Point of No Return - what do I need to do before? (No spoilers; now pre-ending)

[Corrosion]

So I just hit my FIRST PoNR. Without being too specific, a NPC literally tells you that if you have any errands to run, you should do them now or stop whining; Aloy replies that she will whine if she wishes.

(This is only to give context to people who have done the story so they can figure out what I'm talking about w/o spoiling it for anyone who might want to know in advanced)

What do I need to do? I understand this mission is going to be long, contain a LOT of story and also will "alter" a region of the game for a bit. Should I force myself to wrap up that region? I'm not sure which one it is but I'm assuming.

Edit: Now I'm on the penultimate mission and am looking for tips to get the "best" ending. Updated in my latest post. Please help! edited here as to not clog the board w/ another thread.

[Kirihum]

Nah, there is no PONR in this game. You can always do everything.

The mission is just rather long, that's all.

[Wurm65]

It was more like a warning to go stock up on drinks and snacks and maybe take a short break before starting it. I fell into the "one more mission" trap at exactly this point last night thinking I'd get to bed early. Nope it was 01:30 by the time I was done.

[Werde]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2190967879

[Corrosion]

Originally posted by Kirihum:

Nah, there is no PONR in this game. You can always do everything.

The mission is just rather long, that's all.

Originally posted by Wurm65:

It was more like a warning to go stock up on drinks and snacks and maybe take a short break before starting it. I fell into the "one more mission" trap at exactly this point last night thinking I'd get to bed early. Nope it was 01:30 by the time I was done.

Oh! So the side quests in Mother's Rise - which I think I haven't done yet - will be available post this mission?

[Wurm65]

Originally posted by Sarcophagus:

Originally posted by Kirihum:

Nah, there is no PONR in this game. You can always do everything.

The mission is just rather long, that's all.

Originally posted by Wurm65:

It was more like a warning to go stock up on drinks and snacks and maybe take a short break before starting it. I fell into the "one more mission" trap at exactly this point last night thinking I'd get to bed early. Nope it was 01:30 by the time I was done.

Oh! So the side quests in Mother's Rise - which I think I haven't done yet - will be available post this mission?

Of that I am not sure... that one area of the map does get changed quite a bit. I had all those area side quests (other than the hunting lodge ones) done. If you are worried about it I'd go do them and come back.

[infirit]

Originally posted by Wurm65:

Of that I am not sure... that one area of the map does get changed quite a bit. I had all those area side quests (other than the hunting lodge ones) done. If you are worried about it I'd go do them and come back.

The map will return to the pre final mission state so you can do everything you haven't done yet.

[Corrosion]

Originally posted by Wurm65:

Originally posted by Sarcophagus:

Oh! So the side quests in Mother's Rise - which I think I haven't done yet - will be available post this mission?

Of that I am not sure... that one area of the map does get changed quite a bit. I had all those area side quests (other than the hunting lodge ones) done. If you are worried about it I'd go do them and come back.

I finished those! It was satisfying to see everyone involved, heh.

Now...can someone [;ease confirm what I need to do to get the "best" ending? I am just about to start The Looming Shadow. Haven't started it yet, obviously.

If someone could quote this and reply with a Y/N, that would be AWESOME.

To get the best ending, it is best to do:

-All Sidequests?
-All Errands?
-All Cauldrons? (Dreading these)
-All Hunting Lodges Blazing Sun'd?
-Bandit Camps? (I did 3 with Nil)
-Corrupted Zones?
-Collectables?

[Corrosion]

Oh, And slightly tangential,,,,but there is a special armor in the game. I FINALLY got it, but then I googled it and realized it was nerfed? :/ Is this true?

[infirit]

See https://segmentnext.com/2017/03/04/horizon-zero-dawn-best-ending-guide/

[-CASTRADOMIS-]

Originally posted by Sarcophagus:

Oh, And slightly tangential,,,,but there is a special armor in the game. I FINALLY got it, but then I googled it and realized it was nerfed? :/ Is this true?

Shield Weaver was nerfed into oblivion even before the Frozen Wilds was originally released. All it's good for now is tanking a fall and maybe one hit depending on the attack. It gets less effective the higher the difficulty and Frozen Wilds has enemies whose attacks completely bypass it.