Flotsam and Jetsam

[eytanzweig]

So, I finished the game and this was the only quest I found that I hadn't completed. I found a devout lab and was told that if I had information about what was researched there I could probably access the database... but I never got any further information.

What was I missing?

[shiantar]

Hi @eyzantweig !

The Flotsam and Jetsam mission is set up to run more or less concurrently with your progress through the main story. What's supposed to happen (at least as far as I recollect :) ) is

- You encounter and obtain four pieces of Devout experimental debris, each with unique experiment numbers (9011, 9440, 9778, 9903)
- Random encounters will provide you with some context in relation to the above experiments. (The crimson nebula counts as one such encounter, if you're directed to investigate it, and inside this nebula you should also find a reference to experiment 9778 if you survey all the worlds therein).
Your ship's medical / science officers will update you on their findings and theories
- Outside the nebula, you need to encounter the aftermath of two of the three remaining experiments
- So, at that point, you're also guaranteed one contextual clue from having completed Medical Delivery.
- That leaves one surveyed world with dead trees (9011), and another surveyed world with ochre dimethyl fog (9440)

As far as I can tell, it's possible to locate all the worlds on which you can have a random encounter, and still not gather the required clues to have enough to rebuild the database.

I find the same thing is generally true of Trial by Ordeal and Green Berries -- it's possible to exhaust all worlds easily found in or near the main galaxy of stars, and not get these specific encounters.

If you wish, I can try to research a specific set of dev. console commands which will unlock this mission completion for you.

[eytanzweig]

Thanks - I was wondering if it was anything like that. I also never found the two other encounters mentioned towards the end of your reply.

Thanks for the offer of console commands - but I don't think I'll bother with that. I might just fly around outside and see if I'm missing unexplored worlds somewhere. I know there are a few in Sepharial space that I don't think it's possible for me to survey and survive, not sure if the game prevents them from having subquest critical encounters.

[shiantar]

Hi @eytanzweig!

That's completely understandable :)

I recall in another thread that the developer mentioned that the game will attempt to put eligible 'procedural' star systems or worlds near the player or near the site of the trigger condition(s). If that's the case, there's not really any reason to go exploring aimlessly around Sepharia

You might try (if you haven't already) a straight-line course through deep space from:
- The gateway near the Starlance to the CXTA Stalkers yellow nebula ; or
- Easternmost Nimion space (~ Pale Iris system) to the southern tip of the western wall of Void Nebula
- From that southern tip back up along the wall (roughly northwest) to the "Devout Message" heretic gateway
- I've found 90% of all encounters in the game (except those to the north of the Northern wall) will occur inside of the rough triangle described above

[Halcyon]

Do we require the actual objects in our inventory or just to have analyzed them previously? I've already sold the items but analyzed all 4, encountered the red nebula comment, encountered the medical delivery comment, explored dead glade, and explored ochre fog, but am still getting the 'we need examples of their research' prompt.

[Mituna]

Originally posted by Halcyon:

Do we require the actual objects in our inventory or just to have analyzed them previously? I've already sold the items but analyzed all 4, encountered the red nebula comment, encountered the medical delivery comment, explored dead glade, and explored ochre fog, but am still getting the 'we need examples of their research' prompt.

From what I've been able to gather from other comments, this is one of those few missions where you do not want to be selling the artifacts before the mission is done.

Originally posted by eytanzweig:

Thanks - I was wondering if it was anything like that. I also never found the two other encounters mentioned towards the end of your reply.

Thanks for the offer of console commands - but I don't think I'll bother with that. I might just fly around outside and see if I'm missing unexplored worlds somewhere. I know there are a few in Sepharial space that I don't think it's possible for me to survey and survive, not sure if the game prevents them from having subquest critical encounters.

It is entirely possible to explore that space with zero conflict. You can search around here for the exact answer, but here are some hints:

That particular race doesn't pay very close attention to those they consider inferior (everyone else). They all look alike don't they...

There is a certain technology in the top branch you will unlock that sounds totally useless, but is in fact critical here.

[Halcyon]

figured out my issue: I had found the 'source' for one of the items but not the 'destination' and the large scale effects it had

specifically the tree roots and the prion engineered to destroy the kyrnan biotech trees. I had not progressed the events surrounding the kyrnan far enough to see the prion effects on their planets and make the link. I had only seen the site 'dead glade' with the dead trees where the prions were developed

[jasta85]

I'm stuck on the step "Ens Gliese believe if only we had examples of their research, we might be able to partially reconstruct the enormous database etc..."

I have all 4 numbered containers, and I have been to the noted locations as well although there has not been any specific dialogue or anything when I visited those locations. I've been to the lab but still cannot access it.

I'm not sure if this might have broken the quest but I sold the numbered containers to the merchant guy who buys artifacts, but I bought them back from him later. Not sure if them being out of my possession might have broken the quest or something.

edit: ok, so about an hour after i visited the last location one of my crew members just came up randomly and said they put all the clues together and now we could head tot he lab. It's weird that the trigger happened way after I actually did all the stuff, maybe I had to travel through a certain area or something.