DId I just break something?

[TentacleMayor]

I was searching Arcjet Systems (no quest, just followed the map marker) and after looting the pretty small office area I thought "no way that's all there is to this huge building", plus the map marker didn't say "cleared". Then I saw one office that was normally inaccessible and noclipped through to it, then I had access to the rest of the area. After using a terminal that opened a security door, the "Call to Arms" quest popped up, Paladin Danse spawned in along with a bunch of hostile synths, and now he's getting stuck on walls trying to get somewhere without saying anything. The quest just says to "provide fire support".

I have a sneaking suspicion I just borked the main story (which I haven't played before), but is it fixable? Can I just complete the quest using the console once I get to that point?

[Immortalis]

Generally speaking it's best to avoid using console command as much as possible (try limiting it to the case where you get stuck between two rocks or the like). That being said, it's never happened to me but I'd advice to try and go through the building along the route (it's linear, not much chance to get lost) and see if it fixes itself. Danse would be nigh useless anyway so that's not a big issue.

[Angela]

Roll back to an earlier save, and definitely don't noclip through quest areas.

Here's the Call to Arms quest you triggered - https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Call_to_Arms

Before that you -should have- done Fire Support.

[hawkeye]

I would reload, even if you don't intend doing the BOS quest line.

[tulle040657]

Never use no clip to get to areas blocked off in the game, only use it to get unstuck form things like rocks. The chance of breaking your game is very high using it as you did

[TentacleMayor]

Thanks all. I had no idea that was a quest-critical location, I only noclipped because I thought I was just too daft to find the door. I've gone on without loading, hopefully that quest is optional to the story.

[steventirey]

Originally posted by TentacleMayor:

Thanks all. I had no idea that was a quest-critical location, I only noclipped because I thought I was just too daft to find the door. I've gone on without loading, hopefully that quest is optional to the story.

It is optional, unless you want to do the Brotherhood questline. And even then, its optional if you hold off on the Brotherhood stuff until later in the main questline.

[dtt.scanner]

It also may reset if you can still hear the Cambridge call for help on the radio. If you get there and Paladin Danse isn't out front, you may need to "place at me" with him to bring him back from Arcjet. Hopefully that will get him started on defending the police station. Arcjet is shortly after that, so once that quest is restarted, you should be fine. Danse will open the inaccessible portion of the building.

I tend to not go too far with BOS, because they aren't such a-holes in the beginning. You can get access to the Prydwen, rescue Brandis, get a free set of power armor, and then simply ignore them without making enemies of anyone else.

[Zekiran]

Yeah I will echo everyone:

DO NOT mess with Arcjet.

I did once, similar to you, but didn't realize that it would break so badly later on.

ALL of my companions would RUN OFF to that spot, *exactly where Danse is supposed to be* - regardless of their companion affinity or any other factors. They literally just *ran* off. I had to completely ditch the entire run for that break. It was that bad.

If you have a manual save before you did this, USE THAT, but be prepared, because sometimes these things just break insanely.

[MagicMarker]

Clipping into an inaccessible, still unexplored area is unwise in general. If it's fixable, I have no idea. I'd advise to go back to a previous save and avoid doing this again.