Foundation

Navigate the Foundation quest in The Outer Worlds with our expert guide. Learn how to handle Captain Hogarth, activate the termination protocol, and deal with automechanicals.

Alright, let's talk about the Foundation quest in The Outer Worlds. This one can be a bit of a head-scratcher to even get started, so pay close attention to how you handled things earlier.

How to Start: You'll only get this quest from Sophia Akande after you've finished Signal Point in Space, and only if you made certain choices during Comes Now the Power. Specifically, if you rerouted power to Edgewater and managed to get Reed Tobson to step down for Adelaide, or if you just generally left Adelaide in charge, you're good to go. If the Board isn't happy with how Edgewater turned out, Sophia will hit you with a grim order: exterminate the settlement.

The Mission: Sophia wants you to liquidate Edgewater. This means heading to the Emerald Vale’s Geothermal Power Plant, kicking off a termination protocol that unleashes automechanicals on the townsfolk, and then cleaning up the mess by taking down those robots yourself.

Getting to the Power Plant: First things first, travel to the Edgewater Landing Pad. From there, make your way to the Geothermal Power Plant. You'll notice some Spacer's Choice troopers hanging around outside – don't sweat them, they won't bother you. The real challenge is inside.

Dealing with Captain Hogarth: Head for the front (eastern) entrance of the plant. You'll run into Captain Hogarth, who'll try to block your path and tell you to leave. Luckily, you have a few ways to get past him:

• Persuade Check: If your Persuade skill is at 80 or higher, you can talk your way through.
• Lie Check (High): A Lie check at 80 will also work.
• Lie Check (Low - Conditional): If you completed Fistful of Digits and got the Junior Deputy Constable’s Badge from Constable Reyes, you can use a Lie check at 35. See? That badge wasn't useless after all!

If you can't pass any of these checks, you'll need to find another way in or deal with the consequences.