Understanding Mission Branching

[KombattWombatt]

Cmdrs,

So, pirate hunting mission.

I drop into a USS to find a type 7 just chilling. He offers me the option of instead of blasting 5 pirates, kill five fed security ships instead.

This USS is not in the system where the pirates are supposed to be. It's in federal space, and the pirate hunting was offered by a fed allied Corp or what not.

So, this guy is not wanted. Kill warrant scan him, still nothing. Cargo scan, empty hull. The affiliation listed is "none." No indication he is a pirate.

Before, when I wasn't paying as much attention, I jetted out of the instance but that didn't change the mission branch. Feel like I hit abandon and just lost the mission (and maybe rep?)

This time I tried everything, but the only options where abandon and back.

From all indications, this guy was innocent and firing on him would grab me a bounty. .. but abandoning this new kill feds mission cancels both that and the kill pirates one.

What am I doing wrong? Was he a pirate? How can I tell? What if I don't want to engage this particular NPC for whatever reason?

Cheers
Wombat

 

[Hemlock]

Likely the guy offering you the alternative is NOT a pirate. I learned that the hard way and after reducing him and his ship to component molecules, got a fat bounty and more than a little digital remorse to boot.

 

[KombattWombatt]

Ah okay, I thought I did that the first time I encountered this a few days ago but I could be wrong. I'll try that next time, thanks.

Cheers

 

[Bozeman42]

Cmdrs,

So, pirate hunting mission.

I drop into a USS to find a type 7 just chilling. He offers me the option of instead of blasting 5 pirates, kill five fed security ships instead.

This USS is not in the system where the pirates are supposed to be. It's in federal space, and the pirate hunting was offered by a fed allied Corp or what not.

So, this guy is not wanted. Kill warrant scan him, still nothing. Cargo scan, empty hull. The affiliation listed is "none." No indication he is a pirate.

Before, when I wasn't paying as much attention, I jetted out of the instance but that didn't change the mission branch. Feel like I hit abandon and just lost the mission (and maybe rep?)

This time I tried everything, but the only options where abandon and back.

From all indications, this guy was innocent and firing on him would grab me a bounty. .. but abandoning this new kill feds mission cancels both that and the kill pirates one.

What am I doing wrong? Was he a pirate? How can I tell? What if I don't want to engage this particular NPC for whatever reason?

Cheers
Wombat

It turns the one mission into two possible missions. If you kill the required number of pirates it will be redeemable at the original mission location. If you instead kill the required number of Authority vessels then you will redeem it at the alternative site. Whichever you complete first will be redeemable.

 

[alkemdah]

A lot of the Times the transaction quest doesn't show either or.. It only shows abandon. The original mission is still available you just won't get the update . currently a bug