Well folks that's a wrap. I just finished my 2nd playthrough but
this time I saved Panam's questline for last to see how it would change the pacing.
Here are the results of my experiment.
Saving her questline for last and then ending the game as an Aldecaldo is absolutely the way to go. The pacing and progression is far, far more natural and weaves into the ending beautifully. It avoids the "cliffhanger" feeling you'd get if you had zerged Panam's questline mid-game and then gone off to do other stuff.
It's a double edged sword though. On one hand it makes the bond with the Aldecaldos (Panam, Saul, Teddy, Bobby, Mitch) much stronger but it also makes their losses (Saul, Teddy, Bobby) hit harder. On my first playthrough I didn't care much for Saul. On the second playthrough I grew to respect and admire him. Losing these character felt almost like losing a family member, which makes sense considering you're apart of their family at this point. Damn good writing.
Here was my structure for this playthrough (starting from Act 2).
- Do as much side stuff as you can before you meet Goro at the diner. Seriously, take your time.
- Do the Voodoo Boys main quest first.
- Do some more side stuff. Now is a very good time to start Judy's (optional) questline. Try and get most of the side stuff out of the way now. Seriously, start wrapping up the side stuff you're interested in.
- Do Panam's main quest to track Hellman. You must do this quest before you can start the Parade quest.
- You have two options:
A) Immediately start the Parade quest where you kidnap Hanako. START it within < 12 hours of completing the Hellman quest! After this quest you'll get a call from Panam to rescue Saul. This option is recommended for those that value better pacing.
B) Ignore the call (pretend it never happened) and do side content. Yes the rescue quest has a time limit of 21 days. No this won't be an issue. You can easily knock out the Parade quest, a few side gigs, the entire Perelaz questline in 2-3 days time. When you're ready, start the Parade quest. Recommended if you didn't follow Step 3. Can use your own "head canon" to make up for pacing issues (which is what I did). E.g. 'pretend you only got her call recently'.
- NOW you start Panam's questline where you rescue Saul. Pretend you only just got the phone call (trust me on this). As you're driving to the desert this is actually a really good time to do Judy's final quest, Pyramid Song which is near.
- In between Panam's quest you'll have plenty of time to do the desert side gigs. Balance between the two.
IMPORTANT: Buy yourself a Thorton while you're at it!
- When you finish Panams questline wait around 24 hours to get her final text. Do the quest where you retrieve the liver for Scooter in the meantime.
- Finally, meet Hanako at Embers and call the Nomads.
And that's pretty much it. In my playthrough this structure worked beautifully.
I don't expect I'll be returning to this game any time soon until CDPR releases the first expansion. It just stings too much to play it as is, especially going through her earlier quests with "Outsider No More" playing in the background. Panam and the Aldecaldos are such beautifully written characters. it's painfully clear CDPR put the most resources into her out of all the other romances. It would be an absolute tragedy if she and the Aldecaldos did not return, and considering Blood and Wine didn't involve Yennifer/Triss very much, I am worried. But then again, TW3 is largely self contained whereas CP2077 is open ended and ambiguous, so it's still a possibility. Either way, I'm distancing myself from this game until I know where it's future lies.
About the final voice message
- I disagree with the idea that her final voice-mail implies a rough relationship. She talks about how much she cares about V and how she'll make it up to him. Remember this is Panam we're talking about. She rarely opens up about her feelings unless you push her. For her to reveal these feelings with V on her own sounds like she truly cares about you.
- Remember, both you and Panam went to hell and back together (Arasaka Tower). Together you both slowly built a relationship not based on lust but on trust. Do you really think Panam would abandon V, a dying man, after all they've been through together?
Here are some parting images from my playthrough.
PS: There are actually two versions of 'Outsider No More'.
The one that plays during the motel is sad and depressing with it's low humming choir. The one that plays when you're
leaving with Panam and the Aldecaldos over the lake is bittersweet, but ultimately feels like a breath of fresh air. As if you can breathe for the first time in decades. As if you've overcome some massive task and are now about to kick your feet up and relax.
I'm from Poland too but never played Polish version, only English. Maybe I should try it, from what I heard Panam voice in every version is beautiful.
