Should you kill or spare Ron Hope in Starfield? – Answered

BY JOHN PAUL SANTIAGO

PUBLISHED 1 YEAR AGO

John Paul Santiago

Writer and Storywriter

John creates game guides and covers the latest updates and developments in Valorant, Diablo Immortal, and GTA V for PlayerAssist. He is a PC gaming enthusiast with an affinity for FPS and RPG titles, but he has recently also developed a newfound appreciation for MMORPGs.

Should you kill or spare Ron Hope in Starfield?

Should you kill or spare Ron Hope in Starfield? - Answered

The Hammer Falls mission is a faction mission under the Freestar Collective questline, where you have to choose between killing or sparing Ron Hope. Your decision will affect the loot you receive and your relationship with your Companion, so it’s important to make the right decision.

In this quick guide, find out whether you should kill or spare Ron Hope in Starfield.

Should I Spare or Kill Ron Hope in Starfield?

Killing Ron Hope is arguably the better decision in Starfield. While you won’t get much loot (just a few Credits, a .27-caliber gun, a Med Pack, and a Rattler), you will be making the better moral decision of bringing a corrupt individual to justice, and you get to keep a healthy relationship with your Companion. If that’s your cup of tea, that is.

A screenshot of Ron Hope and four dialogue options in Starfield.
Image Credits: Shark R via YouTube

Then there’s the option to accept a bribe from Ron Hope, where you will receive 20,000 to 50,000 Credit should you decide to spare him. By doing so, however, you will let a man with corrupt tendencies walk freely around the galaxy. You will also damage your relationship with your Companion by doing so (if they’re near you during your negotiations with Ron Hope)

The result doesn’t change regardless if you kill or spare Ron Hope. You will still be promoted to Ranger and receive your Ranger badge from Marshall Daniel Blake. However, Sarah will either be proud of you for your decision against Ron Hope or have a word with you about your morally questionable decision to keep his secrets.

What happens if you kill or spare Ron Hope in Starfield?

You are given several important dialogue options in your confrontation with Ron Hope. Three will trigger the first outcome (arrest/kill Ron Hope), while the other two will trigger the second (accept the bribe and keep Ron Hope’s secret.) The other two options are probing dialogues that end with Ron Hope defending himself or threatening you but ultimately lead to the first two outcomes.

A screenshot of Ron Hope and deciding dialogue options that lead you to spare or kill Ron Hope.
Image Credits: Shark R via YouTube

Below are the dialogue options you will get in your confrontation with Ron Hope:

  1. I understand your position, but I have to do my job.
  2. You’ll turn yourself in, and I’ll tell the Marshall everything.
  3. [Negotiation] [Accept 50000 Credits.] For a very substantial bonus, I think we can agree.
  4. [Accept 20000 Credits] It’s too bad Hull died before he could tell me anything.
  5. [Attack] How about I give you something instead. A funeral!
  6. Are you trying to buy me off?

Kill Ron Hope

A screenshot of dialogue options you can select to kill Ron Hope in Starfield.
Image Credits: Shark R via YouTube

If you pick options 1 or 2 listed above, the following dialogue options will be available:

  • [Attack] Bribes and threats aren’t going to work on me.
  • For your employees’ sake, I’ll keep your secret, but your scheme ends now.
  • [Attack] If you refuse to come quietly, I’ll have to use force.

If you pick option 1 or 3, you will engage with Ron Hope and his security guards. Fortunately, Ron Hope isn’t too handy with guns, and he also has very few security guards with him, making the entire shootout fairly easy to complete.

Accept Ron Hope’s Bribe

If you plan to accept Ron Hope’s bribe, you must pick any of the [Accept] dialogue options during your confrontation. If you have the Negotiation skills available, you can pick the option that increases the total bribe to 50,000 Credits.

A screenshot of the dialogue option that lets you accept Ron Hope's bribe in Starfield.
Image Credits: Shark R via YouTube
  • [Negotiation] [Accept 50000 Credits.] For a very substantial bonus, I think we can come to an agreement.
  • [Accept 20000 Credits] It’s too bad Hull died before he could tell me anything.

After you pick any of the two options above, you will receive the bribe from Ron Hope and promise to keep quiet about his wrongdoings. Ron Hope will thank you for your cooperation and promise never to hire mercenaries again.

Ignore the Bribe and Spare Ron Hope

You can make a neutral option during the confrontation if you pick the “For your employees’ sake, I’ll keep your secret, but your scheme ends now.” option. If you pick this option, you will spare Ron Hope and keep his secret but receive no Credits.

A screenshot of Ron Hope thanking you for sparing him and keeping quiet about his secret in Starfield.
Image Credits: Ecko Space Walkthroughs via YouTube

This option is the lesser evil than accepting Ron Hope’s bribe since you will not receive dirty bribe money from Ron Hope. However, you are also letting a corrupt man go in the process and turning a blind eye to all the evil actions he has done. In addition, you will still have to lie to Marshall Daniel Blake about Ron Hope’s wrongdoings, putting your integrity as a Freestar Ranger in question.

Talk to Marshall Daniel Blake

The dialogue options between you and Marshall Daniel Blake will change depending on your choice in your confrontation with Ron Hope.

A screenshot of Marshall Daniel Blake in Starfield.
Image Credits: Ecko Space Walkthroughs via YouTube

If you kill Ron Hope, you have to show Marshall the “Details of Arrangement” slate to prove Ron Hope’s actions. The following dialogue options afterward will not affect any future outcome and only serve to support your initial decision.

If you let Ron Hope live, you will get dialogue options where you must lie to Marshall Daniel Blake. None of the dialogue options you pick will change the outcome, so feel free to pick whichever dialogue option makes you feel better for lying about Ron Hope.

Conclusion

If you ask us, killing Ron Hope is the right decision to make in The Hammer Falls mission in Starfield. Not only are you removing a corrupt man from the galaxy, but you also get to keep your integrity as the Marshall promotes you to the rank of Ranger.

However, Nothing stops you from taking bribes, as we also understand the important role of Credits in ensuring your survival in space.

Nevertheless, while the rewards/loot you get from this side mission will depend on whether you kill or spare Ron Hope, the result will remain the same, and you will still be promoted to the rank of Ranger at the end of the side mission.

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