What is the Main Stories Mission Order?

[Herotu]

Please could someone help me out? I'm looking for a list of missions (in order) which tell the main stories.

 

When I say, "Main", I mean the ones involving Statesman (in Primal) and Cole (in Praetoria). Other signature arcs would be a bonus, but I'm interested in the Statesman stuff primarily.

Edited October 10, 2019 by Herotu

[Redlynne]

Paragon Wiki is your friend.

 

Go. Hunt. Kill Statesmuls.

[Lines]

I’d like a clear order of arcs and TFs too, and I don’t think Paragon Wiki really clears it up anywhere, unless I’m looking in the wrong places. It’s a bit muddy with arcs like Provost Marchand turning up at level 30 and insisting not to be done until after Dark Astoria.

 

I’d say, though, that it makes sense to do Who Will Die early and before any Praetorian content. Most of the game has been altered to accommodate the events in that occur in there.

[Frostbiter]

The story arc at lvl 45-50 that deals with Praetoria and Statesman is Mariah Jenkins and was re-written after Who Will Die. The old version is only availbable through Ouroboros. 

 

The version thats "live" is altered to focus around Positron being kidnapped instead and doesn't even have Emperor Cole in it anymore.

[Bay]

Reply to second the OP. Wife and I just finished the Dark Astoria arc and are wanting to follow the story in regards to which contacts and iTrials to do in proper story progression order.

[oxmox]

https://paragonwiki.com/wiki/Timeline

 

Newer content generally happens later in the timeline, so working through the above article may help figure out where each story you're interested takes place.

 

Earlier content that sets up the world building but doesn't necessarily need to be done in any order for it to make sense would be the 'normal' 1-50 arcs and original TFs and SFs blueside and redside (posi, synapse, old sister psyche, citadel, manticore, numina for blue, and tarikoss, mantis, renault, ice mistral for red). These original arcs being the ones starting from city hall contacts and their branching networks that go all the way to 50. On redside it's the default Kalinda/Burke route on Mercy and then contacts unlocked via paper missions for the rest of the game. The various unlockable contacts (via badges or w/e) should also take place in this earlier time period unless it specifically warns you otherwise.

 

Outside of establishing the basic setting, most of these don't play into Statesman/praetorian content at all. Only ones I can think of are the redone Maria Jenkins and Tina McIntyre arcs, which now take place after the events of WWD.

 

The specific hazard zone arcs (hollows, faultline, striga, croatoa, RWZ) can be done concurrently with the above. None of them are really important for the Praetoria plot, though Faultline has some characters that recur in both RWZ and states/praetoria related stuff. The Striga arcs (and the kheldian specific 1-50 arcs blueside) are again not specifically related, but give a little bit of background that comes up during Cimerora and then again in new Dark Astoria.

 

The Ouroboros TFs set up incarnate content which is heavily entwined with Praetoria, same also with the Mortimer Kal SF. The Rularuu TFs blueside (4 of them 40-50) will also familiarize you with the rularuu, which will come into play with WWD. The Ms. Liberty and Lord Recluse TFs don't really play into the Statesman story, but have been updated to reflect what happens there so you may want to wait until after WWD to do them.

 

Now you'll need to establish the background for Praetoria! Goldside essentially has 4 separate paths: good cole supporter, evil cole supporter, good rebel, and evil rebel. These storylines all play off each other and set up Praetoria leading directly up to the invasion of Primal Earth. I believe the Dean MacArthur/Leonard and Keith Nance/Jenny Adair arcs also tie a bit into the coming praetorian invasion.

 

The above has all just been setup, now on to the actual content you're interested in!

 

1. Who Will Die? A 7 part series of short TFs dealing with assassination attempts on the Freedom Phalanx.

2. Tina and Maria arcs

3. Apex TF

4. Tin Mage TF

5. BAF trial

6. Lambda trial

7. Admiral Sutter TF (could be earlier with apex/tin too, I don't think it references the other invasion content much)

8. Keyes trial

9. First Ward (to be done any time after 1-20 goldside arcs and before Underground iTrial)

10. Underground trial

11. TPN trial

12. MoM trial

13. New DA

14. Diabolique trial

15. Night Ward (any time after First Ward but before the rest of the list)

16. Belladonna Vetrano arc

17. Magisterium trial

18. Provost Marchand / Mr. G arcs

19. Number Six arc

 

Pandora's Box SSA? No idea if it plays into this storyline and if so, when.

 

I haven't actually done all of this myself, but this is the order I'm doing things in after a bit of asking the same questions you are. I can't promise all the later stuff is correct and I've surely forgotten a ton of stuff since there is so much content to cover. I think that should steer you pretty straight for covering the whole States/Praetoria story though.

 

[Gulver]

Well, that list certainly isn't convoluted at all....

[Lines]

Oxmox, you legend. Thank you!

[Aberrant]

@Oxmox I would say Who Will Die should be somewhere after The Underground Trial and before the Dark Astoria arcs canonically as (SPOILERS)

Spoiler

Statesman is one of the voices on the radio for the Underground Trial, but dies in Episode 5 of Who Will Die, and thus the Dream Doctor starts taking over dealing with stopping Emperor Cole in Dilemma Diabolique and the Magisterium Trials.

I'd put it after Minds of Mayhem and before Dark Astoria.

 

EDIT: Just realised, I think Who Will Die's later episodes (4-7) would be after Dilemma Diabolique as (SPOILERS)

Spoiler

Sister Psyche is one of the captives in the Dilemma Diabolique Trial, but is indisposed after Episode 4 and dead after Episode 6 of WWD.

So I'd say that Episode 1, 2 and 3 can be played anytime, but 4 to 7 would be after Dilemma Diabolique. Probably easier to slot the whole thing after Dilemma.

I'd put Pandora's Box after Magisterium and before Marchand / Mr. G as it started coming out a couple months after Issue 23 but well before 24.

Edited October 11, 2019 by Aberrant
Remembered some stuff!