Achievements Guide

A Good Investment: 
Join a Trade Guild

Upon reaching level 10 with one of the following factions (Antigone Republic, Teladi Company, Segaris Pioneers) you will get a mission offer in the guilds tab. Accepting this mission will give you guidance to a station where you can join a trade guild (at a cost of 10,000cr). Joining the trade guild completes the achievement

A Pirate's Life for Me:
Intimidate a pilot into dropping some of their cargo

Use the "drop your cargo" dialogue option after scanning a ship, if the ship complies (ships with crew with lower morale are more likely to comply) the achievement will unlock

Adblock:

Destroy 20 Ad signs

One of the easiest achievements despite only ~1% of Steam players having completed it. To get this achievement you must attack a station (SCA is best because they'll become friendly again after a while). Simply fly up to any 3-Dock T pier (other pier types are also okay but not as good) and shoot at the ad signs which have a glowing circular stand below (trade ad signs and similar small holographic ads don't count, you'll also know if you got it right because it should explode). Each dock module should have around 5-6 ad signs so flying between a couple of SCA stations gets it done quickly

Answer the Call:
Sign up for a war subscription

Almost identical to "A Good Investment" .Upon reaching level 10 with one of the following factions (ARG, HOP, PAR, ZYA, TER) you will get a mission offer in the guilds tab. Accepting this mission will give you guidance to a station where you can join a war guild (at a cost of 10,000cr). Joining the war guild completes the achievement

Back Home:
Have a ship return from a successful venture (Not Currently Possible)

Requirements:

• Online login with Egosoft forums
• Constructed S/M Venture Dock and Venture Module at a station
• S/M Ship to send on a venture

Opening the venture menu in the venture module with a S/M ship docked gives the option to send the ship on a variety of venture missions. Upon your ship returning from a venture you will receive the achievement.

Bling Bling:
Apply a paint mod to your ship

Simply open the context menu for one of your ships and select "redesign". This will bring up an interface which will allow you to apply a paint mod to your ship provided one is in your inventory, you can get them from guild and plot missions. Applying a paint mod unlocks this achievement

Bug Fixed:
Destroy a Kha'ak ship

Pretty self explanatory, blow up a Kha'ak ship. At gamestart they can be found in Pious Mists IV, Silent Witness XII and Matrix #451

Can't Shoot This:
Destroy 100 Turrets

Fairly self explanatory, if you want to achieve this without getting on the bad side of a main faction go destroy the turrets on SCA destroyers (Note: destroying a capital does not constitute destroying its turrets)

Capital Punishment:
Destroy a capital ship

As it says on the box, any capital ship will do but SCA destroyers and isolated L traders are the easiest way to get this achievement particularly early in game

Captain of Industry:
Achieve trade rank Entrepreneur

Pretty easy, any player will get this with enough time in-game. Auto-Traders, Miners and stations make it a lot faster though

Circular Economy:
Recycle 100 objects

Have 100 objects recycled by a recycling module(s)

Combat Pro:
Achieve fight rank Colonel.

Blow lots of stuff up (higher class ships in relation to yours yield faster fight rank gains). Note: This achievement only counts the ships that you personally destroy, fleets and wingmen don't count.

Crash Course:
Pass the flight school

Open the tutorial menu (in a regular gamestart not a flight school scenario) and complete the first couple of tutorial missions

Data Mining:
Acquire a blueprint through hacking

Requirements:

• The hacking research relevant to the module you aim to hack
• A ship that can escape quickly
• EMP bomb (can be bought from some traders on stations or crafted)

To Start fly to the module that you want to hack (within 500m is good) and eject from your ship. Fly close to the surface of the module and deploy an EMP bomb on the surface. Detonate the EMP Bomb and activate scan mode. Scan the data leaks that are created by the bomb until you see "Blueprint Unlocked: <Module Name>" upon receiving this message you will receive the achievement. Note: In some cases this will make the station very angry for a short period so make sure none of your ships are in range

Double Agent:
Sign up for a war on opposing sides

Almost Identical to "Answer the Call" but you need to repeat the steps twice for two opposing factions E.g. ARG and HOP

Environmentally Aware:
Tow a recyclable object to a processing module.

Use a Manticore class tow ship to bring a salvageable object to a Scrap Processor module, hit F when the prompt appears to deposit the scrap in the module.

Explorer:
Discover all sectors

Discover all sectors personally.

Finders, Keepers:
Claim 50 ships

SCA minotaur gunboats bail fairly often making them a great target for getting this achievement

Friends in High Places:
Reach the highest reputation with a faction

Reaching reputation level 30 is easiest with the major factions. Reputation gains come from missions, destroying enemies and trading

Have to Start Somewhere:
Build a station

Even just one module or obtaining the headquarters will suffice

Historian:
Find all timeline entries by accessing data vaults.

There are 28 base-game data vaults (1 extra in CoH) and 5 more in ToA, the ToA vaults do not count, however all others do.

In a Galaxy Far, Far Away:
Send a ship on a venture (Currently Impossible)

Requirements:

• Online login with Egosoft forums
• Constructed S/M Venture Dock and Venture Module at a station
• S/M Ship to send on a venture

Opening the venture menu in the venture module with a S/M ship docked gives the option to send the ship on a variety of venture missions. Upon sending a ship on a venture you will receive the achievement.

It Fell Out of a Ship:
Pick up 99 Containers in space

Note: This achievement only counts containers picked up by you in your current ship. Containers can often be found floating about in space after a battle or in lockboxes

It's Just Business:
Join the Scale Plate Pact

Works similarly to the other guild missions in the game, however, as SCA reputation is locked at -5 it can be completed almost immediately. Simply fly to their main base in Hewa's Twin IV: The Cove and dock. Upon docking you should be offered to join the SCA and will be given guidance to an office on the station where you can join for 50,000Cr.

Let's Build:
Build 10 stations

"Have to Start Somewhere" 10 times over

Liberator:
Claim 10 Ships

Fairly easy, all modes of claiming including claiming ownerless ships (a list of which is available here), boarding enemy ships and forcing S and M pilots to bail are counted

Miner's Luck:
Mine the most valuable crystal node

Burnite Crystals (the most valuable) are white and flash once with a pause before flashing twice more in quick succession. They can be found in all asteroid belts other than the weird stalactite looking ones. More on crystals can be found in this guide here https://gameplay.tips/guides/3660-x4-foundations.html

Nailed Down:
Destroy the engines of a capital ship

Only requirement is to blow up all engines of one ship (L ships will have 1-5, XL ships will have 1-2)

Nice Pile:
Get one billion credits in your account

Only counts money in your bank balance not the net worth of assets nor station budgets

No Coup For You:
Destroy a storage module of a Duke's Lost Property Office station

Hunt down a Duke's Lost Property office (pirate base map icon) and take out its container storage, the stations are pretty small and in 5.0 beta 1 they don't have any weapons so any ship can be used to take out their sole storage module (but destroyers are most efficient). The stations can be found at gamestart in Godrealm or neighbouring Teladi space.

Piggyback:
Dock at a ship that is docked to another ship

It doesn't even have to be your ships. In fact a quick way to do this that is quite accessible early on is to dock to a Paranid Gorgon that is docked to an Odysseus

Prepare a Disco:
Activate all ship modes in quick succession

Cycle through travel drive, scan, long-range scan and seta (seta not actually required). Doing this will activate disco mode with the cockpit outline changing colours

Rising Property Values:
Licence the biggest available plot for your station

The largest possible plot size is 20km x 20km x 20km and depending on the sector and its position can cost between a couple hundred thousand to a few million credits.

Ship Breaker:
Destroy all surface elements on a capital ship

Note: Destroying the ship itself while surface elements remain does not constitute destroying the surface elements. To determine whether you have destroyed all elements press the "Home" or "End" keys with the ship selected, this will allow you to cycle through all remaining components and make destroying them easier.

Ship Collection:
Own at least 20 ships

Includes all ships you can fly yourself (drones and lasertowers do not count)

Space Odyssey:
Travel through a superhighway in your space suit

The "superhighway" in the achievement description is a bit of a misnomer, it actually references the main highway ring but may also work in any other type of highway. All you have to do is position your ship near the highway, eject from your ship and use your space suit to strafe onto the highway (it is generally a good idea to have a save before doing or another ship to pick you up because of how far you may go after exiting the highway)

Space Taxi:
Finish 20 passenger transport missions

Taxi missions can be found on any friendly station and will be indicated by the lightbulb "Think Mission" Icon, they can also be offered as part of war missions.

Tinkerer:
Apply a modification to your ship at a workbench

Requirements:

• Basic Weapons/Shield/Engines Modifications research completed
• Enough materials to craft a modification (see requirements in workbench menu)

Locate a workbench on a station (always one on major stations) and open the crafting menu. Select the ship that is to have a modification applied form the drop-down menu. Apply a modification from the menu on the left.

Treasure Hunter:
Find and open 33 lock-boxes

Fairly simple although some lockboxes can get quite difficult to open. Generally best to utilise one bust ray or other beam weapon to ensure the locks are destroyed and not the contents.

Turning the Tide:
Complete 20 war missions for a faction

Note: war missions only refer to missions offered by war guilds, not all combat missions are guild missions and vice versa.

Where Am I?:
Teleport to a different location

Requires a minimum of teleportation level 1 research

X-Treme Fighter:
Achieve fight rank X-TREME

Probably the most repetitive achievement in the game. Takes a lot of shooting things

X-Treme Trader:
Achieve trade rank X-TREME

Takes a fair while to complete, having lots of trading infrastructure really helps to accelerate trade rank increases

Meet Your Mentor

Meet with Boso Ta on the Headquarters (requires dock module)

Science:
Finish a research item

Fairly intuitive, open the research menu, select a research item and set about supplying your station with the required wares. Research items take 10 minutes and the achievement is awarded after completion

Something Strange in Our Neighbourhood:

Help investigate the strange readings

Deploy a resource probe, satellite and navigation beacon around the Grand Exchange anomaly

That's no Moon:
Discover the mysterious installation

Fly the ship full of anti-matter cells to the Grand Exchange anomaly and then eject and get out of range

What Just Happened:
Travel through an anomaly

After communications with Boso Ta fly through the anomaly (shimmering blue region of space)

A Matter of Utmost Gravity:
Learn about the Paranid Civil War and pave the path for change.

Complete the unbranched section of the Paranid Civil War plot.

Balance and Buccaneers:
Complete the Duke's Buccaneers Storyline.

Buccaneers Branch
Side with the Duke's Buccaneers by destroying the apotheosis, build their requested fleet and construct the new "Duke's Haven" Supershipyard.

Holy Three-Dimensionality:
Complete the Paranid Unification storyline

Paranid Unification Branch
End the Paranid Civil war by protecting the apotheosis, building a fleet for the Realm of the Trinity and finally construct the "Sacrosanct Conclave" faction capital. Throughout this plot fanatics from both the HOP and PAR will attempt to attack your ships and the "Sacrosanct Conclave".

What is Best in Life:
Cut the Paranid peace celebrations short.

Paranid Unification Branch
Following the Unification of the Paranid, return to your headquarters and speak to Dal Busta, he will give you the option to cause TRI to go to war with a specific faction or all factions. Making any choice will unlock the achievement.

42:
Contemplate, life, the universe and everything

Begin the "Project Genesis" gamestart and watch the opening cutscene.

Superior Manoeuvres:

Complete the opening missions of the Terran Cadet Gamestart

Access Denied:
Enter the Earth Sector without permission

Take a fast ship to Earth, there is an Asgard and a whole fleet of ships lurking by the accelerator in the Moon, they will shoot on sight.

Access Granted:
Get permission to enter the Sol Inner Core

Simply reach a rank of +20 with the Terran Protectorate and this achievement will unlock, you don't even need to fly to Earth.

A Heart for Pirates:
Save the Yaki Against their will

Undertake and Complete the "A Heart for Pirates" mission that allows the Yaki to trade with the Argon by clearing the Xenon sectors adjacent to savage spur of Xenon.

Amplified Destruction:
Rid the Yaki of their greatest asset

Ignore Orcanic's plan and destroy the amplifier (it is invincible until you attack it), this will cause some Yaki Ships to attack you while Haile assists you. It's not particularly difficult to destroy being achieveable in a corvette or even a heavy fighter if you're game enough.

Case Closed:
Conclude your investigation and uncover a threat to humanity

After hearing out Haile and Orcanic return to Delilah and notify her of the Yaki and that they are a threat. The Intervention Corps will dispatch a battle group to destroy the Yaki and you will be given a Syn as a reward.This achievement and Never Heard of Him are mutually exclusive so save before giving your final verdict to Delilah.

Missing In Action:
Risk your life in the defence of Sol

Go missing while patrolling in Getsu Fune as part of the early stages of the Solborn Militia mission chain.

Mission Accomplished:
After informing the Terran fleet, see a potential threat to Sol annihilated

After notifying Delilah of the Yaki assist the Intervention Corps Fleet in destroying the Yaki Station

Never Heard of Him:
Conclude your investigation and find nothing out of the Ordinary

After hearing out Haile and Orcanic return to Delilah and do not notify her of the Yaki. You will be given a Syn as a reward. This achievement and Case Closed are mutually exclusive so save before giving your final verdict to Delilah.

Push the Button:
Go along with Orcanic's plan and guide the Xenon to greener pastures 

Activate the Amplifier Station by leaving a trail of nav beacons in each sector leading to Earth. Deploying the final beacon will grant the achievement and alert Haile. He will fly to notify Delilah in Mars if you do not shoot him down before he alerts the protectorate they will become enemies (set reputation to -20).

Cold Feet:
Decide that the Status Quo reigns supreme

Confirm with Dal Busta that you do not want to hand the information over to either party.

From the Shadows:
Sow discord between two allied Factions without them realising

After speaking with Dal Busta fly to Delilah's ship the "Sweet Jack" and provide her with the information. After this you must destroy Saman Red's ship as he has uncovered the operation and is flying to tell the Argon Federation. Destroying his ship completes the achievement.

Hold up a minute:
Almost give the game away

Achievement granted when first speaking with Saman Red in person and Dal Busta asks you to stop giving away information.

This Ship has Sprung a Leak:
Blow the whistle on the whole operation

After speaking with Dal Busta fly to alert Saman Red that information was stolen for the Terrans. Scale Plate Ships including a Phoenix Destroyer will begin attacking Saman's ship. As long as Saman is told that the Terran's spied on the Antigone Republic it doesn't affect the achievement if his ship is destroyed. The achievement is unlocked when Saman either flies to the Argon Federation or transmits it before his ship is destroyed.

A Glimpse of Home:
Help Boso observe the Great Reef Nebula

Follow through with Dr Feynman's synchronised long range scan with two other ships to scan the desired anomaly. The Oberth will then cease using its long range scanner periodically and allow Boso to observe the nebula.

Advanced Terraforming:
Unlock advanced Terraforming Projects developed from Segarian research and data from Terran archives

In Essence, complete the Segaris Terraforming Plot. The plot will complete after docking with the Oberth in the Earth Sector after escaping the Torus and delivering the required data.

Gather Essential Data:
Gather data inside the Torus wreckage with help of a friend

Solve the puzzles within the Torus and download the data from the archives. There are a few guides on the solutions to the puzzles but they really aren't too cognitively challenging.

King of the Scrap Heap:
Locate the Erlking and gain possession of it

The Erlking is located in Windfall III: The Hoard and is impounded at the Vigour Syndicate's "Keepsafe" station. It can only be boarded.

Ride the Tide:
Be safely docked at a station when the wave hits

Fairly self explanatory, when in the Avarice system ensure to dock upon a station before the Tide reaches and smothers the sector. Often unlocks concurrently with "Bestowed in Perpetuity".

Riding Late Through Night and Wind:
Fully upgrade the Erlking

Locate all 5 data vaults that can be up to 500km away on the XZ plane from the sector origin. Data vaults can spawn in any ToA DLC sectors, excluding Leap of Faith. Opening the vaults gives the blueprints with which to upgrade the Erlking. Fitting the upgrades will also require an XL fabrication or maintenance cradle. Once the ship is fully kitted out the achievement will unlock

Breaking up the Band:
Aid the authorities' efforts to apprehend dangerous criminals 

Ministry Branch
Betray the Curs and deliver the Axiom, Lu t'Cca and the Raven Prototype to Mellard. After the betrayal, destroy the engines of the Arcadian endeavour.

On Raven Wings:
Leave the Ministry Science Division Hangar with newly acquired technology

During the prison break but before the main battle between the Empyrean Curs and the Ministry of Finance there's a hangar with the Ministry of Finance's experimental Raven. Steal it to unlock the achievement.

One Busy Chipmunk:
Store illicit goods in your cheek pouch

Complete the one of the starting missions for the 3 Curs

• Deliver spaceweed for the Maestro
• Attack a trader for Ace
• Hack a station storage for the Axiom

The Empyrean Curs:
Successfully complete the heist and get everyone out alive

Curs Branch
Successfully break Lu t'Cca out from "Woodworm Scrubs" during the final heist against the Ministry of Finance. Subsequently, drop him and the Axiom at the Arcadian Endeavour and disable the engines of Mellerd's flagship.

The Wildcard:
Earn your place within the Curs

Earn the Wildcard callsign by completing the second set of tasks offered by the 3 Curs and then talk to Maestro. The tasks to be completed are

• Create a diversion for the Maestro
• Steal a trader for Ace
• Steal a station blueprint for the Axiom

Bestowed in Perpetuity:
Make a friend before the Tide comes in

Soon after the commencement of the Northriver Plot aid an immobilised ship about to be destroyed by the Tide in Avarice IV by transporting its captain, Dagobas, to Tidebreak.

Climbing the Corporate Ladder:
Fall in line with the Northriver Company

Northriver Branch
After exploring the Astrid during the confrontation with the Northriver Company in Leap of Faith, opt to side with Northriver

Destination Unknown:
Leave the Jump Gate network

Enter a stabilised anomaly in Avarice V and end up in Leap of Faith. The anomaly is only stabilised after the Tide has passed. Look for blue sparks leaving the anomaly as this is the indicator that the animaly is stable.

Early Retirement:
Acquire a uniquely luxurious yacht

Accessible to either branch, obtain an Astrid class yacht after either branch's culmination of the Northriver Plot.
Northriver Branch Approach
After subduing the Vigour Syndicate purchase an Astrid from the Syndicate wharf.
New Way Forward Branch Approach
After resisting Northriver's pressure and Boso Ta announces that the Astrid's systems can be compromised attack an Astrid until it bails, from there it is a matter of claiming it as if it were any other ship.

Market Regulation:
Help the Riptide Rakers out of a tough spot

Either Branch
Sell Protectyon below average price 4 times(mutually exclusive with "The Freest of Markets")

Negotiation Guide:
Guide your partner successfully through trading negotiations

Help Dagobas with their negotiations with Northriver by completing the gestures for Dagobas to drive down the price. The correct gestures are **point upwards** followed by **thumbs up**. The achievement will unlock once all the dialog is complete.

Standing Firm:
Resist the Northriver Company's overtures

New Way Forward Branch
After exploring the Astrid during the confrontation with the Northriver Company in Leap of Faith, opt to side against Northriver and steal their blueprints for the protectyon storage module.

The Freest of Markets:
Give the people what they need, but at a price

Either Branch
Sell Protectyon at above average price 2 times. (mutually exclusive with "Market Regulation")

Unleashed Market:
Witness a monopoly at play

After watching the station being unable to secure Protectyon chat to Dagobas to unlock the achievement