How to obtain the best possible ending? [SPOILER]

[「SHAORUNE」]

So i just finished my first ever run, the game ended with howler dell's stop progressing,white smash stagnent, quintus die by trents , and other vilages just kinda meh, not great not bad. And i die at the end by some beast. So i want to do a second playtrhough, aiming for the best ending possible, so does anyone know how to achive it?

[carandiro]

How did you even mess up this badly in the first place? Did you just decide to head back half-way through the game?
Your goal should be reaching the point of trust with each settlement (and Eudocia) where they either negotiate with you about joining the Ten Cities or at the very least has most of their issues solved. And you do that simply by questing and playing the game.
Unless, of course, you mean absolutely golden ending, which is super-specific in tiny details, like what job Quintus gets or what did you do with cider kegs or how many and which exactly lies you've said to Foggy. But a solid, good ending, with many places flourishing, can be achieved simply by clearing the local "board" out of quests.

[「SHAORUNE」]

Yeah maybe,,because Its 2 am here so im a bit lazy to read through the journal, so i just finish White Mash, talk with everyone and not seeing any further options .Then i go to Tulia and go back to see how it end tbh.

[carandiro]

Then you've dropped the game half-way through and got the appropriate ending ^^
Seriously, keep playing and you will get better endings. Some tips, with spoilers:
* Rock Gale: Get them to denounce Glaucia, which means you do all the quests for them and then convince them she's working against them. Preferably do so BEFORE White Marsh, as this will make your life easier. Other than that, just quest for them. The only reward you want from them is free sleep and every other reward being turned into good word about the new roadwarden, for this makes the final negotiations with them so much easier.
* Creeks: Just do all the quests they have to offer. You might or might not give copper vein location to them, but this is purely flavour to their ending and purely personal choice (I didn't and don't regret it)
* Eudocia: Do all her quests, gain her maximum trust, BUT do not sell the tulips to her once you learn they are drugs (the "Won't poison friend for coins" choice)
* Monks: Obviously heal the plague, but also provide fishes for winter from Rock Gale. Other than that, just questing for the monastery, it's a win-win for you anyway, as they provide useful information for no-brainer jobs.
* Howler's Dale: Depose Thais, don't give them the fishing hamlet (duh) and don't expose Aegida, then take her into your crew and make sure she comes back alive. Also, make sure you take the job to organise people against White Marshes, but solely to get more dirt on her and gain easy pass in White Marsh by exposing the plan. I'm not sure if it actually affects things, but logically, you are better off deposing Thais BEFORE healing the plague, which means the threats will be empty.
* Foggy Lake: DO NOT lie to Foggy about Iason plans, tell her the truth about it
* Quintus: Make him a hunter at Pelt's, the other option makes him a drunkard
* Glaucia: Make Rock Gale denounce her, but before you go tell her, meet her parents and also get rid of the undead from White Marsh. DO NOT tell her about Thais plans nor point her toward the runaway bandit
* White Marsh: You probably already know what to do, but other than that, return few days later and organise ♥♥♥♥ around. Also, give cider to their outcast and tell him that the old druid is sorry, too
And I think that's all. The remaining locations depend entirely on how you resolve the very end game. For absolutely perfect economic benefit in the end, make White Marsh the HQ for the merchants. Copper can go to whoever you feel like it, and it only really affects one place anyway. If you want to give it ot Rock Gale, do so before wrapping up all the quests there.

If you want to stay in specific places:
* Rock Gale: Return the iron bar to them, clear and open the adit, make them denounce Glaucia and they will offer you a job of roadwarden for their settlement
* Creeks: Just do all the quests they have to offer and they will invite you even if you will bluntly tell them that you won't be forever young
* Monks: Simply follow the same religions (early game choice) and be super-pious by the time they will take you to their library
If there are other locations to stay, I don't know them. You probably can stay in Howler's Dale, but that would probably also require staying loyal to Thais and let her take over the region, which is like the worst thing you can do (other than not getting rid of the undead, that is)
And don't sweat it about game offering you more than one place to stay after your tour as roadwarden is over. The actual choice is done AFTER you present your report to the merchant guild.

[Rhett]

Originally posted by carandiro:

For absolutely perfect economic benefit in the end, make White March the HQ for the merchants.

I had Old Pagos as the best, because otherwise the Monks would die in an earthquake. Is there another way to stop that?

[carandiro]

Oh, so you CAN prevent that from happening. Nice to know. Guess I will now have to ponder how to ♥♥♥♥♥♥ White Marsh from mismanagement. I just assumed it's inevitable to have the earthquake, sort of Fallout-like ending, when certain locations simply have a bad luck down the line.

[「SHAORUNE」]

Ok, so in Howler Dell do i need to be spy for Thais for sometime? Because in my playthrough i avoid giving any information for her.

[Rhett]

You can get the best ending without giving her any information.

[carandiro]

There are two reasons to give her that intel:
* achievement (the "No secret is safe with me" has the same icon as the in-game one for passing her intel)
* unlocking option to go after White Marsh, which SIGNIFICANTLY speeds up getting in good graces of White Marsh
Other than that, you don't have to and there are other ways to get to the prophet, but simply exposing Thais plan to their mayor is the fastest.

[Cedrada]

Originally posted by carandiro:

Oh, so you CAN prevent that from happening. Nice to know. Guess I will now have to ponder how to ♥♥♥♥♥♥ White Marsh from mismanagement. I just assumed it's inevitable to have the earthquake, sort of Fallout-like ending, when certain locations simply have a bad luck down the line.

If you work that out, shout please. I was so joyful that Thais got booted out , but felt super sad that the Tribe just kind of passed into obscurity through inaction by Druids .

[Wlerin]

The only thing I can think of along that line is attempting to depose Thais without siding with the Druids. But I'm not sure it's possible to do so.

[Fringehunter7719]

Originally posted by Cedrada:

If you work that out, shout please. I was so joyful that Thais got booted out , but felt super sad that the Tribe just kind of passed into obscurity through inaction by Druids .

Is this the ending you're trying to do better than (ignoring the Thrysus bit)?
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2866886572

In regard to other things, there are some mentioned steps that aren't necessary and some which are debatable. E.g. is it a better end when Aegidia leaves to be an adventurer, or when she returns to her tribe and becomes a druid? The goal you chose for the roadwarden and what you chose when you resolved it seems to have a noticeable impact too, with some being a lot better than others, and many where they wind up dead.