Should You Side With Auntie’s Choice Or The Other Of The Ascendant In The Outer Worlds 2

Are you still unsure about whether you should side with Auntie’s Choice or the Order in The Outer Worlds 2? These two factions aren’t just at odds with each other. They’re actually gearing up for war owing to vastly different ideologies. Naturally, you can step in and broker an agreement between the two, or you can antagonize both at your peril. We’ve got all the details for you in our article, but be ready for major spoilers.

An Equitable Arrangement and A Computation with the Computronic Cerebrum quests

There are several interlocking quests that are part of this entire arc where you side with Auntie’s Choice or the Order of the Ascendant. Here’s what you need to know:

• During a main quest called “Fiends in High Places,” you have the option to spare or kill Augustine de Vries. What’s important here is that your actions ensure the survival of the diplomatic delegates.
• After a debriefing back aboard your ship, you’ll be able to travel to three destinations: ACS Undisputed Claim, Cloister, and Praetor.
• The new main quest–“A Computation with the Computronic Cerebrum”–tasks you with gaining control of the Archive on Cloister. You can do this on your own or you can obtain support from Auntie’s Choice and/or the Order beforehand. If you finish this main quest without helping either faction, then gaining their aid would be moot and unnecessary.
• When you talk to the representatives of both factions, you’ll be given additional side quests. Complete these as you see fit to gain an audience with Auntie Cleo (Auntie’s Choice) and Ruth Basar (Order). You’ll also have another mission called “An Equitable Arrangement.”
• Later, Cleo and Basar will have a remote video call. Depending on your dialogue responses, you’ll be able to keep the peace between these two organizations. In turn, they’ll help you as you venture deep into the Archive and also once you reach the game’s last area/point-of-no-return.

Note 1: It’s a good idea to have a high Speech skill to see additional responses during the negotiations.

Note 2: Killing too many NPCs/troops that belong to a certain faction will lower your reputation with them. Killing integral NPCs, such as faction leaders, will cause that organization to turn hostile permanently.

Note 3: You can take the Archive on your own–i.e. the peace talks have failed or you immediately went to that location. However, this might force you to make a decision on which faction you’d side with afterward. It may also cause the opposing faction to turn hostile permanently.

Auntie’s Choice quests and rewards

For the Auntie’s Choice or Order arc in The Outer Worlds 2, you should first travel to the ACS Undisputed Claim. In the Head Office Tower in the Value-Added Esplanade zone, you’ll meet Vice President Gertie Hewett. She’ll want you to convince the two leaders to continue the negotiations. This unlocks the “An Equitable Arrangement” quest.

You won’t have access to the other floors in the tower yet. For now, check the side room to chat with two other VPs named Pendergrass and Ormsby. They’ll give you the following tasks in succession:

• Now Hiring: Invaluable Disposable Agent – End the strike of the workers in the Product Refinement Center in the southeastern part of Praetor. You just need to speak with the plant manager and the leader of the workers until a compromise is reached.
• Mysteries of the Mental Modulators – Enter the Placid Waters Wellnitarium in the southwestern part of Praetor. There, you have to collect several items related to the mental refreshment process. If you want bonus rewards, you can attempt to recruit Head Refresher Gould, assuming you have the Brilliant trait and at least Speech 11. Note that this facility also has several collectible cards and a unique helmet.

With both missions completed, you’ll gain access to the fourth floor of the Head Office Tower. You’ll meet Auntie Cleo in her chambers, whereupon she’ll say that she’s open to negotiating with Ruth Basar of the Order of the Ascendant.

Order of the Ascendant quests and rewards

For the next part if you’re tackling The Outer Worlds 2 Auntie’s Choice or Order of the Ascendants dilemma, you’ll want to go to the frozen moon of Cloister. Just a short distance from the Landing Pad, there’s a large base known as Laplace’s Garden, which is also the headquarters of the Order.

Naturally, you won’t be able to meet their leader, Ruth Basar, just yet. Instead, you have to do a few tasks for Artificer Laureate Enola Kraft:

• A Study in Disruption – Eliminate all the hostile Glorious Dawn members in the village of Newton. Kraft gives you the N-Rage, a unique weapon that applies the N-Radiated effect.
• Crash Course in Telemetry – You have to return to Eden: Paradise Island to fend off Protectorate forces that are guarding a crashed satellite. Kraft rewards you with the Mathematician’s Mantle, a unique armor that lets you ignore an incoming hit every 10 seconds.

With these tasks done, you’ll be allowed to talk to Ruth Basar in her chambers. To ensure that negotiations can begin, avoid antagonistic comments and choose the following replies:

• “That’s correct. Is this something that you’d be open to?”
• “Surely the Order isn’t worried about Auntie’s Choice beating them in a negotiation.”
• Note that there are also other responses that work–i.e. Speech 7, Science 7, or the Negotiator perk.

An Equitable Arrangement – Brokering a peace agreement between Auntie Cleo and Ruth Basar

Now, it’s time to tackle the negotiations as part of The Outer Worlds 2 “An Equitable Arrangement” quest. Head back to the ACS Undisputed Claim and take the elevator to the Secure Telecommunications floor of the Head Office Tower.

Keep a backup save handy since you need to make some crucial decisions. This whole segment is a balancing act, where one side might allow a compromise, but they’ll be very adamant about letting other demands slide.

Who gets control of the Archive?

• “How about the Order gets the Archive, but directs some power to an ad campaign?”
• Speech 20 or “If Auntie pays the Order for access, that income could fund more scientific research.”

Who distributes skip drive technology?

• Speech 14 or “I disagree. Nothing in life comes for free. Auntie’s Choice should oversee production.”

Who will manage rift technology?

• “Crazy idea, but maybe the Order and Auntie’s Choice can share the technology.”
• Speech 14 or “You say that like it’s a bad deal.”

With the above responses, you should be able to get both sides to compromise. This ensures that the forces of Auntie’s Choice and the Order help you in future missions.

Note 1: If a faction leader becomes irate at your proposals–i.e. you decide to give Auntie’s Choice control of the Archive with no questions asked–the negotiations would end abruptly and both factions will refuse to work with you.

Note 2: There are several Speech-related replies not listed above. These mitigate the blowback you receive in case you pick different answers that lean more toward a certain faction.

A Complication with the Computronic Cerebrum and Sins of the Past on the Precipice of the Future – Support from soldiers

The two belligerent allies ought to aid you in a couple of main quests. These lead you to the deeper recesses of the Archive and, much later, the game’s point-of-no-return.

A Complication with the Computronic Cerebrum

• Liberate Spireton first so the soldiers are in place. When you reach the Archive proper, keep along the left-hand side and take out an enemy named Auxiliary Dabbler Hoyt Schermerhorn. Grab the collectible card, unique helmet, and the Spireton Lift Components.
• Use the Spireton Lift Components on the console to activate the elevator. The soldiers will emerge at the other end of the walkway to fight the Protectorate’s forces.
• Do not use area-of-effect (AOE) weapons or grenades here. If your erstwhile allies take damage, they could turn hostile and cause your reputation to drop.
• After securing the Archive, you give the Calcaduceus to the correct faction as part of the deal. If you renege on this promise, they’ll turn hostile.

Sins of the Past on the Precipice of the Future

• We don’t want to spoil all the details here, especially the location where you’ll end up traveling to.
• That said, the faction that you sided with–or both of them if you picked the right responses–will lend a hand as you assault the facility. Several NPCs will be there to offer their services.

Other related faction quests

A bunch of quests are also somewhat related to this arc:

• Auntie’s Choice: The Mechanical Matriarch – After negotiating a peace deal between both factions, Cleo will ask you to find a suitable mech body for her.
• Auntie’s Choice: The Last Day of William Wray – You have to eliminate the remnants of the Spacer’s Choice faction.
• Order of the Ascendant: The Final Lesson – They’ll ask you to kill Cleo and everyone in the Head Office Tower.

Note 1: We were unable to unlock “The Last Day of William Wray” and “The Final Lesson” during our playthrough. That said, we surmise that these become available (a) if you were unable to negotiate a peace deal between the two factions and (b) after you’ve completed the main objectives in the Archive.

Note 2: Heading to the Archive on your own without finalizing the peace talks, along with your decision regarding the Calcaduceus, might cause either faction to turn hostile. This would abruptly end some faction-related quests that you haven’t completed yet. We’re unable to confirm all the details as of the time of this writing as this has not occurred in our playthrough.

There are also other missions that take place in each faction’s headquarters:

• Auntie’s Choice: Half-Truths in Advertising or Full Measures – These are part of Inez’s graft upgrades and companion arc. Regardless of the quest you obtain, you have to go to the third floor of the Head Office Tower to meet with a different VP of the corporation.
• Order of the Ascendant: Controlling for Convenience and Deviations Under Duress– Both quests are started and concluded in Laplace’s Garden, so try to avoid hostilities with the Order while you’re at it.

That does it for our guide to help you consider whether you should side with Auntie’s Choice or the Order in The Outer Worlds 2. Your decisions have consequences, so be prepared for eventualities in the long run.