Atomfall features a few critical quest decisions for you to make, each of which can put a swift end to a character’s quest if you aren’t careful. One such decision is made at the Dam Data Store in Casterfell Woods, which Dr Garrow tasks you with visiting so that you can run the GEN ERA command and retrieve some data for her.
This is when Joyce Tanner can also chime in, instead requesting you to run the GEN MOVE command, wiping all the data that Dr Garrow is after. Who should you side with, and why? Here’s whether you should run the GEN ERA or GEN MOVE command in Atomfall.
There are some light spoilers ahead, given that I’ve detailed the story outcomes of using each command in Atomfall.
Run the GEN ERA or GEN MOVE command in Atomfall?
If you’re reading this, then the likelihood is that you’ve rocked up to the Dam Data Store in Atomfall – as per Dr Garrow’s request – to run the GEN ERA command to transfer some data over to her. While there, however, Joyce Tanner has radio’d the facility, asking you to run the GEN MOVE command – effectively wiping all data stored on the console – instead.
Which command should you run, exactly? Well, whichever command you do not run will lock you out of the quest of whomever asked you to run it. Both characters, Joyce and Dr Garrow, have their own endings to experience, so you will be missing out on the ending of whoever’s command you choose not to use.
For example, if you run Joyce Tanner’s GEN MOVE command and return to Dr Garrow in the Interchange, the scientist will then become hostile towards you. Alternatively, if you run Dr Garrow’s GEN ERA command instead and later seek out Joyce Tanner, she will be hostile towards you.
As a result, the wisest thing to do here is make a manual save before inputting any command into the Dam Data Store’s console. That way, you can at least come back later to complete the quest you were locked out of, if you fancy.
There’s also no main quest that I’d personally recommend doing over another, given that they’re all quite interesting, so simply run the command of whichever character you’ve been enjoying the company of the most!
It’s also worth noting that if you have not advanced Joyce Tanner’s quest, which includes meeting her and then activating three Radio Towers around the map for her, you won’t actually receive a message from her inside of the Dam Data Store. So, you could go ahead and advance Dr Garrow’s quest, complete the Dam Data Store portion of it, and then seek out Joyce Tanner and begin her quest to avoid the whole palaver.
That said, I have not personally tested the above, so if you plan on doing that, be wary. You can also only choose one character to escape with at the very end of the game, so you will need to choose between Joyce Tanner and Dr Garrow eventually anyway.
For more on Atomfall, take a look at where to find all Skill Manuals, where to find all Atomic Batteries, and where to find Sample One.