When should I start playing the first DLC?

[Malkav]

It says it's for late game, I think I'm at the late game (the counter for the mercenary that replaced Ethan started). Should I?

[Fringehunter7719]

Potential spoilers:

Once you start the DLC tasks you have 12 days to attempt to complete tasks which take about 40-50 dice on average if you have the reroll perk, slightly more if you don't. If you're not sure you can spend 10 days straight on tasks without needing to divert actions for other timers or to earn money, then I would recommend holding off until you are comfortably at that point.

[III_phr]

Short answer: No.

Long answer without spoilers: Generally, if you have any counter anywhere, that will eventually end and something will happen. And I actually consider the story episodes an expansion of sorts. The story of it is not that connected to other story lines, and you'll need considerable time and resources to progress it. My advice is to progress the other story lines and explore the eye until you can sustain yourself and there are no survival concerns. I finished other quests and drives before the DLC and I think I did the right choice (personally).

[Malkav]

Okay I got my tracker removed thanks to sheng. No more survival concerns, I think. The mercenary is not coming. Is now a good time?

[III_phr]

Originally posted by Malkav:

Okay I got my tracker removed thanks to sheng. No more survival concerns, I think. The mercenary is not coming. Is now a good time?

Apart from being hunted (which you solved), you need energy and medicine. You can get food with money so it's money and stabilizer. If you have a good source of money and can get the stabilizer, yeah I think you can start that. But in nature, the game has a few timed events that can lead you to fail a drive or two if you don't meet the deadlines.

So if you really want the drives not to fail, then finish any other ongoing questline you have, that would be my advice.

[III_phr]

Oh and another thing. You need random scrap items for the quest, a considerable amount (8 at least if I recall correctly). Make sure you can get that or you have that.

[Malkav]

Okay thanks for the help :)

[III_phr]

Yw :D

[zyrax]

yea i had a hell of a time since i kind of bumbled into it without expecting it in advance.

[iheartdaikaiju]

I'm going to go against the grain and say you shouldn't wait till late game. I do it right after I get rid of ethan. I do that by paying the full 150 creds to cross to the green so I can finish the feng quest. I do the mushroom stuff then I go right into the flotilla quests. I don't invest in bliss, I don't get the sidereal horizon up and running, I don't do anything with the gang. The extra two drives are super fast and easy to get, even if you miss the 1st one the 2nd one has no time limit, and you're at a point in the game where they can really help you. Plus there's an extra dialog option when you've exposed Hardin that is totally worth it. With mushrooms you don't have to worry about money for stabilizer and some of the jobs you do give you energy back.

The only advice I would give ahead of time is to get 8 scrap. You don't wanna waste time digging for it or ponying up cash for scrap and shipminds to sell.

But yeah TL;DR this is 2 free character points so don't wait for the late game.

EDIT : Haha that's exactly what happened teach me to read the first few posts instead of the whole thread lol sorry