Main Quests

The Outer Worlds features a compelling main storyline that will take you across the Halcyon colony. This section provides a detailed walkthrough for each critical path quest, ensuring you don't miss any crucial steps or valuable loot.

Stranger in a Strange Land

This is where your journey begins, waking from cryo-sleep aboard Phineas Welles's lab. Your primary objective is to reach the Unreliable and escape Terra-2.

Objective: Get to the Unreliable.
- After speaking with Phineas, head out of his lab. You'll find yourself in a small cave system.
- Follow the linear path, looting any containers you find. Keep an eye out for Adreno and Light Ammo.
- You'll encounter your first hostile creatures, Marauders. Use the Light Pistol Phineas gave you. Aim for headshots to conserve ammo.
- Proceed through the cave until you reach the exit, leading to the Emerald Vale.
Objective: Find a power regulator for the Unreliable.
- Upon exiting the cave, you'll see the crashed ship, the Unreliable, in the distance. Head towards it.
- You'll soon encounter a small settlement, Edgewater. Your ship's power regulator is broken, and you'll need to find a replacement.
- Speak with Supervisor Hawthorne (or rather, his corpse) and then Parvati Holcomb in the cannery. She'll inform you that the town's power regulator is in the hands of the deserters.
- Optional: Explore Edgewater. You can pick up the side quest "A Small Favor" from Silas, which can provide extra bits and experience.
Objective: Retrieve the power regulator from the Deserters.
- Head west out of Edgewater towards the Botanical Lab, where the deserters are located.
- Be prepared for combat against more Marauders and potentially some Canids. Consider bringing Parvati along as a companion; her wrench attack is surprisingly effective.
- Upon reaching the Botanical Lab, you have several options:
  - Direct Assault: Fight your way through the deserters. This is the most straightforward but can be challenging if under-leveled. Look for cover and prioritize ranged enemies.
  - Stealth: If your Stealth skill is high enough, you can sneak past most enemies to reach the power regulator.
  - Diplomacy: Speak with Grace Romero. With sufficient Persuade or Lie skills, you can convince her to give you the regulator without a fight. Alternatively, you can offer to reroute power from Edgewater to the Botanical Lab, which will have significant consequences later.
- Once you have the Power Regulator, return to the Unreliable.
Objective: Install the Power Regulator.
- Interact with the ship's console to install the regulator.
- Congratulations! You've completed the first main quest and gained access to your ship.

Comes Now the Power

This quest directly follows "Stranger in a Strange Land" and involves making a critical decision about Edgewater's power supply.

Objective: Decide the fate of Edgewater's power.
- After installing the power regulator, Phineas will contact you, urging you to reroute power from Edgewater to the Botanical Lab.
- Return to Edgewater and speak with Reed Tobson, the town's administrator. He will ask you to divert power back to Edgewater from the Botanical Lab.
- You now face a choice at the Power Junction, located just outside Edgewater:
  - Reroute power to Edgewater: This will save Edgewater but leave the Botanical Lab in the dark. Reed will be pleased, and you'll gain reputation with The Board.
  - Reroute power to the Botanical Lab: This will save the deserters but plunge Edgewater into darkness. Grace Romero will be grateful, and you'll gain reputation with the Deserters.
- Important Note: This decision has lasting consequences for both factions and can influence future quests and companion availability. Consider your alignment carefully.
Objective: Report your decision.
- After making your choice at the Power Junction, return to either Reed Tobson (Edgewater) or Grace Romero (Botanical Lab) to report your actions.
- You will receive experience and a reward based on your choice.

The Empty Man

With the Unreliable operational, Phineas Welles will direct you to his next objective: acquiring a component for his research from the Groundbreaker.

Objective: Travel to the Groundbreaker.
- Board the Unreliable and use the navigation console to plot a course for the Groundbreaker.
- Upon arrival, you'll need to clear customs. Be prepared for a brief conversation with the customs officer. Having a high Persuade or Lie skill can make this smoother.
Objective: Find Phineas's contact, Gladys.
- Gladys runs a black market operation on the Groundbreaker. Her shop, "Gladys's Goods," is located in the Promenade area.
- Speak with Gladys. She will inform you that the component Phineas needs is expensive and requires a special item to trade for it: the Navkey to Stellar Bay.
Objective: Acquire the Stellar Bay Navkey.
- Gladys will offer you a few ways to get the Navkey:
  - Purchase it: The Navkey costs a significant amount of Bits (around 8,000-10,000, depending on your Barter skill). If you have the funds, this is the quickest option.
  - Complete "The Distress Signal" side quest: Gladys will offer you this quest, which involves investigating a distress signal from a derelict ship. Completing this quest will earn you the Navkey as a reward. This is a good option for gaining experience and loot.
  - Steal it: With a high enough Lockpick or Stealth skill, you might be able to steal the Navkey from a secure location on the Groundbreaker. This carries risks if you're caught.
Objective: Trade the Navkey for Phineas's component.
- Once you have the Stellar Bay Navkey, return to Gladys.
- Trade the Navkey for the Phineas's Component.
- Optional: While on the Groundbreaker, consider recruiting Felix Millstone, a potential companion, who can be found near the customs office.
Objective: Return to Phineas.
- Head back to the Unreliable and plot a course for Phineas's lab.
- Deliver the component to Phineas to complete the quest.