X3TC Goner Plot: Not ready for next step, but mission is timed (spoilers)

[Saucerful-of-Secrets]

Spoiler warning about details of goner plot.

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So I was following that Blastclaw through Maelstrom and met strong pirate forces near the gate to the next sector and the Blastclaw escaped and so did I as the pirates were too strong. I am flying the Advanced Eclipse which can be found, and this is my strongest combat ship by far. My plan was to either get a stronger ship, or improve rep with pirates, or both, but then the Goners sent me after the Blastclaw again, with a 44 minute time limit. I went, met an M7 and was promptly blown up.

My question is: If the time limit on the mission expires, will the Goner plotline be lost in this playthrough? Or will the Goners offer the mission again after I have taken the time to get ready?

[RainerPrem]

Spoiler warning about details of goner plot.

Spoiler

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So I was following that Blastclaw through Maelstrom and met strong pirate forces near the gate to the next sector and the Blastclaw escaped and so did I as the pirates were too strong. I am flying the Advanced Eclipse which can be found, and this is my strongest combat ship by far. My plan was to either get a stronger ship, or improve rep with pirates, or both, but then the Goners sent me after the Blastclaw again, with a 44 minute time limit. I went, met an M7 and was promptly blown up.

My question is: If the time limit on the mission expires, will the Goner plotline be lost in this playthrough? Or will the Goners offer the mission again after I have taken the time to get ready?

You can repeat that part indefinitely.

There are two possibilities to make it through this part:

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1) Using a small ship and fly in large circles (up, left, down, right) around the ship you follow.

2) Doing enough missions for the pirates in advance to leave the shoot-on-sight status.

[Saucerful-of-Secrets]

Thanks Rainer, I will see if I can do the runaround in my trusty Kestrel.

[RainerPrem]

Thanks Rainer, I will see if I can do the runaround in my trusty Kestrel.

The Kestrel was my favourite ship in X3 as well. (Or the Hyperion with a Kestrel as Captain's Yacht.

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It anyway pays out if you use the time to the next repetition of the mission to improve your reputation with the pirates in that area. You can sell a lot of illegal goods and make a lot of money with them once you're on a good reputation.

[Saucerful-of-Secrets]

As it turned out, when returning in the Kestrel, there was noone attempting to stop me

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until the guy escaped and I had to pick him up (and avoid enemy fire)
I am now working on improving rep with pirates, it appears to take a while (a lot of trades & missions) though I did little to annoy them (except perhaps help the goners)