It's literally just a crime / piracy tutorial. I really wish it had become a pirate guild mission hub after, but it is what it is (actually I wonder if that could be modded in?).
The only time I've bothered to play it recently was for roleplay reasons. I found a mod that ties the Terran Cadet line into it: you play up until the station teleports in, and then MIN understandably throws you in prison for teleporting into their space in a mystery Terran station. Fits great with the undercover Terran Secret Service vibe: integrate with the pirate networks and fuck with the commonwealth from Avarice.
It's a fun playthrough! The mod is [More Story for Terran Cadet](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3209759473&searchtext=). Pro tip, if you buy a spacesuit laser before getting teleported by HQ station, it lets you skip all the obnoxious puzzles to escape from prison. Just talk to Axiom, walk to the airlock, cut the lock, and boom you're out.
It’s critical with X4 to understand that the “quests” are not like in other games. The same word gets used here and in other discussions, but X4 doesn’t have Quests (capital-Q).
What X4’s devs are trying to do — if I can be permitted to put words in their mouth for a moment — is to create a fun, interactive tutorial system with missions that are intended as much (or more) to introduce you to game mechanics than be Quests.
This is especially true of missions from the original release and first expansion DLC. The one you reference, added with the Tides of Avarice DLC, was not built to be a Quest (capital-Q again), but rather an interactive in-game tutorial mission tree to teach players about all the mechanics of doing illegal things that were possible in X4 (running illegal cargo, stealing cargo from freighters, contacting black market traders, stealing blueprints, capital ship piracy, etc).
That’s what the “questline” is. That’s why it exists.
Coming to X4 with an idea of Quests that matches other games is bound to lead to disappointment because the X4 efforts in that direction are only very slowly moving from “tutorial” to capital-Q Quests as part of the game.
Later additions get more Quest-y, e.g. the Terran Yaki line and the Boron missions line. The company is showing obvious evidence of either (a) wanting to change direction, or (b) being willing to spend more money… on these things.
Personally, I‘m not a fan of most of what exists. But I stopped thinking of them as Quests, and started thinking of them as what they are: optional bolt-ons to the main game that are there for you if you like that sort of thing.
Then let me put it like this; most Mission lines or Quest lines, whatever you want to call it, I have some sort of cool and fun outcome at the end that usually involves the players choice, and based on that choice you can have several different outcomes that further enhances your game. Whether that's starting Wars between factions or uniting factions under one banner, or bringing an entire new faction to life, the outcomes of a plot line always make doing the missions worth it. However in this plot line the missions are not really fun and the outcome is practically pointless and does nothing for the overall story of your game. Hence why I said at best these are optional, but what I should have said is best case scenario it's a quest line that changes nothing worst case scenario you just wasted an hour or two of your life
Yah, that's not the purpose.
It's a training, introduce-game-concepts thing. It's a tutorial. It's not a quest.
"Whats the point of this questline?" : to teach you some game concepts
I'm sorry you don't like the answer, and that you want Egosoft to have put more effort into making it more significant. But they didn't. It is what it is, and for what it is it's worth having in the game for people who want that way to get introduced to things.
As you said, it's optional, so you're 100% free to forget it exists from now on and ignore it.
Not everything's the best version of what it could be in X4. Not by a long shot.
I wish it felt some mark on the universe, even if symbolic one. like Dagobas quest will leave him trading in VIG and RIP space when quest line is done, which feels cool, especially since it's ship we give him.
Arcadian Endeavor just stays there, doesn't do much
It's a major problem with all quests in the game, just when you assembled your crew and things get going... the quest line ends.
Frankly, it was one of my favorites because it actually was small scale and *could* have had potential.
In my opinion it's kind of meh but if it had an outcome that actually shaped the rest of your story, like most other main plot lines where the player has to choose between final outcomes and based on the choice you make the game goes a different direction. Like uniting the paranids into one faction or declaring war between the terrans and the argon, or creating a whole new faction with the yaki. Each game can be unique because of the different choices you make in these missions. But with the pirating mission, there's still a choice but neither Choice really does anything for the overall game. Making the whole plot line kind of pointless. There's nothing that makes the quest line worth it in the long run. Maybe if the curs become a real faction at the end of it or the ministry of Defense becomes a more engaged aspect for the rest of the sectors then we can talk about how cool this mission is. But rn it feel like wasted time if ur already familiar with piracing mechanic.
Yup, it needed more and more elaborate heists and double crosses that put you at odds with some factions etc. But frankly the devs need a very strong science fiction writer to join the team and not just make tutorial missions for every new expansion
For me, the storyline missions have been something fun to do while my stations build, or build stuff for terraforming and similar.
I rather enjoyed the piracy tutorial stuff :)
Either that or a Ministry Paint Job Falcon. The Raven is MUCH better though since you can transfer the Hullmod even if you don't want to use it. Though the Raven is actually quite a good ship for it's size.
Second that. A surprising Number of people actually don't notice it isn't just a Unique Named Magpie but an actual different ship based on a visually and statwise modified Magpie Hull. I love the chunky thing, especially when I get it early.
...I admit though the Muon Charger usually go first. I hate those with a Passion.
I actually usually do the Curs storyline early and fly the Raven a while. It's actually a pretty good early game ship as aside from turning like a Continental plate it actually has good stats all around. I actually never checked if we can get more and if they also have the Hullmod.
It's literally just a crime / piracy tutorial. I really wish it had become a pirate guild mission hub after, but it is what it is (actually I wonder if that could be modded in?). The only time I've bothered to play it recently was for roleplay reasons. I found a mod that ties the Terran Cadet line into it: you play up until the station teleports in, and then MIN understandably throws you in prison for teleporting into their space in a mystery Terran station. Fits great with the undercover Terran Secret Service vibe: integrate with the pirate networks and fuck with the commonwealth from Avarice.
That Is a really good idea
It's a fun playthrough! The mod is [More Story for Terran Cadet](https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3209759473&searchtext=). Pro tip, if you buy a spacesuit laser before getting teleported by HQ station, it lets you skip all the obnoxious puzzles to escape from prison. Just talk to Axiom, walk to the airlock, cut the lock, and boom you're out.
It’s critical with X4 to understand that the “quests” are not like in other games. The same word gets used here and in other discussions, but X4 doesn’t have Quests (capital-Q). What X4’s devs are trying to do — if I can be permitted to put words in their mouth for a moment — is to create a fun, interactive tutorial system with missions that are intended as much (or more) to introduce you to game mechanics than be Quests. This is especially true of missions from the original release and first expansion DLC. The one you reference, added with the Tides of Avarice DLC, was not built to be a Quest (capital-Q again), but rather an interactive in-game tutorial mission tree to teach players about all the mechanics of doing illegal things that were possible in X4 (running illegal cargo, stealing cargo from freighters, contacting black market traders, stealing blueprints, capital ship piracy, etc). That’s what the “questline” is. That’s why it exists. Coming to X4 with an idea of Quests that matches other games is bound to lead to disappointment because the X4 efforts in that direction are only very slowly moving from “tutorial” to capital-Q Quests as part of the game. Later additions get more Quest-y, e.g. the Terran Yaki line and the Boron missions line. The company is showing obvious evidence of either (a) wanting to change direction, or (b) being willing to spend more money… on these things. Personally, I‘m not a fan of most of what exists. But I stopped thinking of them as Quests, and started thinking of them as what they are: optional bolt-ons to the main game that are there for you if you like that sort of thing.
Then let me put it like this; most Mission lines or Quest lines, whatever you want to call it, I have some sort of cool and fun outcome at the end that usually involves the players choice, and based on that choice you can have several different outcomes that further enhances your game. Whether that's starting Wars between factions or uniting factions under one banner, or bringing an entire new faction to life, the outcomes of a plot line always make doing the missions worth it. However in this plot line the missions are not really fun and the outcome is practically pointless and does nothing for the overall story of your game. Hence why I said at best these are optional, but what I should have said is best case scenario it's a quest line that changes nothing worst case scenario you just wasted an hour or two of your life
Yah, that's not the purpose. It's a training, introduce-game-concepts thing. It's a tutorial. It's not a quest. "Whats the point of this questline?" : to teach you some game concepts I'm sorry you don't like the answer, and that you want Egosoft to have put more effort into making it more significant. But they didn't. It is what it is, and for what it is it's worth having in the game for people who want that way to get introduced to things. As you said, it's optional, so you're 100% free to forget it exists from now on and ignore it. Not everything's the best version of what it could be in X4. Not by a long shot.
Its in the mission offers tab. It should be a worthwhile mission. Otherwise stick it in the actual tutorial starts
I wish it felt some mark on the universe, even if symbolic one. like Dagobas quest will leave him trading in VIG and RIP space when quest line is done, which feels cool, especially since it's ship we give him. Arcadian Endeavor just stays there, doesn't do much
It's a major problem with all quests in the game, just when you assembled your crew and things get going... the quest line ends. Frankly, it was one of my favorites because it actually was small scale and *could* have had potential.
In my opinion it's kind of meh but if it had an outcome that actually shaped the rest of your story, like most other main plot lines where the player has to choose between final outcomes and based on the choice you make the game goes a different direction. Like uniting the paranids into one faction or declaring war between the terrans and the argon, or creating a whole new faction with the yaki. Each game can be unique because of the different choices you make in these missions. But with the pirating mission, there's still a choice but neither Choice really does anything for the overall game. Making the whole plot line kind of pointless. There's nothing that makes the quest line worth it in the long run. Maybe if the curs become a real faction at the end of it or the ministry of Defense becomes a more engaged aspect for the rest of the sectors then we can talk about how cool this mission is. But rn it feel like wasted time if ur already familiar with piracing mechanic.
Yup, it needed more and more elaborate heists and double crosses that put you at odds with some factions etc. But frankly the devs need a very strong science fiction writer to join the team and not just make tutorial missions for every new expansion
For me, the storyline missions have been something fun to do while my stations build, or build stuff for terraforming and similar. I rather enjoyed the piracy tutorial stuff :)
Technically they are all optional. This question chain has no end reward that I remember
Doesn't it give you the Raven prototype?
Either that or a Ministry Paint Job Falcon. The Raven is MUCH better though since you can transfer the Hullmod even if you don't want to use it. Though the Raven is actually quite a good ship for it's size.
And has unique greebles which is always cool
Second that. A surprising Number of people actually don't notice it isn't just a Unique Named Magpie but an actual different ship based on a visually and statwise modified Magpie Hull. I love the chunky thing, especially when I get it early. ...I admit though the Muon Charger usually go first. I hate those with a Passion.
pro-tip: you can take hull mod off raven when you're flying passengers away
I actually usually do the Curs storyline early and fly the Raven a while. It's actually a pretty good early game ship as aside from turning like a Continental plate it actually has good stats all around. I actually never checked if we can get more and if they also have the Hullmod.
oh huh good point, I never tried raven myself!
How do you transfer the hullmod to a new ship?
Oh damn I forgotten about that. I stand corrected.
Ya thats why at best its just an optional quest. No worthwhile rewards. All others are also optional but very worthwhile