Where's the keg of root beer, sports fans?

And if you catch that reference, you watched way too much questionable programming in the 80's-90's. Anyway, I was doing a lot of Confed missions, mostly search and rescue, nothing with real narrative content, trying to get to the core Confed storyline. After months (game time) of bar hopping, looking for Confed agents, I'm hit up by an Artemis agent, of all people. I got as far as the mission where I had to rescue the guy who was really the son of the guy who gave me the mission in the first place, and come to find out that the Artemis group is a family business. Anyhow, after that mission, I'm back to bar hopping, and I can't find any Confed story missions. Are they avoiding me because I'm Overlord of all three of the Pirate worlds/stations, which somehow got me a Criminal/Felon status in every single last Independent system?

Hmm... Confed missions are a little tricky to come by sometimes, but then so are the Rebel missions. EVC in general is kind of a waiting game with you just roaming around, making yourself into a powerful pirate/ruler/mercenary/all of the above. Just be patient, eventually you should find something. I find heading over to Ruby when I can't find anything in the core Confed systems sometimes reveals something. Whether the missions is offered at Ruby or i the core worlds, going to Ruby sometimes solves the problem for me. Call it a superstition thing.

I've got no idea why independents would hate you for conquering pirates, though. You could always unleash your wrath and conquer them, too! I don't think it'll interfere with the main storylines.

I had the same theory about Ruby, too, it being a top secret facility and all. I'm seriously considering conquering the Osiris system on account of it being in the way of getting to Ruby. How does a Confed secret facility end up being constructed out in the middle of Rebel space anyhow?

Actually, I think the reason the Independent systems are hostile towards me is because after I started conquering Pirate systems, bounty hunters started showing up, and they weren't flying any flags ("Rebel", "Pirate", etc) so the system I fought them in (they always came in sets of three) and every adjacent system counted the act as criminal.

Why is Ruby surrounded by Rebels? Well, here's my guess: eventually in the Rebel string they tell you they have a weapons cache on the planet Ruby orbits. The Confeds are close to locating this cache so they hire you to go retrieve the weapons. My guess is Ruby was actually constructed for the express purpose of finding that cache and experimenting with the weapons. The real reason was never revealed, as far as I remember.

I'd assume they made the research facility before the Rebellion and have not had the resources to relocate it.

QUOTE (DarthKev @ Sep 3 2010, 01:40 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why is Ruby surrounded by Rebels? Well, here's my guess: eventually in the Rebel string they tell you they have a weapons cache on the planet Ruby orbits. The Confeds are close to locating this cache so they hire you to go retrieve the weapons. My guess is Ruby was actually constructed for the express purpose of finding that cache and experimenting with the weapons. The real reason was never revealed, as far as I remember.

I've actually done this mission, after which I was hired to re-distribute the weapons retrieved. After completing THAT mission, I was told I could return to Palshife (or was it Hunter?) and pick up more weapons to re-distribute for quick cash at any time. I assumed that meant they were just like the UGE shipping missions and would be available the rest of the game and not really go anywhere in particular plotwise.

True, they don't further the plot much, but the missions are available form Clotho Prime, not the two you mentioned.

Anyway, just be patient and you should be able to continue the story soon enough. By the way, have you mentioned whether you're playing the EVC port or the actual EVC program? If it's the former, I strongly suggest you try the Empire series of plug-ins. Very entertaining. If you're playing the port, Realm of Prey, a non Empire plug-in (but by the same creator) has been ported to EVC for Nova and is also a very good TC.

@predcon, on Sep 2 2010, 09:33 PM, said in Caught in a lull...:

I had the same theory about Ruby, too, it being a top secret facility and all. I'm seriously considering conquering the Osiris system on account of it being in the way of getting to Ruby. How does a Confed secret facility end up being constructed out in the middle of Rebel space anyhow?

Ruby, being a Confed military base instead of a colony, did not rebel when the other colonies did. Then, due to its highly sensitive nature, Ruby was well-protected from raids and remained in Confed hands throughout the war.

The rebel weapons cache was placed there by Confed workers who were really Rebel sympathizers working on Ruby.

That's my theory, anyway.

Attempting to get back on topic.

Of all the numerous (probably 20+ times or so that I remember) I played EV, I only got the Confed string once. I usually ended up getting the Rebel string almost every other time if I recall correctly. I believe it is much easier to stumble across the Rebel storyline than the Confed, which is rather disappointing as I like Confed ships much better. Rebel ships just don't cut it for me. Anyways, keep trying or start up a new game and try again. Your bound to find it eventually. It may just take you 1 year of playing, but it will happen. xD

There may be something to the missions you pick up and play. I can't confirm this entirely, but it seems that the more you play one way, the more prone you are to joining the Rebels or the Confeds. That's just a theory, though.

I played once and got Rebel, played a second time and got Confed. Then I accidentally deleted all my pilots. I did a sort of revenge pilot to do Rebel again, and then after that I just played lots of plug-ins and TCs.

In terms of getting the Confed thread in the first place, it's rather simple.

Early in the game, you'll encounter a mission called "Deliver Rebel/Confed Parcels". Either of these gets you into the Rebel/Confed thread, and prevents you from getting into the other. (However, if you intentionally choose not to "finish" the first mission, you can find the second, and then complete them both.)

I can't be certain, but I'm pretty sure that the finding of weapons cache on NGC-6564 presumes you have the Rebel Parcels mission first.

Once you have the Confed Parcels mission, go to bars in Confederate space where your rating is Upstanding Citizen or higher (Decent Individual -> Good Egg -> Upstanding Citizen). Eventually, you'll hit the mission you want.