On my second play-through with DC, and this time I decided to help APEX rather than destroy it. I did this once prior to DC and it changed the manor run slightly, but APEX freaked me out so thereafter I'd just kill it.

However in DC there's a slight difference - a bonus - for helping APEX!

Thought it was worth mentioning since it's probably up there with the other bonuses, or possibly better than most IMO. Makes the final mission a lot easier (although it was already easier in DC due to the new cover system). Although it does mean more agonising over crew choices for the final mission... ;)

I didn't thought it was worth taking, but will give it a spin in my next playthorugh.
Thanks for letting me know.

For sure APEX ending is the only "good" one for Flux as APEX itself wanted protect it from Dragons like Monika did and control them instead of wiping them out.

Uhm, in some way Monika possessed or changed mentality of APEX with her consciousness, that was explained at the end of original DLC. ;-)

That's what APEX claimed. I don't know about you, but I trusted that thing as far as I could throw it, so I went and fried it regardless.

That's what messenger from the Dragon claimed on meeting (Hans was his name?), probably the same as from Returns but neither the dragon emissary or security software is to be trusted at 100%. ;-)

My first response was exactly that.

Then on my second run (with original DLC) I decided to help it, but then decided against helping it gain control over the draogon. Mainly because the way it demanded this kind of got to me. The results of those actions made me hate it even more.

I mainly went for the "give it the dragon" route just to see how things would change. Kind of weird how in some ways APEX + dragon == "better" than APEX without dragon. Although "better" probably only applies to the Flux state as an entity, not to the people living in it...

Yeah, I'm almost to that point and I can't decide whether to let APEX live or kill it (this time).

No real clear cut answer as to which outcome is best for Berlin.

True.

Firstly it's difficult to figure out how this would affect Berlin at the time of the decision (though we can make some basic assumptions/guesses).

Secondly, even knowing the exact ending outcome for each option, what is "best" is highly dependent on one's own ideologies.

Unrelated note: this reminds me that I still haven't tried out the "unmistakably really bad" option for the Director's Cut...


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SPOILERS BELOW

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One option provides not only internal stability but also strength to resist external elements - which I guess means that in theory the Flux could exist for a long time in that scenario. On the surface it also provides anarchy/freedom, but it's ultimately an illusion - APEX is effectively a secret police force, which would do whatever it takes to keep itself (and the Flux) alive and stable.

The other option is to keep going with all-out anarchy - and all the positives and negatives that come with that (freedom with perpetual gang warfare). It's not surprising it doesn't last, since if the Golden Worm didn't conspire to take it over I would expect it to pretty much destroy itself, or another power from within or without arising and taking it over instead.

Personally, at least option 2 has freedom for a while, and then later on when it doesn't any more, it's likely no worse off than any other corporate society. The first option on the other hand would be scarier in my view - not just because of what it does but because of how efficient it is at doing it. If it ever went "too far" (assuming you're OK with what it's already doing), how would you stop it?

You really don't know, at the time you make the AI decision, what the AI will do. Same goes with the dragon decision. I've played it through 2 times now and went with one, but not the other, the first time. And the second time I went with the other but not the one. Just to find out.

The "random news" on Shadownet also tell you that runners "disappear", only to "reappear" - but changed...
Monika apparently isn't the first personality APEX picks up ;)

Yeah... that's kinda what had me hesitant as well. APEX says that Monika changed it, but why would she be special among all those others it absorbed? Seems highly unlikely and more engineered to gain your trust. Same reason it's taking on her face to talk to you.

Mind you, I did ultimately went along with APEX (after asking it to drop the face), both for its existence and in dealing with the dragons. The result was... well, a success, I suppose. On quite a grand scale, too.

(What it didn't tell you is that dragons as a whole are kinda required for life to be a thing in Shadowrun, according to a friend of mine. Whoops. >_> )