What are Jae's Shadow and Independent flags are exactly?

[Бри.Уч.Кол.Мощ]

On my 3rd run. Still can't understand what flag leads to what ending exactly.

[Mr Freeze]

I'm honestly not sure myself and would like help for flags in general, I just had my first run but got an ending that was estranged from what my decisions were and then when I researched the endings; I noticed that there were flags that just never came up to occur.

So either it's a bug or I just didn't have specific people on specific quests for the chain to continue along side dialogue options I was supposed to choose.

[Balekai]

*spoilers ahead for anyone else reading*

The Independent flag I believe leads to Jae making her little "commerce" empire out in the open, controlling planets etc. and if not romanced, it all gets taken from her by those with more authority (A new Rogue Trader), because she herself doesn't truly have the authority to get away with her Iconoclast and progressive viewpoints on things/governance... crime :p . In a way the same way everything else fell a part for her (the gig she had going while a Guardsmen when a new Commissar showed up, her business on Footfall when allies turned against her until RT got involved etc.). Using dialogue that shifts her towards independence is teaching her to be more flamboyant (well give in to her flamboyant tendencies) with power. To throw around wealth and power freely/carelessly and make your intentions known. She may get a lot of acclaim and fame, but this makes herself vulnerable to the powers that be and pays for it. This is shown in the Epilogue since everyone forgets the name of the RT that butchered her Trade Empire, but everyone still knows of Jae.

If you go the Shadow route Jae learns to not be so open and rather do things from the shadows or in the shadow of the Rogue Trader. Using cunning, reserving resources and not making a show out of her influence (also not as "charitable"). In the epilogue this pays off in that Jae becomes the undisputed Shadow Baron of the Expanse and has a much more positive fate. Although the Independence route doesn't necessarily say she died, a lot of her subjects do. In this ending her power and influence is almost supreme while no one can touch her. She becomes so behind the scenes/shadowy that she eventually fades away completely, without anyone knowing whether she's dead or just controlling things more from the darkness.

Basically she can have a cool open Iconoclast/progressive trade empire that lasts only for a brief time, or she can have a longterm underground powerbase that's more criminal in nature.

[Бри.Уч.Кол.Мощ]

Originally posted by Balekai:

*spoilers ahead for anyone else reading*

The Independent flag I believe leads to Jae making her little "commerce" empire out in the open, controlling planets etc. and if not romanced, it all gets taken from her by those with more authority (A new Rogue Trader), because she herself doesn't truly have the authority to get away with her Iconoclast and progressive viewpoints on things/governance... crime :p . In a way the same way everything else fell a part for her (the gig she had going while a Guardsmen when a new Commissar showed up, her business on Footfall when allies turned against her until RT got involved etc.). Using dialogue that shifts her towards independence is teaching her to be more flamboyant (well give in to her flamboyant tendencies) with power. To throw around wealth and power freely/carelessly and make your intentions known. She may get a lot of acclaim and fame, but this makes herself vulnerable to the powers that be and pays for it. This is shown in the Epilogue since everyone forgets the name of the RT that butchered her Trade Empire, but everyone still knows of Jae.

If you go the Shadow route Jae learns to not be so open and rather do things from the shadows or in the shadow of the Rogue Trader. Using cunning, reserving resources and not making a show out of her influence (also not as "charitable"). In the epilogue this pays off in that Jae becomes the undisputed Shadow Baron of the Expanse and has a much more positive fate. Although the Independence route doesn't necessarily say she died, a lot of her subjects do. In this ending her power and influence is almost supreme while no one can touch her. She becomes so behind the scenes/shadowy that she eventually fades away completely, without anyone knowing whether she's dead or just controlling things more from the darkness.

Basically she can have a cool open Iconoclast/progressive trade empire that lasts only for a brief time, or she can have a longterm underground powerbase that's more criminal in nature.

Jae still died in romanced Nomos Iconoclast ending tho.

[Og-the-Trog]

I actually suggested she could become a Kasballican shadow baron with her resources and she turned me down flat- "Wise men on my world have a saying; Only take as much as your hands and heart can handle, or else the Exalted One will deprive you of both for your avarice".
Toybox said she activated her "independent" flag, nothing about shadows.
I'm guessing you have to tamp down her liveliness throughout the game to enable the shadow ending, and you know what? That's fine.
She has a good life, she's remembered, and the Von Valancius dynasty gives their flagship her namesake. Bright candles burning twice as fast etc etc.

I might've been more miffed if I couldn't enable multiple romances with toybox, as they all seem to only be around for a brief ~100-200 years before they (or you) die. And that's pretty lame for a 500+ rogue trader.