Arbitor Unification

[Teralitha]

So I helped the arbitor for the first time to unify the factions. She said i would be well compensated. I did 2 missions for her and got a grand total of 20k for each mission, yet the missions had me jumping around all over the place, running errands to get support.

I think the time investment warrent a bit more money. I probably spent more than 20k just on fuel alone in the journey. The Faen shelled out huge cash for their missions by comparison. I was rather let down by these missions and rewards. They were just a flat 20k each. No crew skills had any effect. Maybe that is a bug.

[Trese Brothers]

That works like bad pricing to me. Will investigate

[Gilmoy]

No bug. Those aren't proc-gen mission rewards, they're narrative loot drops.
They're hard-scripted into each narrative's script.

A flat 12k is what the Arbiter Neutrality narrative scripts.
That's what we all get, so in that sense it's already fair. It's been this way for 6 years.

Play more, go earn more.
Earning enough to be not-newbie is the player's task. That is the game.

N.B. You're already on the right track.
Combine other proc-gen missions, narratives, trading, and every kind of card game loot.
Don't rely entirely on 1 scripted narrative mission to fund your dreams.
Go earn it, through the same activities we use. That's what we do.

[Teralitha]

Well I got 20k. Times 2. Thats it for the whole campaign of like 20 jumps, all added up from prince errands also, which paid nothing. Meanwhile I can deliver a box for faen prince, 1-3 jumps for 100k-200k

Its true she doesnt even have actual missions like other contacts. Are you really telling me that for helping a zendu establish a galaxy wide government, spending hours of my real life time, and 20k is all i get from it which is less than I paid just for fuel that I should be happy because I can make more money doing other activities? Guy.... go sit down.

The other thing that bugs me is that after the unification, she is not a persistent contact who gives more missions. I thought there would be more to it. Oh well..

[Gilmoy]

It's a vignette. All vignettes pay 0, by default. What were you expecting?

Yes, you should fly from 1 end of the galaxy to another, over 20 or 40 jumps,
Rally 3 Princes (which involves at least 3 of their sub-missions),
and earn nearly $0 from Brokstrom herself. That's what all of us earned, too.

It's Scripted This Way.
Vignettes don't pay per jump, and they don't care what you suffered to do them.

You get a Steam badge (for the 1st time ever, per Steam profile),
an in-game achievement on your Captain's wall (every run),
and bragging rights on some Forum. And that's it. All vignettes are like this.

All vignettes are optional. You can choose to not do them.
Some vignettes give V11 weapons, like Bahamut. (Also, an L45 ground terrox fight!)
Some vignettes are literally same-zone 1 button, taking 1 turn total.
Some vignettes involve six missions, of which 1 is to deliver 121 vudka, or such.
Some vignettes make you visit 3 Prince's homeworlds, wherever they are on your map.
You could cheese it with a tiny map, or make a Big Map and brag about its epic scope.

No vignette rewards you with $1.0 million.
That's not their function within this game's credits / loot / rep / achievement economy.
They're essentially milestone markers, which allow devs to checkpoint a narrative.
You earn money elsewhere to enable you to goof off doing vignettes

[Teralitha]

I think you have me confused with someone who gives a ♥♥♥♥. Im pretty sure the devs can handle it. Dont need you.

[Gilmoy]

I thought you were a veteran.
Congrats on your 1st-ever Rally 3 Princes

Yes, the in-game Achievement is the only real reward.
The next 5 times you do it, you'll get the same thing.

But you do get to trigger Era II yourself, ON-LANDING at Ryeline Ganne.
There's only about five scripted triggers in which you literally Change the Galaxy Yourself.
If you ever complain that you're 1 little guy with no effect on the big stage, this is for you.

[Teralitha]

Originally posted by Gilmoy:

I thought you were a veteran.
Congrats on your 1st-ever Rally 3 Princes

Yes, the in-game Achievement is the only real reward.
The next 5 times you do it, you'll get the same thing.

But you do get to trigger Era II yourself, ON-LANDING at Ryeline Ganne.
There's only about five scripted triggers in which you literally Change the Galaxy Yourself.
If you ever complain that you're 1 little guy with no effect on the big stage, this is for you.

Actually it was just 2 princes.

[Teralitha]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3455450333

[Teralitha]

Question. I noticed that the unlock achievment for this requires you win over 3 princes to the arbitor cause, but how can I do that if she only gives me 2 missions to win over princes before the event completes. Only reason why i did those was to get the unlock but now I have missed it.

[matt]

You have to launch the unmoddable version of the game, play on at least normal difficulty, and finish the mission before the first era ends. If the mission was cut short, you probably ran out of time.

[Teralitha]

Originally posted by matt:

You have to launch the unmoddable version of the game, play on at least normal difficulty, and finish the mission before the first era ends. If the mission was cut short, you probably ran out of time.

I was playing unmodded. Normal difficulty. I read the requirements to get the unlocks. I didnt run out of time. The unification event happened immediately after I turned in the second report to her. There was no expiration date on the missions.

[Teralitha]

Since we are on the subject of "Vinigarettes," I should also point out that helping the different Faen children yields far different results.

1. Erik pays out neglible rewards for doing his missions, and killing the ataan chars son gives you almost nothing just like helping the arbitor. Just makes ataan char really hate you and sends bounty hunters after you.
2. Helping valencia doesnt matter because you can just run any other missions while she hangs out with you. Once she leaves your ship its over. She is gone for good.
3. Zette's missions and rewards are actually quite good in both lots of cash and reputation. This makes her the only one worth helping.

I have followed all paths to the end and its only worth helping Zette. The only thing I dont like is the ending. There is dialogue to suggest there is more to the story with zette, but ive never seen anything with her after that to suggest there is anything beyond the point of her getting her own system and becoming a contact.

[Gilmoy]

In no particular order (but always for try #1 first):

1. Aiden Caavnaugh of Cadar, on Cadonis (wherever it is)
Carry Kolber Volpane on your bench for two years, do your own thing.
N.B. the best "own thing" to do is #2

2. Michael Guun of Zenrin, on Xaderis (wherever it is)
To Zenrin Prime and back (wherever that is).

3. Damien Lumotte of Moklumnue, on Hydra Tri-C (wherever it is)
Actual go-there-fight-those missions, with both kinds of fighting.
If you can do Vatborn for Zette and Aerlus Char for Erik, you're probably ready.

Estelle gives you all 3 as Contacts in your list, when she gives you their missions.
She gives max 2 at a time, so you must fully finish 1, then go back for the 3rd.

Era II will arrive at some time (ASTI) between Year 17 and Year 22.
If you do nothing, it's about Year 17-18.
If you finish 1-2 Princes, it kicks Era I down the road, and you might last to Year 21.

If you're in Estelle's making-progress grace period, late in Year 21,
and sprinting to her to finish the 3rd Prince, then landing at Ryeline Ganne triggers Era II.

It is legal to finish all 3 Princes, be sprinting back to report the 3rd Prince,
Era II arrives while you're en route, and you land 1-2 years "late" and report anyways.
You still get the achievement (in Captain's Log, Awards), and the Major XP Award.

Low-veteran cheese: You can deduce #2's entire task on Turn 0 of a brand-new map.
Galactic Map, every quadrant, System Atlas, hunt.
There's always exactly 1 each of these named systems. Never 0, never 2+.

[Teralitha]

As I already explained, there were only 2 and finishing the 2nd ended the unification event with unification complete. The event with the arbitor was completed. Unification established. No achievement, no unlock. No mods. Normal difficulty.

Nothing you say is gonna change this result. This is what happened. The end. Game over. Old game deleted, new game started. Normal game, not modded.

[Gilmoy]

That means you failed the Rally 3 Princes achievement.
In your Captain's Log, Awards page, you don't have it.
In your Contacts list, you have only 2 of the 3 Princes.
Sorry, try again next run.

Unification (Era II) happens regardless. It's not Estelle's main award.
Only 2 of 3 princes means you didn't trigger it. The ticking global clock caused it.
(Same with the other Eras. Some you can trigger, but they always auto-trigger eventually.)

Rally 3 Princes is a race to finish everything before the global clock ushers Era II.
90% of the fun is to outrace it, and know that you're in a sprint race at the very end.
It's precious because it's a hard scramble, even for experts. (I love it because it's hard.)