Heartwarming / The Outer Worlds

Per wiki policy, Spoilers Off applies here and all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.

The world of Halcyon is a cheery capitalistic dystopia on the brink of collapse, where everyone is out looking for themselves or the company that they work for. Yet, people still find ways to look after and care for each other.

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General

• Phineas genuinely likes, respects, and cares about you as an individual and not just a vessel for his plans. He takes the time to address any questions or concerns you have, and listens to any input you have to offer. It's even better because at first you might even be skeptical enough to think he's trying to manipulate/use you when he forgets to say that "All the colonists need you" instead of just...him, but no. Troubled past and minor quirks aside, he really is just that noble of a guy.
• Choosing the more honorable routes for quests is longer, generally more dangerous, and takes quite a lot of skill (on character creation or in gameplay) to do so, but the gratitude you get from choosing so and the positive results really hammer in the idea that the Board, in addition to being cruel, is truly incompetent, and proves Phineas for choosing to trust you with his plans. In the end, you ARE the best hope for Halcyon.

The Crew

• Despite the bickering that may go on between most everyone else aboard the Unreliable, no one has a beef with Parvati. Nyoka even takes it upon herself in some of her sober time to try and work out her trigger anxiety.
• During "Comes Now The Power", Parvati asks the Unplanned Variable not to cut off power to Edgewater, because there's lots of good people there.
  • When she later apologizes for giving her opinion, the Unplanned Variable can state he wants to listen to what she wants to say, making her happily surprised that the UV is different to other people.
• Parvati has this innocent crush on Junlei, the engineer for the Groundbreaker. She has a series of companion quests that amount to you helping her out with that.
  • First she asks to go to a bar and have a drink to work up the nerve to address her feelings. After a few, you can offer her some water to help her calm down.
    • At the bar, if you're asexual or playing your character as asexual, you can come out to her as such, you can even go further and be aromantic, to show her that it's okay to not feel the need for "physical affection" when she confides in you how it has ruined past relationships for her.
  • She asks you to help her find soap (because space pirates like you are filthy and soap is apparently uncommon) and you have three options. Rose, Refurbished Ship, and Mock-Apple Synthamon. You choose the latter with this response. Parvati's shrill "Captain!" after you say this makes this even sweeter (pun completely intended).
  "I'll go with Mock-Apple because Parvati's as sweet as pie."
  • She wants you to buy her a dress, and the designer drops half the price when you tell her it's for love. She wants to add more objectives to the quest once you've fulfilled the ones she's already given you because she's scared at the idea of actually going on that date, but decides that she should do it then and there.
  • Then the actual date happens, the rest of the crew leaves the kitchen to give them some privacy, and Junlei agrees to be her girlfriend.
• Parvati's terminal at her workshop, Reed's dialogue, and her brief encounter with the automechanical Ludwig tells you to kill - who she calls "Jeremy", tells you that she affectionately names every machine that she reasonably can, and seems to treat them with a fair bit of love.
  • This also extends to her encounters with SAM. Nothing quite like playing a round of "Who's a good boy?" with a unit that can hardly even process your commands. It borders on hilarious, but is weirdly adorable.
• During "Friendship's Due", which is Felix Millstone's quest, all of the characters you bring along jump to give Felix their support and approval - even Ellie, who is prone to teasing him, says that he has earned his stay at The Unreliable, and both Max and Parvati will say that Felix is family (Just that the former far more awkwardly if you haven't done his quest.)
• ADA is the artificial intelligence that functions as your ship's navigator. She does have a personality and was very fond of the previous Captain before becoming fond of you, even after you admit to accidentally killed him. She even drops her usual brand of snarkiness to wish you luck on your next expedition.
• Speaking of family, Nyoka's own quest has shades of heartwarming. After having been separated from, and then lost every single member of her own little crew/family, you can give her your condolences. Nyoka thanks you, and says that maybe she's found another [family]. Aww.
• The Parvati/Vicar interactions are really adorable after he completes his quest. Initially he's, in his own words, a bit of an ass - but he gets much better.
  Vicar Max: Might I ask how you're faring, Ms. Holcomb?
  Parvati: I'm-I'm not winded, honest! My, uh, boot was untied.
  Vicar Max: You don't need to keep up appearances. You're among friends. We would never leave you behind.
• The dialogue between Nyoka and Ellie is mostly funny, but every now and again they'll give each other real advice.
• Ellie growing to appreciate Felix, and looking out for him in her own Ellie-ish way.
• Max's brief moments of being almost fatherly with Felix during their mostly sort of heated banter. Felix is mostly having none of it, but doesn't dismiss him.
• Every member of your party will not be affected by Chairman Rockwell's insults if you've completed their quests, defending you and themselves.
• The way they can all end up looking up to you in general is real heartwarming, with them saying stuff like "I'll watch your back", or generally having a ton of faith in your abilities and, if you're that sort of character, plans.
  • All of them can gather around the kitchen table to discuss the fight to Tartarus, and all of them support you no matter which side you're on.
  Felix: You didn't hire me to think, and I ain't about to start now. You're my boss - and I'll walk into fire with you.
• Alternatively, every companion protecting you instead - because you're of "below average" intelligence and have no idea what you're even doing. It's quite adorable watching everyone fumble over themselves trying to explain to you what's going on like a parent. Everyone does this, even those who are generally not as patient.
• After the truth about Graham Bryant is revealed, Felix has nothing but contempt for a man he used to admire. This is a bit sad at first, but then he asks the captain whether or not you would do something like that. You can reassure him that you wouldn’t, and it seems to make him feel a bit better.
• After their date, you'll find an inscribed photo of Junlei and Parvati in your inventory.
  To my Wildflower, thank you for an enchanting evening. Looking forward to many more.
• During "Peril on Gorgon", Parvati and Felix are outright heartbroken by the amount of cruelty on display in the HIA facility. As their captain, you can reassure them that you will do everything in your power to stop it.

Edgewater

• Amelia Kim is a bartender in Edgewater whom you can have a lovely conversation with. She really exists for worldbuilding, but it's adorable that you take the time and get to know her. You can even try to convince her to pursue her scientific dreams.
• After dealing with the horrid conditions of the company town of Edgewater, and the dangerous marauders in the wilderness, the welcome that the people at the Botanical Lab give you as you enter their colony is very welcoming as they offer you tea, food, and a place to sleep after your journeys outside. This, plus the natural beauty of the Botanical lab's orchard gives the place a feeling of a safety and home, in sharp contrast to the rest of Edgewater.
• When first meeting Adelaide, she discusses Parvati's father, and how little Parvati was like as a girl, before discussing her plans. The Unplanned Variable can immediately chew out Adelaide for attempting to use Parvati in an attempt to sway the Variable. Adelaide immediately is taken aback and apologized to Parvati for that.

Groundbreaker

• You can find an engineering update on one of the public terminals where Junlei thanks you for helping her out.
• When Junlei and Parvati start dating, you can check her terminal and find an updated routine. Aside from her regular engineering duties, she also added reminders to check her messages and reply to Parvati.
• Junlei offers Parvati a spot on the ship, if you're gracious, you can leave the decision up to her. She'll choose to stand by you.
• When talking to Marvin, you can bring up the town of Edgewater. One of the options to describe it is "struggling, but full of good people". Even Vicar Max, who vocally hated Edgewater, agrees with you.

Monarch

• Sanjar's assistant, Celia, has a crush on Sebastian the animal parts vendor. She asks you to ask him for a date and he is happy to do so. When you later find the journal of one of Sebastian's dead friends, you can suggest he read it with Celia on their date.
• Sanjar's existence at all gives one hope for Halcyon. He's a genuinely kind and affable man and his company policies are reasonable and considerate, even giving his employees days off, a notion lost on the rest of the colony. It also proves again the Board to be Fascist, but Inefficient, as most of the problems MSI are faced with are caused by their struggle with the Iconoclasts and the lack of supplies coming in from other planets, both of which you can solve. It's no surprise that Nyoka believes corporate order is good, considering this is the company who supervised the world she grew up on.
• If you head into Nell's bar with Felix, the two instantly connect over their shared love of Tossball.
• Celia has apparently been helping Sanjar with his self-esteem issues.
• Despite Graham's turbulent past and possible death, if you get the MSI and the Iconoclasts to reconcile by keeping a level-head and practicing some kindness, it's quite sweet the way Zora and Sanjar reminiscence on Graham being that they both knew him well at some point.
• In Rizzo's secret lab under Cascadia, there is a dead scientist suspended in a pod, with a memorial made by his colleagues. They have nothing but high praise for the man's character - as a human being, rather than just corporate asset. Even in a society driven by profit above all else, some people still remember and value the simpler things.

Roseway

• Lead scientist Anton Crane is deeply ashamed once he realises how dangerous his research for Auntie Cleo's could be. The player can either guilt-trip him to suicide or convince him to stop playing the company's game and take charge of his life. If they choose the latter, they can find him later on Groundbreaker, where he has taken their advice and is making plans to leave Halcyon and start anew.

Byzantium

• Not only is Celeste extremely kind to Parvati compared to everyone else in Byzantium, but she has genuine artistic integrity and makes probably the best, most beautiful outfit/armor in the game with YOUR help. She's just very endearing. Shame it ends badly, but you can honor her memory by taking the outfit for yourself and going around the galaxy kicking ass in her name.
• Phineas' contact on Byzantium assigns you and your party code names based off various birds. Parvati wants one that encapsulates her Cinnamon bun-ness.
  Parvati: Oh, oh, oh! Can I Be "Chicken?" Because chickens will adopt any critter's baby and keep them warm.

The Hope

• Despite all the horrendous garbage that this Colony ship ends up seeing, it's a bitter comfort knowing that in the end, the ship did make it thanks to the few people who kept doing their best to keep the broken pieces afloat, and that with your help, many people could eventually revive and help the colony become what it was meant to be all along.

Tartarus

• Everyone you helped over the course of the game coming to your aid to either defend you from the prisoners rioting or The Board itself. One combo from Monarch in particular shocks even Sophia Akande herself. Really goes to show you receive what you give!
• The whole reason you're in Tartarus in the first place, a prison where literally no one has ever escaped from, is to rescue Phineas when the Board kidnaps him.

Peril on Gorgon

• You can offer Minnie condolences twice during your conversation with her, and she sincerely thanks you for it both times.
• Lex seems genuinely surprised that you're offering to help her at all.
  Lex: You'd do that for me?
  The Unplanned Variable: Sure. It's what I do for everyone.
• On of the canid handlers in Byzantium's canid show is upset that their pet (named Anubis) is irritated all the time. You can suggest that the handler either be more affectionate or give them proper food. The heartwarming continues after you finish the quest, go back to your ship and enter your personal cabin to find that Anubis followed you home. Apparently he decided that he liked you better than his former owner, something that Max can note if you interact with Anubis at the Canid show.
• The Golden End of the DLC involves Minnie and her mother putting aside their differences and deciding to work together to cure the Marauders.

Epilogues

• The best, "Terra 2" ending for everyone is super satisfying and a reward for being thorough:
  • Nyoka moving on and reutilizing the name Charon for a good cause.
  • Felix getting to be part of a real revolution, even if it takes him a while to get used to it.
  • Ellie learning that she does need others after all.
  • Parvati becoming a successful mechanic and major supporter of the Groundbreaker.
  • Max finding peace and becoming the true missionary he always pretended to be.
  • SAM unit sales spiking!
  • Phineas should get a mention too. For getting over his wrongdoings at last and starting a true legacy, even though he knew he might not be there to see it through. He does not, but it's kind of him to atone.
  • If you don't kill Sophia Akande, it's implied she sends support from the shadows to you and Phineas.