"Not enough time remaining for quest" logic needs a tweak

[kinzie]

I just recently encountered the start of the rock cruiser quest in sector 6, and 3 nodes into sector 7 completed the second part of the quest (allowing the rock ship to escape the sun). The game then informed me there was no time left to complete the quest (the part where you pick up rock plating as a reward at a random future jump node). Pretty whack that the whole zone was remaining but somehow not enough time to complete it.

[generalBF]

Well when you initially got the quest why didn't you prioritize going there first? Or choose a path that would leave you some room to reach the exit beacon

[kinzie]

I don't think you understood my post. I took the fastest possible path to the quest (3 beacons from entering the fresh sector), with the entire remainder of the beacons remaining for the quest to give me the final follow-up. It is not that I did not get there in time; it was t hat no option was given to complete the last part of the quest at all (it was not offered as a quest beacon, with the game stating there was not enough time left). Typically this only occurs if you have too few beacons left to allow the quest to function, but that makes no sense in this case.

[generalBF]

You're talking about this quest?
https://ftl.fandom.com/wiki/Rock_war_vessel_encounter
The vanilla game, not multiverse or another mod?

[kinzie]

Yes, that's the one. Stock (unmodified) FTL AE on hard mode.

[Ray Robertson]

What sector type was sector 7 and could you choose between 2 sector types?

[kinzie]

Originally posted by Ray Robertson:

What sector type was sector 7 and could you choose between 2 sector types?

Unfortunately I can't 100% recall either answer, but it definitely had a significant number of nebula beacons. If there is a way to check game logs for this info I will try to that.

[Mike]

Originally posted by kinzie:

it definitely had a significant number of nebula beacons.

That might be why it happened. The game will not place quests at a nebula beacon, so it might have decided there weren't enough valid beacons left. Or maybe the only valid beacons were too far to the right?

It also won't overwrite a store beacon. I know it can overwrite "ship detected" beacons, including hazards.

I'm not sure of the exact logic for quest placement. I would like to understand it better.

[gambit]

So, I just had a quest will appear in next sector in sector 4 from Settlement Mercenary Work event.
Anyway, sector 5 was Uncharted Nebula sector with all beacons being nebulae.
So quest showed up in sector 6. Yes it is from that event, I just finished it.

[Ray Robertson]

Moral of the story; try to not go to a nebula sector 7, if you have a quest you would like to complete.

[kinzie]

Originally posted by Ray Robertson:

Moral of the story; try to not go to a nebula sector 7, if you have a quest you would like to complete.

I mean, it's often not an optional choice. The point is it's silly that you can't finish a quest at a nebula beacon (especially if it's actually in a civilian or zoltan-controlled sector, which can be largely nebula).

[Jimmy Hunter]

Originally posted by kinzie:

I mean, it's often not an optional choice.

You have the ability to choose which path you take. Plan ahead accordingly.

The point is it's silly that you can't finish a quest at a nebula beacon (especially if it's actually in a civilian or zoltan-controlled sector, which can be largely nebula).

It's an intended mechanic. Frankly with how restricting Nebula can be without sensors, it's a good thing that many quests CANNOT be in them.

[kinzie]

Originally posted by Jimmy Hunter:

Originally posted by kinzie:

I mean, it's often not an optional choice.

Nope. The game only gives you particular path choices, and none of them may be viable for the quest (you cannot know in advance you will need to complete a quest in a future zone either). Many green sectors can also have a high fraction of nebula beacons, so you're sometimes out of luck even picking those.

The point is it's silly that you can't finish a quest at a nebula beacon (especially if it's actually in a civilian or zoltan-controlled sector, which can be largely nebula).

It's an intended mechanic. Frankly with how restricting Nebula can be without sensors, it's a good thing that many quests CANNOT be in them.

The sensor mechanic does not apply to finding beacons (hence why you can still warp in there), so this is silly reasoning. It is also not consistent with the fact that there are other nebula-based quests that you can find across the entire sector. The point is, for the key/capital quests (e.g. ships and powerful augments), it really should be possible to complete them in any zone (the challenge is finding them in the first place).

[Jimmy Hunter]

Originally posted by kinzie:

The sensor mechanic does not apply to finding beacons (hence why you can still warp in there), so this is silly reasoning.

Reminder that there are many quests that involve combat. Some involve damaging the enemy ship, and others involve wiping out the crew. Sensor help in both of these situations.

It is also not consistent with the fact that there are other nebula-based quests that you can find across the entire sector.

Starting a quest =/= continuing a quest.

The point is, for the key/capital quests (e.g. ships and powerful augments), it really should be possible to complete them in any zone (the challenge is finding them in the first place).

Consider looking into Modding or learning how to modify your game if you want this to be changed.

[kinzie]

Reminder that there are many quests that involve combat. Some involve damaging the enemy ship, and others involve wiping out the crew. Sensor help in both of these situations.

In the scenario I described, the combat phases had already ended, and I was simply unable to claim the rock armor/health regen award in an otherwise untouched sector. I can understand if a particular mechanic would be affected, but if not the case, it is silly to prevent it at nebula beacons. The same would hold true for the zoltan shield quest, as it is just dialog choices, and the homework sector itself can be >50% nebula to begin with.

[Jimmy Hunter]

Originally posted by Jimmy Hunter:

Consider looking into Modding or learning how to modify your game if you want this to be changed.