Paranid Plot - Mediator mission: How to get a Zeus Sentinel and Gorgon Sentinel

[Gregorovitch]

I have left this mission for some time in my game since I had no hope of fulfilling the requirements it when I got it. Now I can build anything but unfortunately the HOP nearly wiped out the Argon so I had to intervene and have consequently been at war with them on -30 rep for ages. Now I can't get the BPs for the sentinel version of the Zeus and Gorgon it seems.

I thought about capping a HOP Zeus but as far as I can see they haven't got one and despite wasting about 40-50 of their Odeyseus so far I've never seen one either. In any case I also need 18 Gorgon Sentinels for this mission and capping those would be way beyond my patience threshold.

I am guessing that I am therefore boned as far as this mission is concerned but I thought I's ask anyway in case anybody knows of some way I might revive this Paranid plot line.

[darkstar12]

Essentailly you need to kill a crapton of criminal traffic and not get hit by defenses or their forces

[Rei Ayanami]

1) kill criminal mass traffic
2) If the Xenons next to them still exist, go there and kill Xens that come through the gate into HOP territory
3) If you have the 4.0 beta update installed, you could find Khaak ships flying around in HOP sectors, usually in sectors where

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there are lots of asteroid ressources and mining activities

4) I think killing ANT and PAR ships in HOP territory should work as well... perhaps also disguised BUC/TEM and SCA pirate ships
5) Find a HOP sector with stations far away from the center, so far that it is not far away until the random encounter mechanics kick in. Lure the encounter-spawned Xenon and Khaak ships to the HOP station and kill them

[Mr.Killer]

so, you thought having a problem? If they ask for Sentinels and the only blueprint they sell are vanguards... I think I top that problem....

So, how in X4's handbook was written that asking for one specific kind of ship type to fullfill a mission and nowhere in the game there are those kind of ships? We cannot be at peace with all factions? maybe some other we are at war with may holds them? but, then again, they should be available everywhere within the race..., so if there is a way for EGOSOFT to come up with a solution to actually handle this correctly, a lot of fun they try to make in the game is worthless.

As an example, the ZYArth are having fun killing my lowest of the lowest ships (how freaking cool of them, real military craftmanship, NOT!!!!....) so, I am not pleased about that, finally having a good relation with Free Families gained me a Raptor, but no Rattlesnake, so, that mission line I can forget about too.

This way, EGOSOFT, the mood is dropping, the enthusiasm, the need, it all comes crumbling down..... back to the chessboard, musing about the time we were fighting a good game.......sigh....

[EGO_Aut]

You can start a war, but you cannot end it when you want.
You have to earn a reputation, you can't buy it!
"Think" is a keyelement of this game, even an enemy can be your friend.

[Gregorovitch]

OK, folks, as I had feared it can't be done (I mean there is no way I'm going to grind up -30 -> +20 rep with the HOP, lol. Most especially the HOP)

"Think" is a keyelement of this game, even an enemy can be your friend.

Well you see it's not as simple as that. Well before I was in a position to satisfy the conditions for this fleet delivery the HOP had destroyed the Xenon in Faullty Logic etc and were setting about invading ANT and ARG space in earnest with about six whacking great battle fleets. I was aware that this might cause problems but when they destroyed the Argon Prime Warf and shipyard, enough was enough, I was forced to act. Acting in this case involving wasting about 40 or 50 of their Odeyseus destroyers plus countless S and M craft, all their stations in ARG and ANT space and bottling them up south of Second Contact Flashpoint and Frontier's Edge.

Hence the -30 rep.

So I would say no, in this case this enemy could not be my friend. I mean I left them largely alone until, being an Argon homeboy, I had absolutely no alternative to respond decisively to their aggression. I would further comment that since the whole Paranid plot line is essentially about resolving this HOP situation long term it seems utterly ridiculous that there is no alternative path to progressing this plot line given that any player roleplaying either an Argon or presumably Paranid with an ounce of patriotism in their veins is highly likely to come into armed conflict with the HOP at some stage prior to being reasonably able to supply the fleet in question.

IMHO this an obvious flaw and needs looking at.

[birdtable]

Looks like you will have to develop some fighter pilot skills ... -30 can be done but not from behind a desk ..

[EGO_Aut]

It is not so hard to make -30 better, its going fast.
Kill (scan) some pirates or PAR, ARG, ANT but watch your reputation, and take care of police - at around -20 (dont know the exact value now) you legaly can fly with a non combat ship in HOP space and wait @stations for criminal traffic. (MIN Cormorant or some mining ships would be a nice ship for this action). -9 reputation and you can take a fighter.
Or capture what you need.

[Gregorovitch]

You are having a laugh, right? Whatever, I have a big business to run and two wars to fight so such antics are all a bit early game for me now. Added to which I have no intention of ceasing to be at war with the HOP since it's my defense stations at Second Contact Flashpoint south gate that protects Argon space from the blighters which won't work unless I'm officially at war with them.

In all seriousness though your suggestion that grinding rep would even begin to be a reasonable option is laughable. For the reasons I explained, the situation I've found myself in would be quite common since the HOP are now extremely aggressive and often cannot be contained by ANT/ARG on their own. It is therefore unacceptable to have a main game plot line blocked off by events that will usually happen given that many if no most players are likely to start as Argon and feel obliged to help.

In my case I don't care really, I'm going to be starting a new save for the Terran DLC so I'll probably do the plot line then. Obviously had I twigged this situation earlier I may have been able to game the system by buy ingthe two required BPs off the HOP before I went to war with them, but I'm actually not sure that would have been possible, I can't remember if I was in a position to do that at the time. Therefore I may well never get to do this Paranid plot line at all.

In any event I am firmly on of the opinion that finishing a main plot line should never require gaming the system and no player should ever be locked out of a main plot line through circumstances beyond their control. It is clear that this needs urgent attention and a change to accommodate situations where the player ends up at war with the HOP before the mission can be completed. I understand the narrative idea that the delivered fleet is supposed to contain ships divided between Paranid and HOP design but unfortunately it has a fatal flaw.

[Gimbutz]

If it's any consolation to you, think of that delivery as an entirely optional bonus mission for rich players who already are and want to stay allied to both Paranid factions. The more straightforward way to end the war by defeating one of the two factions is just as valid.

[Gregorovitch]

If it's any consolation to you, think of that delivery as an entirely optional bonus mission for rich players who already are and want to stay allied to both Paranid factions. The more straightforward way to end the war by defeating one of the two factions is just as valid.

OK, I am totally confused now. The only thing I seem to have on my mission log is the one to deliver these ships (which I can't do). So what do I do to remove this mission and replace it with one to defeat the HOP (which I have plenty of means and zero qualms qualms about doing btw). What does "defeat the HOP" mean in this context?

[Gimbutz]

If it's any consolation to you, think of that delivery as an entirely optional bonus mission for rich players who already are and want to stay allied to both Paranid factions. The more straightforward way to end the war by defeating one of the two factions is just as valid.

OK, I am totally confused now. The only thing I seem to have on my mission log is the one to deliver these ships (which I can't do). So what do I do to remove this mission and replace it with one to defeat the HOP (which I have plenty of means and zero qualms qualms about doing btw). What does "defeat the HOP" mean in this context?

Defeating the HOP is done via normal gameplay outside of any plot. Destroy their fleets and stations, take over their sectors. The huge fleet delivery is part of a chain of costly objectives that allow you to "solve" the HOP-PAR war without having to annihilate one of the factions. It caters to players who want to stay friendly with both of them, and lets you put your money, time and resources into special diplomacy-altering missions instead of into your own military campaign.

The mission remains in your mission manager to remind you that this option exists, because it's technically still possible to complete. You may be set on staying at war with that faction, but other players might later change their mind and still want to have that alternative option available.

[Gregorovitch]

Defeating the HOP is done via normal gameplay outside of any plot.

OK, thanks. I didn't see that that was an option. I have no problem destroying the HOP.