Optional Fate

Optional Fates are events that players can do to determine how they want the characters in a storyline or a mission to turn out. Essentially, It allows the player to decide the fate of the character(s) or mission(s).

Mechwarrior 2: Mercenaries

Grady Kiefer - Should Grady choose to undergo the Mercenary Commander career, he will have the option to participate in the same missions of the main story or do other contracts. However, should Grady fail anyone one of the main story missions, they will lead to an alternate path of that mission that must be completed.

Dust River - During the Gravenhage Campaign, if Grady chooses to inspect the Enemy DL Catapult, then the mech will turn traitor on its allies and fight with him.

Judas Kiss' - At the conclusion of the Last Frontier Campaign, which sees the Grady Keifer capture a Clan Kodiak assault 'Mech for the Draconis Combine, the Kiefer has the choice of handing over the powerful 'Mech to their employer as planned or destroying the Combine forces to keep the prize for himself.

Dread Legion - In the mission Blood Cauldron, Grady will receive a bribe from the Dread Legion Mercenary unit. If he accepts the bribe (or fails the mission regardless), he and his unit will attack their employer and walk off with 4 million c-bills. However this decision will prevent the him from taking any Draconis Combine contracts until the Wolcott campaign. Should the Kiefer refuse the bribe, he will walk off with 2 million C-bills and Star League technology.

Mechwarrior 4: Vengeance

Joanna Dresari (Non-Canon Ending) - Towards the end of the story, Karl and Elise urge Ian to either save his sister or go after the armory respectively. Should Ian decide to do the former, then Castro will remain on Kentares untouched. During the end of the game, Joanna will be confirmed as the Duchess of Kentares.

Evanda Castro (Canon Ending) - Towards the end of the story, Karl and Elise urge Ian to either save his sister or go after the armory respectively. Should he decide to do the latter, then Ian and his lance would face Castro and her forces, killing her and taking her mech in the process. This leaves Joanna to be captured and killed by Steiner forces during the process. During the end of the game, Ian will be confirmed as the Duke of Kentares (This ending sets up the events for the expansion pack Mechwarrior 4: Black Knight).

Damon Squire - If the Ian decides to go after the armory, Elise will tell him that Damon went AWOL going after his sister. Successfully taking the armory will prompt Elise to tell Dresari that no one from Joanna's unit survived. This would likely presume Damon Squire to be among them as he does not appear in the last mission Endgame. The Dresari will also recover a Daishi from this choice. However if the Ian chooses to rescue Joanna, Squire will appear in a Mad Cat as an ally instead of a lancemate. Damon will join the Ian in the final mission upon rescuing the his sister.

Mechwarrior 4: Black Knight

Kentares Free Army - During the Kentares Campaign, Eric McClair has the ample opportunities to assist the rebels. Should he assist the rebels throughout the game, then they will become allies. If the player decides not to help the KFA throughout the game, then they will become enemies to the player. It will even skip killing Ian as a result.

Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries

Spectre - During the later years of FedCom Civil War, Mercenary Commander, Spectre does contracts for both Pro-Katherine or Pro-Victor forces throughout his career. As the civil war draws to a close, he must make a choice to serve either Steiner or Davion which impacts his fate and unit. Should Spectre serve the Steiner forces, he will be in contact with the Rabid Foxes, who use him as a ploy to free Katherine Steiner-Davion. Castle makes a plea to him not to follow through, after hearing the plan to free her by joining Clan Wolf. Should Spectre ignore her pleas, he travels to Carse and defeats a Star of elite Wolf Mechwarriors in a Trial of Position under the supervision Wolf Khan Vlad Ward. He not only frees Katherine, but becomes the Clan's gladiator for many years. Should he listen to Castle, he goes to New Canton to successfully push a Capellan raid off the planet with his unit, becoming a powerful mercenary unit in the Inner Sphere. Should Spectre remain in Davion employ, he serves Archon Peter Steiner-Davion on Tharkad defeating Nondi Steiner and the remaining Pro-Katherine forces. Spectre was reward by being offered a bodyguard contract by the new Archon, which proved to be a lucrative job for him and his unit.

Hammer and his lance - In the mission, "Styk - Reinforcements", Spectre is given the option to save Hammer Lance of Lindon's Battalion. If he arrives too late or deliberately refuses, Hammer Lance will be destroyed and not appear for the next mission. Should Spectre make it in time to save Hammer Lance, they will assist the him in ”Styk - Peace Talks”.

Aisa Thastus - If Spectre makes the infamous decision to backstab Clan Jade Falcon in the mission "New Exford - Backstab", the he will have to fight Star Colonel Aisa Thastus, killing her in battle. Should Spectre and his unit take the noble route and undergo the mission "New Exford - Beach Fight", they will face her in honorable combat and claim both her as a bondswoman and her mech for the rest of the game, under the nickname "Falcon".

Lt. Dunman - During a raid on Halloran V, Spectre will run into the mercenary unit, Burr's Black Cobras. Lt.Dunman will warn the his mercenary unit to surrender. Upon completing the primary objectives, Dunman will tell his Lance to disengage. If the Spectre lets his lance leave, then the Black Cobras will not hold a grudge towards Spectre. Should he destroy Dunman’s lance, they will salvage the remaining mechs. The Cobras will later declare their vendetta on Spectre. Oddly enough, Lt. Dunman's name never appears on any of the mechs, however the game implies that he is either dead or alive depending on the fate of his lancemates.

Lt. Cho - On New Canton’s campaign conclusion, Lieutenant Cho will take the rest of the Harloc Raiders to retreat. If Spectre and his unit holds their fire, the remaining Raiders will leave the field. Should the he fire at the retreating foes, then the Capellan units will return fire. Similar to Lt. Dunman, Cho's name never appears on any of the mechs.

Mechwarrior 5: Clans

Jayden - Near the end of the Courchevel campaign, Ezra reveals to his friends that he was responsible for causing the Melee between Clan Nova Cat and Clan Smoke Jaguar. He states that the Jaguars are twisted beyond redemption and that he would not take part in another massacre like Turtle Bay. Ezra offers his friends a chance to come with him and abandon Clan Smoke Jaguar. While Mia refuses, she pleads for Jayden's help. Jayden's starmates already state their loyalty to him as he makes a decision that will shape his destiny.

Crusader Path (Mia's Choice) - Jayden heads to Mia's position, angrily scolding Ezra for defecting from the Clan. Jayden and his star make it to Mia in time to defeat the Nova Cat forces together. Despite their success, Star Colonel Cordera Perez takes his anger and frustrations out on both of them as punishment for Ezra's defection. Both Mia and Jayden take part in Operation DRAGONSLAYER and encounter Ezra fighting alongside the Wolf's Dragoons, Kell Hounds and Draconis Combine. Jayden, having conflicting thoughts about facing his own sibkin, is reassured by Alexander Hoyt that he is doing the right thing by remaining loyal to the Smoke Jaguars and offering to sponsor him for a Bloodname. After Ezra is killed, Mia expresses her concern for Jayden and hope for the Smoke Jaguars' future. After Jayden's promotion to Star Captain, Mia is seen happily applauding him with the rest of his starmates.

Warden Path (Ezra's Choice) - Jayden heads to Ezra's position while Mia is being overrun by Nova Cat forces. Jayden extends this offer to Mia, reminding her about the Smoke Jaguar's stubborn ways, which she refuses. Ezra and his star later becomes bondsmen to the Wolf's Dragoons under Mackenzie Wolf, son of the famous Wolf's Dragoons founder, Jaime Wolf. He and his star join with the Draconis Combine and Kell Hounds in defense of Operation DRAGONSLAYER. An angry Star Colonel Cordera Perez, challenges Jayden to a Trial of Grievance where the former is killed. Mia later challenges Jayden to a trial in the Imperial Gardens, which he accepts. Jayden, having conflicting thoughts about facing his own sibkin, attempts to take Mia as bondsmen, but instead the latter expresses her disappointment in both him and Ezra, while espousing the superiority of the Jaguars and commits bondsref shortly after, much to Jayden's dismay. Following their success of the campaign, Ezra and his starmates become full-fledged members of the Wolf Dragoons.