Terran Prelude
The Terran Prelude is the cinematic intro to the Terran DLC. When the player first approaches a specific gate (the Mars / Asteroid Belt connection), the prelude fires — showing a Terran patrol, a Xenon destroyer, and a brief cutscene establishing the Cradle of Humanity setting.
- Script:
story_terran_prelude.xml(807 lines) - Text page: 30283
- DLC: Cradle of Humanity
- Trigger:
event_cue_completed cue="md.Setup_DLC_Terran.X4ep1_Prelude_Setup"
The prelude initializes when the DLC setup completes. It anchors:
- Asteroid Belt (
cluster_100_sector001) - Savage Spur (
cluster_112_sector002) - Mars (
cluster_101_sector001) - A Terran Actor (NPC) — same actor used for both gate variants and Teladi-trespassing event
The Terran Actor is created with:
group = terran.pilot.male(male Terran pilot voice)page = 10155(actor text page)owner = faction.terran
Two variants
Section titled “Two variants”The prelude has two distinct paths depending on which side of the gate the player approaches from.
Mission entry: “Terran Gate approach (Terran side)“
Section titled “Mission entry: “Terran Gate approach (Terran side)“”Cue: Prelude_Terran_Gate
Section titled “Cue: Prelude_Terran_Gate”- In-game name: Brief cutscene (no UI mission marker)
- Path: Terran-side approach
- Find in game: Player flies through Mars → Asteroid Belt acceleration gate from the Terran (Mars) side
- Prerequisites:
event_cue_completed md.Setup_DLC_Terran.Terran_Prelude_Approached_Gate- Gate extension is
ego_dlc_terran
- What player encounters:
- Cutscene starts as player approaches the gate
- Xenon Destroyer spawns nearby (
ship_xen_xl_destroyer_01_a_macro)- Set to 15% shield, 85% hull — battle-damaged appearance
- Oriented to “look away” from the gate
- Position: 1.5km from gate
- Terran patrol ships are present, engaged with Xenon
- VoiceOver plays (
Prelude_Terran_VoiceOver) - Player fighter launches to assist (
Prelude_Terran_LaunchFighters)
- Where: Mars / Asteroid Belt gate
- NPCs involved: Terran patrol commander, Xenon destroyer pilot (fighter pilot tag)
- Reward: Cinematic experience + DLC story flagged as “encountered from Terran side”
- Chains to:
Prelude_Terran_Cutscene→Prelude_Terran_LaunchFighters→Prelude_Terran_EndCutscene→Prelude_Terran_Victory - Code reference:
story_terran_prelude.xmlPrelude_Terran_Gate
Mod conflict risks — Terran Gate approach
Section titled “Mod conflict risks — Terran Gate approach”- ❌ Mods that disable
ship_xen_xl_destroyer_01_a_macrobreak the cutscene Xenon spawn - ❌ Mods that change Mars/Asteroid Belt gate macros break the trigger
- ❌ Mods that disable Terran-Xenon hostility prevent the combat scene
- ⚠ Combat-rebalance mods affect whether Terran patrol survives the cutscene
- ⚠ Custom Xenon mods that alter destroyer behavior break the look-away orientation
Mission entry: “Terran Gate approach (Non-Terran side)“
Section titled “Mission entry: “Terran Gate approach (Non-Terran side)“”Cue: Prelude_NonTerran_Gate
Section titled “Cue: Prelude_NonTerran_Gate”- In-game name: Brief cutscene (no UI mission marker)
- Path: Non-Terran-side approach (player comes from “outside” first)
- Find in game: Player approaches the Mars gate from the non-Terran (Argon space) side
- Prerequisites: Same setup as Terran-side, different gate-side conditions
- What player encounters:
- Cutscene from the opposite perspective
- VoiceOver variant (
Prelude_NonTerran_VoiceOver) - Player ship retrieval cue (
Prelude_NonTerran_RetrieveFighter) — player’s own fighter may be involved
- Where: Non-Terran side of Mars gate
- NPCs involved: Terran patrol (perspective changed)
- Reward: Cinematic experience + DLC story flagged as “encountered from non-Terran side”
- Code reference:
story_terran_prelude.xmlPrelude_NonTerran_Gate
Mod conflict risks — Non-Terran Gate approach
Section titled “Mod conflict risks — Non-Terran Gate approach”- Same as Terran-side
- ⚠ Gate-overhaul mods (custom gate connections) can confuse which gate triggers which variant
Mission entry: “Fighter Victory” (post-cutscene cleanup)
Section titled “Mission entry: “Fighter Victory” (post-cutscene cleanup)”Cue: Prelude_Terran_Victory
Section titled “Cue: Prelude_Terran_Victory”- In-game name: Cleanup phase
- Path: Both variants
- Find in game: Auto-fires after cutscene ends
- What player encounters:
- Verifies whether player’s deployed fighter survived
Prelude_Terran_FighterRemaining— fighter still alive countPrelude_Terran_FighterDocked— fighter returned to playerPrelude_Terran_Cleanup— final cleanup
- Reward: Story progression unlocks Restricted Core mechanic + Mars patrol awareness
- Chains to: Setup completion → unlocks Terran Core arc
- Code reference:
story_terran_prelude.xmlPrelude_Terran_Victory
Summary of prelude effects
Section titled “Summary of prelude effects”After the prelude:
- Player aware Mars gate exists + has Terran patrol
- Restricted Core mechanic active in Mars / Earth / Venus / Moon / Asteroid Belt
- Terran patrols approach-warn / firm-warn / trespass-warn the player (handled by
RestrictedCore_Broadcastscue chain in Terran Core) - DLC story flagged as “begun”
Code references
Section titled “Code references”| Concern | File / cue |
|---|---|
| Prelude initialization | setup_dlc_terran.xml (X4ep1_Prelude_Setup cue) |
| Terran-side path | story_terran_prelude.xml Prelude_Terran_Gate |
| Non-Terran-side path | story_terran_prelude.xml Prelude_NonTerran_Gate |
| Cutscene fighter launch | Prelude_Terran_LaunchFighters |
| Cleanup | Prelude_Terran_Cleanup / Prelude_Terran_Victory |
| Restricted core hookup | story_terran_core.xml RestrictedCore cue chain |
Related
Section titled “Related”- Terran arcs overview
- Terran Core — what unlocks after prelude
- HQ Discovery — separate Terran arc
- Game starts catalog — Terran Cadet + Pioneer starts
The Prelude is X4’s “first-impression” Cradle of Humanity moment. Cutscene quality. Your mod’s Mars-gate or Xenon-destroyer changes break the impression.