There are a handful of quests within Xenoblade Chronicles 3 in which players will have to make a decision. While some don't impact the outcome of the quest, others do. Depending on what players want out of their first playthrough, they'll want to listen carefully to what the NPCs around base camps will have to say to Noah and the others. There's usually a hint at the better option. Knowing what to do can save time on long sidequests such as the Tau-Tirkin Alliance Standard Quest.
Players will need to have made some progress in Xenoblade Chronicles 3's campaign before they can start the Tau-Tirkin Alliance. This is one quest in which players should pay attention to the dialogue. Keeping the alliance can be time-consuming, but it comes with its benefits. On the other hand, those that want to finish this Standard Quest as quickly as possible will only need to make sure they're at the right level.
Unlocking the Tau-Tirkin Alliance Quest
Players won't see the discussion for this quest until they've reached Chapter 4. They'll need to continue towards the High Maktha Wildwood until they're ambushed by Juniper and Colony Tau. This will start Juniper's Hero Quest: Natural Selection. Follow their footsteps to unlock Colony Tau, and assist Juniper with her troubles. Once the Flame Clock is destroyed, players will be welcomed in and out of Colony Tau. They'll also get the Stalker Class and the ability: Rope Sliding.
Like with previous Colonies, sidequests and discussions will start appearing around Colony Tau. Speak to an NPC named Rowland to unlock the "Food for Tau" topic, and discuss this at a Canteen or Camp. Speak to Rowland again to formally start the Tau-Tirkin Alliance Quest.
This will require farming a total of 200 supplies for the Tirkins. The following items are:
- x50 Green Nectarines
- x50 Tirkingrass
- x50 Shiny Rose
- x50 Glare Aubergine
The requirements alone may have players wanting to find another alternative to completing the quest... Or just skipping it entirely. Fortunately, players can choose to break the Alliance by going to the objective marker on the map and refusing to abide the Tirkins' request. That said, Rowland and Juniper both hint that choosing to break the alliance won't bode well with the Tirkins, and choosing to do so will have in-game consequences. Those wishing to keep the alliance should start looking around the Pentelas Region.
Unfortunately, the Turkins want "fresh" food, meaning if players already had some items before starting Tau-Tirkin Alliance, they won't count until after they've been added to the Quest objective (bottom-right corner of the screen when active).
Farming Supplies
The quest will have players collect the supplies in the following order: Green Nectarines, Tirkingrass, Shiny Rose, and then Glare Aubergine. Players can, for example, pick up a Shiny Rose while they're farming Green Nectarines. However, it won't count until the request requirements in the bottom-right corner of the screen show "Shiny Rose no./50." Therefore, it's pointless to try and farm them out of order.
For each food item, players can speak to Rowland to get x10 Green Nectarine/Tirkingrass/Shiny Rose/Glare Aubergine. They can also speak to Graziana (near Colony Tau's Canteen) to get x20 of each food. This means players really only need 20 of each item instead of 50. Of course, failing to speak to them will mean farming 50 out in the wild, which can be tedious.
Once players have 50 of one item, they'll need to speak to Rowland to turn them in. Talk to him again to get 10 of the next ingredient. After this, speak to Graziana to get another 20.
Vista of Rhonnar (Green Nectarine, Shiny Rose, Glare Aubergine)
Most ingredients can be found in the Vista of Rhonnar, which is where players were initially ambushed by Colony Tau. Activate the Tau-Tirkin Alliance Quest to make it easier to track down the supplies. They'll appear with the teal exclamation point quest icon. There's usually about 2-3 of the Green Nectarines and Shiny Roses at the Vista. Use the Rope Sliding ability north of the Vista of Rhonnar (i.e: where the Colony Tau far-seer Husk is located) to find the Glare Aubergines. All items will eventually respawn here, so make sure to check back later.
Sparkling Pool Camp (Green Nectarine)
Those still farming Green Nectarines should look around the Sparkling Pool Camp. Recall the area where Noah and the others went to track down the Tirkins that stole their supplies. There are some Green Nectarines by the giant mushrooms in the corner. Fast-Travel between the Sparkling Pool Camp and Vista of Rhonnar to get Green Nectarines. If players are okay with taking a risk, they can also farm the nectarines at the Warning Tree in the Lower Maktha Wildwood.
Titan Rock Camp (Tirkingrass)
If players Fast-Travel to the Titan Rock Camp after they've started the Tirkingrass segment of the sidequest, they can search the water for Tirkingrass. Again, track the sidequest to make it easier to spot the requested items. There are also enemies nearby, so players should make sure they're at a decent level before diving in.
Containers, Ruins of Seebu Camp (Shiny Rose)
Some containers around the Vista of Rhonnar are hiding collectible items. There's one in particular that can only be reached via rope sliding that has a Shiny Rose or two. Try opening the containers after collecting the Tirkingrass since there's a higher chance of a Shiny Rose or Glare Aubergine than the Nectarines or Tirkingrass.
Also, when players are ready to collect Shiny Roses, there's one over in Colony Tau's fields. The other way of farming Shiny Roses (without spending Gold) is by searching around the Ruins of Seebu Camp, which is near the start of the Pentelas Region.
Fabricators at Pentelas Hulks (Shiny Rose, Tirkingrass, Glare Aubergine)
Observe the above image for the locations of both the Cascade Hulks and the Clifftop Hulks. Reaching the Cascade Hulk is a bit easier for players, since all they need to do is defeat the surrounding level 30-31 Piranhax. Unfortunately, the Clifftop Hulk is beyond a path teeming with Agnus soldiers (all level 47+). The easiest way to get by them is to hug the leftmost wall, but there's no guarantee they won't get caught. To make matters worse, the Clifftop Hulk is guarded by level 48 Tirkins, so either way, players will want to be level 48-50 or have a good build for their characters if they want to use the Hulk's Fabricator.
The items generated by the Fabricators are randomized, so players will undoubtedly be spending quite a bit of money. However, it's arguably the quickest way to get everything (sans the nectarines) without waiting for them to respawn.
- Players can farm Tirkingrass and Shiny Rose from the Cascade Hulk's Fabricator by spending 900 Gold.
- To get the Glare Aubergine, players will need to spend 1500 Gold at the Clifftop Hulk's Fabricator.
For those who may not have enough money or don't want to risk the dangers of reaching the Clifftop Hulk, they can find Glare Aubergines around the Warning Tree in the Lower Maktha Wildwood, and north of the Vista of Rhonnar.
Should You Keep or Break the Alliance?
If collecting the items, turn in everything with Rowland until the quest objectives tells players to confront the Tirkins. Going to the Tirkins home without the required ingredients will give the players the option to "break the alliance" or say "just passing through." Choosing the former will cause the Tirkins to attack the party. They're all level 41, so players should be prepared if they're truly fine with ending the alliance. Doing this will change the Tirkins' relationship to hostile with Colony Tau, and they won't be added to the Affinity Chart. Players should expect to be attacked by any of the Tirkins around Maktha Wildwood from here on out.
Alternatively, taking the time to do the fetch quest will add the Tirkins to the Affinity Chart. The Tirkins in the Maktha Wildwood will no longer be hostile - regardless of everyone's level. However, players can still choose to fight the Unique level 45 Tirkin at the Tirkin camp. Attacking won't affect the Affinity Chart, so feel free to defeat him to unlock a new Fast-Travel location. If players have all 200 items, make way for the Tirkin Hideout and watch a few cutscenes before the quest ends for good. Speaking to the Tirkins around camp will add some Affinity Points to Colony Tau.
Whether players choose the path of peace or violence is ultimately up to them. The reward for doing the Tirkins' food shopping may not be worth the trouble, but others may find outright violence to be troublesome in the long run.
Regardless of the choice, the Quest rewards will remain the same:
- 2310 EXP
- 2290 Gold
- 3 SP
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is available for Nintendo Switch.