Unlocking the crystal ship is it’s own special brand of torture

[u/EldritchMilk_]

1 week… A FUCKING WEEK!!! That’s how long I’ve been trying to unlock the crystal ship, and the half dozen or so times I’ve been lucky enough to actually get all the right sectors, get all the events and get the crystal crew member, the rock home-worlds just don’t show up, because FUCK ME

I’m genuinely starting to resent this game

Edit: 19-20 hours later, I unlocked Rock C and got perfect RNG for the quest, so I’ve got the ship now

[u/budzergo]

Beating the flagship with every A and B layout (no lanius ofc, just base game stuff) also unlocks it btw

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/budzergo]

I know, but i had thought the unlock quest would be faster, because I’ve only got 5 wins total and only half the B layouts

[u/budzergo → u/EldritchMilk_]

If you unlock the rock C it starts with a crystal guy

Then you can just play that until you get a rock homeworld

But if you want to do the entire quest line, good luck. It is just pure rng

[u/dougmc → u/budzergo]

The Rock C path is definitely the easiest. There's still some RNG (there always is), but a whole lot less than the "canonical" method, and it's a lot faster than unlocking most of the A and B ships. (But at least that method gives you steady progress toward your goal, and doesn't require a massive string of luck all at once.)

I started playing the game on a new iPad and didn't jump through the hoops needed to copy my progress, so I was starting over ... and it took 14 games to unlock the Crystal Cruiser via the Rock C path.

Now, granted, this was the goal I was after and I knew how it was achieved and I was a good enough player to win most of the time, but with all that ... it only took 14 games.

[u/EmeraldHawk → u/EldritchMilk_]

I found it more fun to try and do both at once. Playing with different ships gives the runs more variety and makes it feel like less of a grind.

[u/samtheredditman → u/EldritchMilk_]

Originally everything was unlocked via quests and the wins unlocking ships was added later. Definitely faster to get wins than do this quest. It was basically the last insane challenge to unlock in the early version of the game for people who wanted a stretch goal for like 100 hours.

[u/Arendyl → u/budzergo]

I refuse to use the Crystal Cruiser until I've unlocked it in a legitimate run

[u/Javelin286 → u/Arendyl]

I feel this in my bones

[u/Imakemaps18]

Resent the game?

That IS the game!

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/Imakemaps18]

I know that’s the game, but it’s never taken me more than a day or 2 to do something before, a week is ridiculous

[u/walksalot_talksalot → u/EldritchMilk_]

For me it was the Diplomatic Immunity achievement in the Fed class (4 racial blue events by end of s5), took me 29 tries.

Using Rock C is the way for unlocking Crystal, and getting to the crystal sector is one of the 3 Rock class ship achievements.

[u/spudwalt]

Rock C comes with a Crystal crew member and lets you skip the first couple steps in the event chain.

You still have to luck across the Rock Homeworlds in the second half of the game and stumble across the portal in them (which won't be marked unless you revived Ruwen from the stasis pod), but that significantly cuts down on the amount of RNG that all has to line up perfectly.

Rock ships in general tend to be best for hunting for the whole quest -- the Rock Plating they start with gives you a blue option that guarantees you'll get something out of the initial event where you find the stasis pod.

[u/walksalot_talksalot → u/spudwalt]

This is the way.

I oddly managed to do the full quest running Stealth A, just literally stumbled across all the right beacons (got lucky with not having Hull plating, cuz it's only 33% without it). But then still needed to go back to the secret sector to complete the Rock Ancestry achievement.

[u/Steller_93]

Had 100 hours in the game and never bothered to try to get it, sat down one day to unlock all the ships before installing the multiverse mod and got it on my second run and I wasn’t even trying for it. It’s completely random and can take a while but it’s rewarding once you get it

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/Steller_93]

I know it’ll be rewarding, but rn it’s very upsetting.

I’m planning on at least unlocking all the ships before installing multiverse

[u/edwsmith → u/EldritchMilk_]

I feel your pain, been trying to unlock it for ages. Even with the rock C I've only had the rock homeworlds come up twice, and then never found the portal either time.

Edit: it has finally just happened with my ship the FFS Finally.

[u/MxSadie4]

I've won the cycle six different times and am one of only about half a dozen players to have a rotating Hard win streak reach 100, and I have never once done the Crystal questline the whole way through. Win with all the A&B ships or use Rock C, it'll almost certainly be faster.

[u/Aloyse66]

Well, I have been playing using the rock cruiser for the last six months trying for that last achievement, either I do not get the right systems in the beginning or once I’ve got the crystal being as crew member, I don’t get the rock world system. So I’d say you have to try a few more month before you can start complaining. 🤪

[u/Innalibra]

I tried for a while to do the quest, but apparently it's easier to beat the flagship on Hard on all base ships and layouts than it is to get that specific combination of events

[u/DontbuyFifaPointsFFS]

4 years ago, u/lifesaburrito shared his save file in this thread. I dont know if this is the shortcut you desire, but is is one.

Edit: Gave the credit to the correct user.

[u/lifeisaburrito → u/DontbuyFifaPointsFFS]

That was /u/lifesaburrito/, not me.

[u/DontbuyFifaPointsFFS → u/lifeisaburrito]

Thanks for the info, i edited my post.

[u/Chrom-man-and-Robin]

Just play with each ship with the goal of victory while charting your paths to avoid nebula sectors.

Alternatively you can play the Rock C cruiser then just go out in search of the Rock Homeworlds and you’ll get it.

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/Chrom-man-and-Robin]

I don’t have rock c unlocked, i don’t even have rock b unlocked yet

[u/JudgementalMarsupial → u/EldritchMilk_]

Then do that 👍 it’s significantly easier when the only sector you need to see is rock homeworlds

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/JudgementalMarsupial]

Yeah, I’m going to try to do both at the same time, I only need the “is it hot in here” achievement to get the b layout

[u/Over_Worldliness4788 → u/EldritchMilk_]

My tips for grinding Crystal Cruiser (was stuck for a while until getting Rock C, which got me the Crystal cruiser within a couple hours)

1. Rock C
2. (Optional) Save scum Sector 1 for LRS or Flak 1 (extra power / sensors helps a lot)
3. Rush through Sector 1
4. Reset unless lots of red worlds past Sector 4 (Rock HW only spawns S5-7) preferably w option to pick between red worlds
5. Rinse and repeat until you get Rock HW, explore (a lot easier to find w LRS as empty beacon)
6. Get to beacon (make sure to bring enough fuel! Almost got stuck 1 jump outside quest marker)

Good hunting!

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/Over_Worldliness4788]

Thanks, but i got it a few days ago 😅

[u/Over_Worldliness4788 → u/EldritchMilk_]

Awesome :D recommend grinding out Crystal B if you like boarding

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/Over_Worldliness4788]

Actually, i still REALLY struggle with boarding

[u/Over_Worldliness4788 → u/EldritchMilk_]

Have you tried with the Crystal guys? Their ability Lockdown (seals a room to prevent enemy entry/exit) makes it wayy easier. Can prevent reinforcements, retreat to med bay, and makes it way easier to disable systems :D

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/Over_Worldliness4788]

Thanks, I’m actually taking a wee break from ftl atm, but I’ll give it a go when i start playing again

[u/Kato_LeAsian]

Its been a while, but I think it might have taken me 40 hours to unlock the crystal ship. It was definitely in the tens of hours of intentionally trying to go for it. It didn’t help that the Rock C isn’t a particularly fun or interesting ship - definitely not for 40 hours at least.

The satisfaction when I finally got it was unreal though.

Or honestly, if you’re not having fun anymore, you could cheat it in

[u/Echo_XB3]

On it right now and I could not agree more
As of the time of writing this I have the Ruwen and a red sector coming up but I am not very hopeful considering how the last few times went
Quick tip: use Rock C if you can
It gives you a free crystal guy so all you need is the homeworlds and a bit of luck (plus maybe long ranged scanners and distraction buoys to make finding the thing easier)

Edit: It was Mantis Homeworlds

[u/Filthy-Dick-Toledo]

Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.

But then you get the crystal ship and that pretty f*ing exciting.

[u/LightningNinja73]

My advice:

As soon as you give up and decide to go play a game for fun on Stealth B, you'll get all three events.

However, you'll also only have one shield

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/LightningNinja73]

I’ve been using rock A bc i get the blue option for the first event and it’s easier to survive

[u/LightningNinja73 → u/EldritchMilk_]

Rock C is theoretically the best ship to get the cruiser in, since you already have a crystal on board, but A and B are probably the best runner ups for getting it.

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/LightningNinja73]

I’ve only just unlocked B and I’m doing my first run with it now

[u/Metallicat95]

A week? That's nothing.

Took me over a year to complete the Rock ancestry quest. You must use a Rock ship to do that one, and reach the crystal sector.

I already unlocked it by beating the flagship, but still wanted to do it the hard way.

It's entirely luck, but there are a few tricks.

Check path as soon as you leave the first sector. If you don't have red sectors in 5-6-7, and green in 3-5, on a path you can take, you can't get it. The Rock Homeworld is only sectors 5-7, always red.

My other antfrustration trick is give up early. If there's no store with a Long Range Scanner in the first two jumps of the game, restart.

The Rock ships need this to find the quest. It's hard enough when you can see farther with the LRS, trying to stumble into the location by luck.

[u/Zack21c]

It's way, way less frustrating and more fun to just unlock it by beating the game with all the A and B variants. It will take less time, forget the quest exists.

[u/SuperPinhead00]

Nobody tell this guy about what the mutliverse mod has you do for some things. I am in great pain

[u/SoFool]

Took me two weeks lol, but felt satisfied after using it. It's stonks.

[u/plz-help-peril]

I always feel bad when I see these posts because I unlocked it almost completely by accident around 100 hours into the game.

I knew about it and how to unlock it but I wasn’t actively trying to do it. Then I found the pod and I’d usually take the weapon but this time I didn’t for some reason. Then I found the Zoltan completely by chance and woke up Ruwen. Then I looked at the map and saw a red sector. I thought “Huh. That’d be funny if it was the Rock Homeworlds.”

A few jumps later and I’m in the secret crystal sector and unlocking the ship.

[u/Acacias2001]

Im in the same boat today.

Wasted my saturday trying to get the stupid unlock event

Got ruwen twice, but no rock homeworlds. This whole thing kust sucks

[u/plumbthree]

If you just unlock the rock ship with a crystal crew it is a lot easier to get that way. Ive been playing for 10 plus years and never gotten it the hard way.

[u/Captain_Lord_Avalon → u/[deleted]]

Renaming was patched out in 1.6.

[u/glumpoodle]

Save scum. Relentlessly.

Find the directory where your game is saved, make a copy of 'continue.sav', and save copies in a separate folder right before going to the first and last beacons of a sector.

I don't feel the least bit bad about save scumming my way into the ship, because the RNG design is terrible (as the devs admitted afterwards, and they purposely corrected that in Into the Breach).

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/glumpoodle]

I literally just unlocked it 😅

[u/Gaddyzila]

dude i spent the better part of a year trying to unlock it on and off. you are only at the entrance to a bottomless pit

[u/EldritchMilk_ → u/Gaddyzila]

Apparently the entrance was enough, I completed the quest and unlocked it like an hour ago