Diplomacy Intro arc
The Diplomacy Intro arc (story_diplomacy_intro.xml, 9693 lines) is the base game’s introduction to the Diplomacy / Embassy system. The arc introduces the Hatikvah (HAT) faction as the diplomatic intermediary and walks the player through 11 parts (Pt1-Pt11) covering first contact, gift station presentation, police scan handling, and Dal Busta desk management.
- Script:
story_diplomacy_intro.xml - DLC: Base game (no DLC required, though Kingdom End expands it)
- Text page: 30202 — “Diplomatic mentor mission page”
- Parts: 11 (Pt1-Pt11)
Trigger
Section titled “Trigger”The arc fires automatically from game start hooks (e.g., Wayward Scion’s gs_intro.xml signals md.Story_Diplomacy_Intro.Pt_1_Call_Initial_Delay).
Sectors anchored
Section titled “Sectors anchored”Preferable Hatikvah sectors (the script appends multiple):
| Variable | Macro | Vanilla name |
|---|---|---|
$PreferableHatikvahSectors | cluster_29_sector001 | Hatikvah’s Choice I |
$PreferableHatikvahSectors | cluster_08_sector001 | Silent Witness I |
$PreferableHatikvahSectors | cluster_29_sector002 | Hatikvah’s Choice II |
These are the Hatikvah-friendly territories where the HAT_Station is typically placed.
The script also dynamically searches for offer sectors within maxdistance="2" of $Hat_Station.
Persistent characters
Section titled “Persistent characters”| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| HAT Announcer | Initial HAT broadcast (referenced from gs_intro) |
| Reen | HAT faction representative (mentioned across other arcs) |
| Kat | NPC conversation partner |
| Cline | NPC conversation partner |
| Dal Busta | Cross-arc desk management |
Setup phase
Section titled “Setup phase”| Cue | Purpose |
|---|---|
PATCH_AddStoryMentors | Save migration — add story mentors to existing saves |
Initialise | Standard initialization |
Conv_Started_Kat | Conversation event handler for Kat |
Conv_Started_Cline | Conversation event handler for Cline |
Patch_Userdata | Save migration |
The 11 Parts (Pt1-Pt11)
Section titled “The 11 Parts (Pt1-Pt11)”The arc divides into 11 sequential parts:
Pt1 — Initial Call + Player at HAT Station
Section titled “Pt1 — Initial Call + Player at HAT Station”| Cue | Purpose |
|---|---|
Pt_1_Call_Initial_Delay | Initial delay before HAT call |
Pt_1_Call_Trigger | Trigger the HAT call |
Pt_1_Call_Trigger_CancelDelay | Cancel delay (early trigger path) |
Pt_1_Offer_Call_Lines | Offer call dialogue lines |
Pt_1_Offer_Call_Lines_Cleanup | Cleanup after offer lines |
Pt_1_Offer_Call_Trigger | Trigger the offer call |
Pt_1_Unlock_Invite_Call | Unlock invite call mechanism |
Pt1_Player_Left_HAT_Station (1s polling) | Track if player leaves HAT Station |
Player encounters:
- HAT broadcast (audible comm)
- HAT Announcer voice-over
- HAT Station location revealed
- Player travels to HAT Station
- Reen welcomes player
- Story state advances
Pt2-Pt10 — Diplomatic progression
Section titled “Pt2-Pt10 — Diplomatic progression”Each part advances player’s understanding of Diplomacy / Embassy mechanics:
- Pt2: First contact + relation establishment
- Pt3: Negotiate / cultural exchange
- Pt4: Gift presentation
- Pt5-Pt8: Various diplomatic challenges
- Pt9-Pt10: Climax + resolution
(Specific per-part cues exist but aren’t fully cataloged here — the arc is 10K lines.)
Pt11 — Skip mechanism
Section titled “Pt11 — Skip mechanism”| Cue | Purpose |
|---|---|
Pt_11_Skip_Trigger | Player can skip remaining content |
This is the arc closure — once Pt11 fires, the arc concludes.
Mission entries (selected key missions)
Section titled “Mission entries (selected key missions)”Mission entry: “HAT Broadcast → First Contact”
Section titled “Mission entry: “HAT Broadcast → First Contact””- Cue chain:
Pt_1_Call_Initial_Delay→Pt_1_Call_Trigger→Pt_1_Offer_Call_Trigger - In-game name: HAT broadcasts to player
- Path/Chapter: Pt1
- Find in game: After initial delay (set by game start)
- What player encounters:
- HAT broadcast comm — “We have a proposition for you…”
- Player must travel to HAT_Station
- Reen as initial contact
- Where: HAT_Station (one of
$PreferableHatikvahSectors) - NPCs involved: HAT Announcer (broadcast), Reen (in-person)
- Reward: Diplomacy system unlocked
- Chains to: Subsequent Pt2 onwards
- Code reference:
story_diplomacy_intro.xmlPt_1_Call_*
Mission entry: “Talk to Kat / Cline”
Section titled “Mission entry: “Talk to Kat / Cline””- Cue:
Conv_Started_Kat(+Conv_Started_Cline) - In-game name: Conversations with Kat / Cline
- Find in game: Player approaches Kat or Cline at HAT Station
- What player encounters:
- Conversation triggered by
event_conversation_started - Dialogue with Kat OR Cline (likely Hatikvah faction members)
- Conversation triggered by
- NPCs involved: Kat, Cline
- Chains to: Various part progressions
Mission entry: “Police Scan event”
Section titled “Mission entry: “Police Scan event””- Cue:
Event_Police_Scan→Event_Police_Scan_Check_Player - In-game name: Police scan during diplomatic mission
- What player encounters:
- Police attempt to scan player
- Check player state (illegal cargo / cover / etc.)
- Diplomatic implications based on outcome
- Mod risk: Mods disabling police behavior break this event handler
Mission entry: “Create Gift Station”
Section titled “Mission entry: “Create Gift Station””- Cue:
Create_Gift_Station - In-game name: Setup a gift station for diplomatic gift
- What player encounters:
- Script creates a temporary “gift station” object
- Player must interact with it (deliver or receive gift)
- Mod risk: Custom faction mods that change gift station mechanics
Mission entry: “Dal Busta desk management”
Section titled “Mission entry: “Dal Busta desk management””- Cue chain:
Dal_RemoveDesk→Dal_DeskClean→Dal_DeskBusy - In-game name: Dal Busta’s desk state
- What player encounters:
- At specific points, Dal Busta’s desk is “busy”, “clean”, or removed
- Diplomatic story relies on Dal being present / available
Mod conflict risks (Diplomacy Intro-specific)
Section titled “Mod conflict risks (Diplomacy Intro-specific)”- ❌ Mods that disable HAT broadcast / Reen / Kat / Cline break arc
- ❌ Mods that change
cluster_29/cluster_08ownership affect HAT_Station placement - ❌ Mods that override game start hooks break Pt_1_Call_Initial_Delay trigger
- ❌ Mods that disable Dal Busta break desk-management mechanics
- ❌ Mods that disable police-scan event break Pt-progression that relies on police scan handler
- ⚠ Mods adding bulk NPCs at HAT_Station can collide with Kat/Cline/Reen spawning
- ⚠ Custom game starts that skip initial delay must signal correct cue (
md.Story_Diplomacy_Intro.Pt_1_Call_Initial_Delay)
Code references
Section titled “Code references”| Concern | Cue |
|---|---|
| Game-start hook | Pt_1_Call_Initial_Delay (referenced from gs_intro.xml) |
| Kat conversation | Conv_Started_Kat |
| Cline conversation | Conv_Started_Cline |
| HAT Station tracking | Pt1_Player_Left_HAT_Station (1s polling) |
| Police scan | Event_Police_Scan + _Check_Player |
| Gift station | Create_Gift_Station |
| Dal Busta desk | Dal_RemoveDesk / Dal_DeskClean / Dal_DeskBusy |
| Pt1 offer lines | Pt_1_Offer_Call_Lines + cleanup |
| Pt11 skip | Pt_11_Skip_Trigger |
| Story mentors patch | PATCH_AddStoryMentors |
| Save migration | Patch_Userdata |
Related
Section titled “Related”- Mission encyclopedia — landscape
- Embassy research — follow-up arc (tied to diplomacy)
- Game starts catalog — Wayward Scion hooks Diplomacy intro
- Tides of Avarice: Unbihexium — uses similar cover-faction patterns
- Story arcs catalog — high-level catalog
The Diplomacy Intro is the player’s first encounter with X4’s embassy/diplomacy system. 11 parts spread across 10K lines guide the player through the mechanic. Your mod’s interference with HAT, Reen, Kat, Cline, police scans, or Dal Busta breaks the entire chain.