Optimal Route

[ccid767]

I'm one of those that only tends to do one playthrough, so ideally I don't want to get stuck in a situation where I do things in the wrong order so I feel like I've missed out or am forced to restart. 

Read a few things about certain main quest events being triggered, or certain quest options not being there because you didn't maybe follow the route the game intends. 

Any tips would be more than welcome. 

[Jaywalker]

For a single playthrough, the optimal route is to have fun and explore.

[ccid767]

10 minutes ago, Jaywalker said:

For a single playthrough, the optimal route is to have fun and explore.

That may be they way you enjoy things Jay, but as I stated, it's the opposite for me. If I wanted to do what you suggested I wouldn't be posting on a forum asking about an Optimal Route. 

As I said, there does seem to be a few issues where doing things in the 'wrong' order may complicate things a bit. The fun for me is experiencing the game the way in a more linear way, where I tackle the content in the best order possible. 

Edited July 19, 2023 by ccid767

[Jaywalker]

There is a lot of places where knowing how to get them done in the "optimal" way will completely take any and all impact from the situation. If you do not care about that, you don't need to do a specific route, because you will still experience the same amount of content, just some of it will resolve differently.

This is a big enough game that you will not be able to optimize it: if you want to see it all, you will need to stumble and fail on your own across multiple playthroughs, if you want to do just one, then the only thing to keep in mind is that you put a second squad (preferably a very strong one) in Port Cacao so that the one big quest that happens there (which is just a repeatable way to get cheap militia) doesn't fail when you lose the city and that you clear the Refugee Camp content as a first priority.

Just make sure your team collectively has someone with >85 points in each stat, and you're good for all the skill-schecks.

Edited July 19, 2023 by Jaywalker

[Melliores]

Well, you need to define what is optimal for you. Quite a few quests have at least two very distinctive outcomes, usually three. In general, one of the outcomes is the morally questionable one, but it gives you more income (via various even more questionable means) or more unique weapons. The other option sometimes allows you to recruit free-of-charge characters. The third depends on the quest.

 

As Jaywalker said, the refugee camp (sector F9) and the quests related to it are your first priority. Then it depends on the path you want to take, which you can mix and match.

Optimizing your path might require building two or three fully operational squads, so that might get a bit hectic.

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by Melliores

[ccid767]

Cheers Jay, and thank you too Melliores. It's more to me about making sure that quests are done in order as to not break them.

I've just seen reports of quests not being able to be completed because something else has happened that's made it so. Maybe that's just how it is, and shows choices matter. If it's that, and that's the intention, rather than the game being buggy, then all good I guess. 

Still, I'd like to know if there's a route to take that means you're less likely to miss out on anything. After leaving the starting island there seems to be quite a few options. 

I'll look to head to the Refugee Camp early on then, as that seems to make sense. 

Edited July 19, 2023 by ccid767

[Melliores]

A good route to take that will simplify most of your choices is first to land on the mainland on the upper right corner and capture the mine at A2 (Diamond Red). Fair warning, you will need a stealth approach for that battle and possibly one or two silenced rifles. The Gewehr 98 with a silencer also works.

That income from that mine does not depend on the loyalty of a nearby town and you even get a quest to recruit additional workers from other towns, including the Refugee camp. Here you can see that choices matter - if you get to the Diamond Red mine later in the game, after a certain event happens at the Refugee camp, you won't be able to recruit workers from there.

After Diamond Red head to Pantagruel and talk to Chimurenga, the Maquis leader (communist rebels). Agree to his quest and distribute the manifesto for extra loyalty with Pantagruel. Once you reach 100%, he will agree to hand you off the operations at Fosse Noire, the mine next to Pantagruel, a pretty big and lucrative one.

You can then head to Fleatown until you receive a distress call. After you answer that call, you can leave the meeting at the Refugee camp for later and explore the map, capture more towns and mines and resolving quests.

Edited July 19, 2023 by Melliores

[ccid767]

Sounds good. So by leaving the Refugee Camp after the call there's time to go about and explore properly. Lovely!

[Jagged Assassin]

Or you could just play the game.