grab him or draw weapon. This is where I think I might have screwed up I chose grab if I recall correctly and then a firefighter broke out at the end I still had it in my inventory might be as I looted the bodies but I got gilchrist guy rather than stout at the end when I escaped

[EricHVela]

Let them use the virus. That'll give Militech the access that Meredith needs to find out who the mole is. She's on borrowed time (and borrowed money to boot) and needs this to work out right now or it's her head (drowned in the river).

Trivia: Everyone points to her as the "good" option except that Nomads can link the event to something on the Ebunike that shows Anthony's story isn't so simple, either. Just isn't the one that gives the strange weapon.