Albion Prelude Plot Walkthrough
This walkthrough is mostly spoilered, so that if people get caught on the common sticking-points they can read it without spoiling the story for themselves.
However, it is not expected that the replies will be spoilered, so don't read beyond the first post if you are stuck but don't want to know the plot!
This plotline is only available on the Albion Prelude version of X3. If you have mods, it is possible that they may introduce problems with the plot. As this is a Vanilla forum and a repository for information and issues regarding the unmodded game,
if you have a problem with a modded game you are requested to post in the Scripts and Modding forum.
This plot involves a considerable amount of wanton destruction of Terran race assets. Your Terran race rank will suffer whilst doing it to the point where the whole of Terran space will be off-limits to you and your assets. However, it does have a lower cap, the -4 rank of Terrorist, and a concerted effort to raise it back up after the end of the Plot is reasonably likely of success.
The plotline begins at Argon rank Accepted Advisor. You must fly to Argon Sector M148 to begin.
Chapter 1; Front Lines
When you arrive in-sector, a Commander Derik welcomes you into the recruits as a sergeant due to your flight experience. This can only mean one thing; you're the poor lackey who's going to get the harder missions that the newbies can't perform. You must form up with the other rookies by flying to the nav point marked 'Position'. When you get within about 100m, Derrik opens with his rousing speech then sends the recruits off with no leadership or real mission; 'aid the war effort'. There are, apparently, agents on stations in the war zone that will offer missions.
You must fly to the war zone (sectors are outlined in red) and try to find one of these missions and/or destroy Terran ships. Missions could be quite tricky to find, so keep hunting. At points, Derik will give you directions to proceed to and protect a sector; you will find concentrations of Terrans here to destroy. Once you have destroyed a number of Terran ships, you are called back to the Military Base in M148 for a special assignment.
Apparently, some Jonferson's Space Dynamics Division technology has been seen on Terran ships, and someone in Argon High Command suspects fould play from Jonferco. The Argon have been tipped off about a meeting between Jonferco and an unknown party by an informant within Jonferco, and you have to investigate. You are given an Advanced Discoverer and ordered to intercept the meeting in the Albion system.
The Albion system is north of Belt of Aguilar. Somewhere in the sector is a Jonferco command ship that you have to fly to. Next to it is a ship from the unknown party that they are meeting with.
Namely, the Paranid. The Jonferco ship will begin to move when you approach within 9km, you must stay within 8km to eavesdrop on the communications. As the conversation about new 'Highways' progresses, you must move to 6km. Don't overdo it and get too close.
Whilst you're listening, you may notice an odd tubular construction in the asteroid field. You don't get much time to study the scenery though, as before long you are detected as a potential eavesdropper. Time to leave. Get back to the Military Outpost in M148 and the mission is over.
You can go and do your own thing now. Leave the sector. You'll be called back in time, but you needn't worry about getting back immediately when called.
Chapter 2; Attack on Jonferco
The plot resumes with Derik and your friendly Jonferco representative, Ambassador Neyl Colbern. Apparently, Jonferco's relationship with the Paranid is strictly legit, and Colburn is as concerned about the leakage of Jonferco tech to the Terrans as Derik is. Somehow, I'm not sure that I believe him.
Nevertheless, your next mission is to escort the first shipment of highway gates to the Paranid. The TL carrying them is in Interworlds. You are given a spanking new ship, a Centaur corvette, and are also told by Derik that you may be called back to the front line at any time; hint hint. Be warned.
When you arrive in Interworlds, there is a Mammoth in the middle of the sector that you must fly to. When you arrive, it gets underway, but after only a few seconds a Terran force of Bombers and Corvettes with fighter escort will come streaming through the North gate. You peel off and deal with them, assisted by the other escort forces, then return to the Mammoth and watch for any Terran ships sneakily coming from the South gate. Eventually, a Terran Tokyo will jump in at the South gate; moving in towards it will render you with a warning not to approach, and to instead stand back and watch the capital-class ships deal with it. Once the shields go down, a Paranid task force arrives and finishes off. Mission accomplished, go and make yourself useful in the war zones. Save before you do.
You won't be in the war zone for long before a call comes in for help defending from an attack on JSDD HQ in Belt of Aguilar. Head over there but don't worry about time.
... Because there's no way for you to save the HQ. Once it has been destroyed, you face some Katanas with some serious firepower and three Orbital Lasers that will do a good job of shredding you too. The advice is to skirt round and join the fleet of defence ships, and attack the Terrans together.
When the Terran forces are no more in Belt of Aguilar, you are called back to M148.
At this point, Derik hands over to Colburn, who assigns you to protect a TP-class ship transporting a load in from Nathan's Voyage. Fly to Nathan's Voyage and you'll find a station highlighted; that's where the ship is docked. It will begin its journey when you approach the station. Just follow it back to M148 and brush off any Terran attacks that harass the freighter. Be warned that the freighter is pretty quick, so you will have trouble keeping up if you're still in that Centaur.
You then have to go to Albion and protect some research stations from Pirate attacks. The Albion system is constructed in a similar manner to the Solar System; a series of Sectors linked by Trans-Orbital Accelerators, meaning that navigating within Albion is slower than normal due to the inability to use Jumpdrives (Note; I have heard that it is possible to buy and deploy Jump Beacons, but as yet I cannot confirm this). This isn't too tricky on the lower fight ranks; only a few fighters are knocking around, and are easy prey for a newbie in an M3. You must then dock at a research station in Albion Alpha.
Chapter 3; The Beryll
At this point, the heat is relatively off. You can do the next few missions at leisure, and build up your own business empire in the meantime.
You must do a number of things for the Beryll researchers;
- Deploy 3 Lasertowers around the facility
- Deliver 200 Computer Components
- Deliver 50 Microchips
- Deliver 10 IREs
You are then given a hint as to what is going on in the facility...
AGI research, for more effective autonomous drones. Which explains a huge amount about why the Terrans want rid of it so much, and why Jonferco are so worried about Terran strikes against them.
To assist the Beryll further, you must deliver a Xenon L.
...
...
...
...They make it sound so easy, don't they?
To do this, you need to be an expert in capping. Previously, one of the best capping methods was to strip the shields of the intended target in one continuous volley, then short, sharp burst fire until the target bails. It usually won't, in which case you must find another or reload from before the save. But much patience is required, as Xenon ships are the hardest of all to cap.
Choices of location include Xenon space itself, or some of the sectors bordering Xenon space that are prone to Xenon fighter incursions. Sectors bordering Xenon sectors 347, 472 and 598 are the best for this. You would be wise taking a TM-class ship with you, to quickly recover and escape with your prize once you have it. You turn it over by docking it at the Beryll Research Station and selecting it on the message that duly flags up, as per any obtain ship mission. Because of the nature of the research going on, they are easily able to spare you some otherwise rare technology in return, three #deca.cefa fighters.
If you are late in the game, perhaps the most hassle-free method of capping an L is to build a gunboat, typically an M7 with lots of flak guns, and go on a pleasure-cruise around the the aforementioned Xenon sectors. Flak guns are good at promoting bails.
Either way, if you didn't already have an L, you're in for a rough ride trying to get one.
After that's finally done, you have to go patrol the highway network. Pirates have been taking advantage of Jonferco's decimation at the hands of the Terrans and have been stealing the signalling cables, as it were. You must fly to the designated location in Albion Beta and destroy any Pirates you find. There is likely to only be fighters. Following that, you are congratulated on a job well done, as Plutarch Mining Corporation, in alliance with Jonferco exploiting the Albion mineral resources, have arrived to defend the system against future aggressors. You can return to base in M148.
There's another lull now until you've assisted the war effort in the conflicted Sectors. I believe that the plot won't continue until you've destroyed a certain number/value of Terran ships in warzone sectors. Eventually, you'll be called back to M148.
Chapter 4; Uncovered
You can take another break before returning to the Military Outpost.
When you land, you are briefed that an informant has contacted the Argon military claiming to know something about the Jonferco tech leak to the Terrans. You are to go and meet them in a neutral location; the GOner sector of Harmony of Perpetuity.
When you arrive, you must protect an Argon Cerberus sat next to the gate. On its way over is a Plutarch Albion Pride corvette coming in from the North. On board is a Teladi executive of the Plutarch Mining Corporation, who knows who is leaking information to the Terrans.
And it is none other than the Plutarch CEO himself, who is working to get his mitts on the Jonferco highway technology. He's engineered the Terran attacks that demolished Jonferco to take out their system defenses, then placed his own mercenaries in charge of the defence of crucial Jonferco assets. You must get back to the Albion system.
When you get to Albion Beta, you are confronted with a small force of Pirates, headed by a Carrack. This force is no match for the local defenders, who will choose to follow Argon orders instead of Plutarch. Do your thing; if you're in a smaller ship, then stay away from capitals and pick off straggling fighters, as capital ship flak cannons are lethal.
Once the Pirates are dead, you've finished the mission, and the plot, and you're rewarded with an Aamon Prototype. This Argon/Terran hybrid M3 is probably the single most powerful ship of its class ever created. Nothing now will happen, except annoying updates from Derik regarding how the war is going, and requesting your help.
Happily, these can be turned off in the Gameplay options menu.
So, time to rattle off your plot rewards; an Advanced Discoverer, a Centaur, three #deca.cefas and the big one; the Aamon Prototype. Not a bad haul for such a short plot.
Spike