As it turns out, Walter Stroud is more than just a wealthy do-gooder who just happened to take an interest in Constellation. To no one’s surprise, he’s no stranger to corporate espionage, back alley deals, or the offhand assassination attempt.
And this overplayed archetype is on full display in Starfield’s All That Money Can Buy quest. Walter asks you to take him to Neon, where babies rob storefronts before they can even walk. And when a deal goes south, and Walter’s rival – Nicolaus Slayton – locks you in the city; you have to find alternative means to deal with the second biggest kingpin in Pleasure City.
Starfield: All That Money Can BuyShould You Kill Nicolaus Slayton?
Nicolaus Slayton is a rival businessman who seemingly has it out for his competitor, Walter. And as you’ll soon find out, he’s no stranger to getting his hands dirty in this line of business. To Slayton, killing is just another form of transaction – a means of getting what he wants without dispensing credits.
So, you may be inclined to kill Nicolaus Slayton when you reach his executive suite. Enter through the elevator doors and choose the Attack option in the dialogue menu. You’ll have to fight Slayton and a few of his high-level guards, but afterward, you can loot the entire penthouse. It contains a wholly supplied weapons room, a fully stocked wine rack, and a fair few other goodies.
This may be the most lucrative outcome, but it doesn’t come without its repercussions. While a corporate suit, no doubt, Walter reveals he doesn’t transact deals like other booming businesses in Neon. He is disappointed in the outcome, and you are locked out of some of the better dialogue choices at the end of the mission.
Nonetheless, you still receive 10,000 credits as a reward along with the unique Fiscal Quarter rifle.
How To Deal With Musgrove
Regardless of whether or not you kill Slayton, you’ll run into a familiar face when you walk through the doors on the back wall. Musgrove, the thief who sold you the artifact piece but forgot to mention who he stole it from, is found on the floor in pretty rough shape. But if you talk Slayton down, he will force you to deal with his trash, aka Musgrove.
Should You Kill Musgrove?
This is objectively the worst outcome. You tell Musgrove he’s as good as dead anyway and then shoot his defenseless body. There’s a good chance your companions will hate or dislike this action, and Walter will give you the same disappointed speech. Except this time, you don’t get to loot the penthouse, only the measly items on Musgrove’s body.
As a side note, this seems to be Nicolaus’ favored option. We aren’t sure if this option opens up more opportunities to work with Nicolaus, but we wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case.
You do, however, get the same end quest rewards: 10,000 credits, a rifle, and regret.
Should You Let Musgrove Go or Have Him Arrested?
The next couple of options are fairly similar, so we will lump them together. The only real differences here are which companions you want to increase your affinity with. If you let Musgrove go, Walter (along with other companions) will like your decision. If you choose to have him arrested, more lawful companions – in our case, Andreja – will like that decision.
Both of these options greatly boost Walter’s demeanor, and this is fairly evident when you return to your ship. In fact, walking out of the penthouse with zero casualties will unlock a special dialogue option where you comment on Walter’s marriage. He will talk about their love, and every crew member aboard your ship will have their affinity increased toward the player.
You still get the same number of credits and the unique rifle from the quest, but you also strengthen your relationships with your crew.
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Zackerie Fairfax
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