Do I need the PHQ?

[Anarchy '83]

Hi guys,

About 10 hours into my game and read that the terran story arc gives you a player HQ.

Do I need this as I prefer to do my own thing and build my own empire without having a PHQ and associated missions?

Thanks in advance.

[conrado.lacerda]

You need it to perform research (very useful) and terraforming missions later in the game (very cool).

[Troll]

If anything, I find it indispensable for the teleport research. Then the other research.

[Humble]

You can do without Headquarter, but however it's at great cost, there is couple/many linked quest to Headquarter, It's "Player Headquarter", head of your empire, after all. Had no headquarter is like empire without capital or so speak. it's heart of your empire, it's capital of your empire after all, more or less.

But while headquarter do had personal office for you to be in manage, you can do astrid that had personal office to manage of empire.

[Lazarus Long]

I can't imagine X4 without the PHQ, but to each there own.

[Humble]

Here is other thing, you are much more control not getting headquarter if you turn off Boron DLC, Boron DLC do handle you free headquarter without all work in old plot/quest/mission.
I prefer do plot/quest/mission to get player headquarter, I find it's little more alive and fun, so I turn off Boron DLC, when I did got headquarter and get dal busta from other quest/mission, then turn Boron back on, and all smoothly from there, I did this 2 time at least.

Only downside is that, if you want to play boron without headquarter, that can be issues.
Or playing boron and want to do old plot/quest to get nice reward and storyline, but storyline would not make sense if player are a boron. That is other issues. I guess.

[Humble]

Originally posted by Lazarus Long:

I can't imagine X4 without the PHQ, but to each there own.

I agree, but it's nice to had option and ability to change look of headquarter, let said you playing as Terran, that headquarter should be white to matching Terran station, not gray, or if you playing split, it's should be red or something to match split station, more or less, idea. ah well.
It's would be awesome to control what headquarter's core look like with all that color and stuff. Same thing inside look.

[ArcticISAF]

I would like that the PHQ north section actually points north (or opposite of the south end), not ever so slightly to the left. And also to finish the look of the station somehow, some random hole in the side of an unfinished station. (Just nitpicking for fun, but would be nice to change the look somehow I agree).

[Gregorovitch]

The PHQ is more or less mandatory because of the research and also because it has personal player storage, an infinite bag of holding, very useful for those items certain priggish factions deem illegal, and furthermore subordinates can be tasked to drop stuff off in it for you.

Personally since Terraforming got added to the game and it became mobile I don't use it as a production facility anymore.

[EXPLODENSTEIN]

I'm so glad I started this game completely blind.

[PeaceMaker]

Originally posted by Paladin '83:

Hi guys,

About 10 hours into my game and read that the terran story arc gives you a player HQ.

Do I need this as I prefer to do my own thing and build my own empire without having a PHQ and associated missions?

Thanks in advance.

You can quite happily do your own thing, which is what I do nearly every single time. I just fly around as a jobbing mercenary with my co-pilot npc (and maybe a Freighter or two for a little extra cash for better fighter ships), sometimes rent-a-cop for literally weeks until I feel like doing the HQ missions, although you almost literally get the HQ shoved in your face now if you fly to a particular hex, which is somewhat annoying if you don't want it yet, or at all.

Sure there are some things you can't do withot it like the omnipresent teleporting (which I hate with a passion anyway), and modding of ship stuff, which is a bit of a bummer, but I've got by a LONG time without needing it.

For me the worse thing about the HQ is it feels like it was created just for me, which takes me out of the immersion of the game. I'm really tired of games that treat me like I am the 'Chosen one' for no reason. I don't need fame, or the biggest baddest thing shoved in my face instantly, like a kitten being shoved shiny, shiny trinkets.

I like to WORK for what I get.

I don't even need to change the universe unless it's under threat, then I'll do something. Otherwise it can plod along.

P.s if you go the jobbing Merc/exploring route, I advise taking about 20 basic satellites as soon as you can and drop them to catch as many bases as you find as it's very useful if you decide to do some trading with Freighters. Also, later, get about 10 laser Towers which will help you a lot in fights if things start getting difficult.

I can give you more hints on my simple strategies. Just ask.

[Commander Hitman2b]

The PHQ is really help full for research purpose and terraforming say you like a sector well you can mak it better by terraforming , the research give your alot of potential bonus for your ship which are pretty cool like more damage , more defense on the shield ect

[Anarchy '83]

Thanks for all the really helpful replies, appreciated. I guess I will take it. Not like a restart wont fix it :)

Originally posted by PeaceMaker:

Originally posted by Paladin '83:

Hi guys,

About 10 hours into my game and read that the terran story arc gives you a player HQ.

Do I need this as I prefer to do my own thing and build my own empire without having a PHQ and associated missions?

Thanks in advance.

You can quite happily do your own thing, which is what I do nearly every single time. I just fly around as a jobbing mercenary with my co-pilot npc (and maybe a Freighter or two for a little extra cash for better fighter ships), sometimes rent-a-cop for literally weeks until I feel like doing the HQ missions, although you almost literally get the HQ shoved in your face now if you fly to a particular hex, which is somewhat annoying if you don't want it yet, or at all.

Sure there are some things you can't do withot it like the omnipresent teleporting (which I hate with a passion anyway), and modding of ship stuff, which is a bit of a bummer, but I've got by a LONG time without needing it.

For me the worse thing about the HQ is it feels like it was created just for me, which takes me out of the immersion of the game. I'm really tired of games that treat me like I am the 'Chosen one' for no reason. I don't need fame, or the biggest baddest thing shoved in my face instantly, like a kitten being shoved shiny, shiny trinkets.

I like to WORK for what I get.

I don't even need to change the universe unless it's under threat, then I'll do something. Otherwise it can plod along.

P.s if you go the jobbing Merc/exploring route, I advise taking about 20 basic satellites as soon as you can and drop them to catch as many bases as you find as it's very useful if you decide to do some trading with Freighters. Also, later, get about 10 laser Towers which will help you a lot in fights if things start getting difficult.

I can give you more hints on my simple strategies. Just ask.

Yea I am exactly the same. I refer to learn my own way and don't reload unless its a game fault such as glitching into a station. If I make a stupid mistake, I live with it.

[Anarchy '83]

Originally posted by Humble:

Here is other thing, you are much more control not getting headquarter if you turn off Boron DLC, Boron DLC do handle you free headquarter without all work in old plot/quest/mission.
I prefer do plot/quest/mission to get player headquarter, I find it's little more alive and fun, so I turn off Boron DLC, when I did got headquarter and get dal busta from other quest/mission, then turn Boron back on, and all smoothly from there, I did this 2 time at least.

Only downside is that, if you want to play boron without headquarter, that can be issues.
Or playing boron and want to do old plot/quest to get nice reward and storyline, but storyline would not make sense if player are a boron. That is other issues. I guess.

Great info. Thank you.

I am as far as infiltrating the transport who asks me to repair satellites and then station leaks. I understand from what I read that this will trigger the PHQ if I completed it so I have gone no further.

If I now 'unlock' the Boran, will this mission chain close ?

[alcash]

Originally posted by Humble:

Originally posted by Lazarus Long:

I can't imagine X4 without the PHQ, but to each there own.

I agree, but it's nice to had option and ability to change look of headquarter, let said you playing as Terran, that headquarter should be white to matching Terran station, not gray, or if you playing split, it's should be red or something to match split station, more or less, idea. ah well.
It's would be awesome to control what headquarter's core look like with all that color and stuff. Same thing inside look.

I wish you could just apply paint to any station

[Humble]

Do you mean a Hatikvah trade revolution plot? No you don't get headquarter that way, only important person join your headquarter, if there is no headquarter, that person can wait till you had a headquarter on your own (assumed you turn off boron DLC at that time)

In fact, I do turn off Boron DLC, would do that Hatikvah trade revolution plot after Solmilit born plot (I played as Terran almost every time) then Headquarter plot (Old way, I did turn off boron DLC) then do Northriver Plot/Empyrean Curs/Segaris Terraforming Plot then finaly I felt story make sense to turn Boron DLC on, and all good. ( I was thinking about Yaki Investigation Plot but that is too long, so I prefer to do Boron quest before that)

But before all that plot, I just build my empire first to get it going, thought. Mosty automine then some station after getting blueprint (I do role play good guy, not hacking and stealing for me unless plot or story make me do it.)