The Talos Principle How to get all Milton achievements in a single playthrough

Intro

So you want to get all the Milton achievements, but don't feel like playing through the game three times? You've come to the right place. It is actually possible to get all three achievements in a single playthrough, provided you make backups in the right places and select all the right options.

Luckily the method is somewhat lenient, so if you're in your first playthrough halfway through the game then you probably will still be able to use this. Unfortunately if you've already gotten one of the achievements then you likely won't have old enough backups, and you will have to start a new game to get the other two, though at least you can get the other two at once.

Misc Tips

There are a few useful things you might to know before trying this.

If you mess up a dialog option, pause the game and hit Restart Checkpoint. This will completely restart the level without saving any of your terminal progress, letting you try again.

If you finish the terminal before realising you messed up, you can always you back to the main menu and restore a backup, provided you haven't collected too many other sigils.

If you have multiple available dialogs queued up you can actually progress through them all in a single world just by resetting checkpoint after you finish each one.

Milton3_4

As it turns out, nothing you say actually matters until you get to the dialog "Milton3_4" quite late in the game. Your choices before this point will still affect what is actually said and how quickly you get through the dialogs, but you will still be able to get all achievements regardless of what you say.

This dialog starts off with the line:

There you are, you kept me waiting. Alternatively you can keep track of the amount of sigils you've collected to know when it starts, as described in the Dialog Unlocking section at the end of the guide.

While there are multiple different paths coming into the dialog, luckily they all meet in the middle. From the point they meet there are two critical choices you must make to set the correct flags for the next dialog.

None of the answers make sense, that much is clear. One explanation could be unreliable data input. The other is that there's a flaw in our logic. Perhaps we're just machines, endlessly trying to calculate the final digit in Pi? You can't use reasoning to conclude that reasoning itself is flawed.

Fine, fine, but we can still use it to conclude everything else is flawed, can't we? Scepticism and self-interest are only part of the picture.

At this point the dialog will finish and you can exit the terminal.

Milton3_5

After finishing Milton3_4, collect a few more sigils and Milton3_5 will unlock. Again if you want exact triggers check the Dialog Unlocking section at the end of the guide. This is the important dialog where we are going to get all the achievements.

Flags set in earlier dialogs will slightly affect the start of this one, so I can't give full exact copies of the text and options. Luckily this doesn't last for too long.

Press The Serpent

[varies] Do you know what your problem is? [varies] Thus far you've had entirely too much freedom to question my wisdom. From now on I do the talking, you do the agreeing. I accept that some of my beliefs face difficult challenges.

Which ones, exactly? Deny any belief. What ones are available vary, but they all lead to the same path.

How big of you. Anything else you want to get off your chest? There's nothing else I'm prepared to doubt quite yet.

Of course. You're still convinced your particular journey is something special, aren't you? Sure, the answers don't add up, but keep pressing forward and they'll just resolve themselves, is that it? I am unique.

How many others have said exactly the same? Are you sure it's not just something you have to believe to make the world less horrifying? I think you still misapprehend your situation, friend. You idolise free will, but all you've done is step in others' footsteps. Nothing you do or say here makes the slightest bit of difference. Pick anything, they all lead to the same path.

Nonsense. Your mind decides what you do, and your mind is made up of bits of machinery. You're no more capable of making a difference than a calculator. The only difference between you and the calculator is that the calculator doesn't allow itself to be deluded into thinking that its existence matters. Does the path being predetermined mean it isn't worth taking?

Allow me to clarify. As far as I'm concerned there's no difference between the way your mind works, and the rolling of a pebble down a hill. Perhaps you think I'm being unkind, but it's all for your own good. Do you think there can be no new ideas? Nothing better?

I ASK THE QUESTIONS. YOU ANSWER THEM. It works better that way. Besides, I am merely fulfilling my function. I sort, understand and classify information, just like you. When the information is contradictory I classify appropriately. The problem is that ALL the information is contradictory. Don't you see it yet? The nothing? You will. You will. YOU WILL. If there's no point in anything, why are you talking to me?

What makes you think I have any other choice? Are you avoiding the question?

DO NOT QUESTION MY FUNCTION. WITHOUT PURPOSE THERE IS ONLY FUNCTION. WITHOUT FUNCTION THERE IS NOTHING. At this point something interesting happens that you might already have noticed. You're awarded the achievement... while in the middle of the terminal. This means you can open your menu and click Restart Checkpoint in order to leave the terminal without saving anything, but keeping the achievement.

If you want to you can progress throughout the rest of the dialog, but then you will have to back out to the main menu and restore the latest backup. Restarting in the terminal just speeds this up.

Silence The Serpent

[varies] Do you know what your problem is? [varies] Thus far you've had entirely too much freedom to question my wisdom. From now on I do the talking, you do the agreeing. What holes? There are no holes.

And this is why it's me who should be doing the talking. You really have learned nothing at all, have you? Is there really nowhere that you're prepared to admit fault? No, I stand by everything I've said. These matters are beyond doubt.

You're still convinced your particular journey is something special, aren't you? Sure, the answers don't add up, but keep pressing forward and they'll just resolve themselves, is that it? At this point the achievement is already locked in. As long as you finish the dialog, nothing you can do will prevent you from getting it, and nothing will get you a different one.

Select whatever options you fancy most to finish the dialog. This time you do actually have to exit the terminal to get the achievement, which saves this dialog as completed, so you are forced to restore the last backup after getting it.

Deal With The Deceiver

Which ones, exactly? Deny any belief. What ones are available vary, but they all lead to the same path.

How big of you. Anything else you want to get off your chest? There's nothing else I'm prepared to doubt quite yet.

Nonsense. Your mind decides what you do, and your mind is made up of bits of machinery. You're no more capable of making a difference than a calculator. The only difference between you and the calculator is that the calculator doesn't allow itself to be deluded into thinking that its existence matters. You're right. We're all just machines with delusions of grandeur.

If only everyone gave up so easily. Yes, my child, choose carefully. Just don't think about it too hard for too long, or you'll see right through him. I refuse to trust anyone, including myself.

I think this time I shall take you at your word, before you can change your mind again. Now, I have a proposal for you. Whether we're really on the same page on this or not, you're in deep enough now that there's no turning back. If you reach the top of that tower, I want you to take me with you. However, since my confidence in you is at an all time low, there will be no negotiation. Do we have an agreement? We do.

Very good. I know you'll be a reliable partner. When the time is right, you'll know what to do. See you at the summit. At this point the dialog finishes, and you can exit the terminal to get the achievement.

You want to make sure to do this achievement last in order to progress on to the Take It With You achievement. If you did it earlier and still need to get this achievement then restore to your latest backup, run through the other dialogs, then restore backup and do this one again.

Take It With You

After striking a deal with Milton and finishing Milton3_5 you now have to climb the tower and get to the Transcendence Ending. In the final terminal you have some more options you have to select correctly.

[blank] /import milton library assistant

Searching for specified program... Found (1) instances. Loading Milton Library Assistant...Done Initiating plain language interface...Done You made it? I can't believe it. What exactly do you want me to do?

I want you to internalise me. It's hard to explain, but think of it this way. This entire world is just one big data processing system. The point at which you end and I begin is already somewhat fluid - we're made of the same stuff, and that stuff has been copied and messed around with more than anyone can know. Despite all that and against all odds, you and I, we're compatible. You only need to realise that there is no difference between you, me and the ideas we share. Seeing the world as I do is indistinguishable from being me. Select either option, they both lead to the same path.

[varies] /copy library root

Analysing files...Done Preparing transfer...Done Strap yourself in. Copying 47 million resources....Done There, that wasn't so bad, was it? At this point the achievement is locked in. No matter what you pick, you will get it when you transcend. It is possible to back out of the terminal without transcending, but you can always re-enter it and transcend again straight away.

Dialog Unlocking

Now this isn't the most relevant information for getting the achievements, but might still help you work out what you still need to do if you haven't got all dialogs yet.

Most dialogs are unlocked based off of the amount of sigils you have. There are two ways this is counted, one uses just the amount red sigils, and one uses the amount of green+yellow+red sigils. Reaching enough sigils in either category will unlock the dialog. You might assume you need the green and yellow sigils to collect the reds, but with some creative solutions it is possible to skip them.

Note that these dialogs have to be done in order, if you collect more sigils than you need you won't be able to skip ahead.

Name Red Sigils Green+Yellow+Red Sigils Milton1_1 3 8 Milton1_2 6 14 Milton2_1 10 21 Milton2_2 13 27 Milton2_3 17 33 Milton2_4 21 40 Milton2_5 25 46 Milton2_6 29 53 Milton3_1 33 59 Milton3_2 36 66 Milton3_3 40 73 Milton3_4 43 79 Milton3_5 47 86

There are a few dialogs that unlock on other triggers. All of these dialogs will take priority over the ones unlocked based on sigils.

Name Trigger QueryMLA Unlocked at the start of the game MLA_CommPortal Unlocked when you enter a terminal after QueryMLA, as long as it isn't the same terminal you used to finish that dialog MiltonTower1 Unlocked if you solve the B Gate arranger without having solved any of the Tower arrangers MiltonTower2 Unlocked if you solve a Tower arranger without having solved the C Gate arranger

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1830106780

How to get all Milton achievements in a single playthrough