The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition

The achievement unlocks after completing Signal Point in Space and returning to Sophia who congratulates you on helping the town of Edgewater. She will only congratulate you if, during the main story mission, Comes Now the Power, you:

1. Sided with Spacer’s Choice and diverted power to Edgewater
2. Persuaded the deserters to return
3. Allowed Reed to remain in charge

If you diverted power to The Biolab and/or placed Adelaide in charge, you will need a separate playthrough to unlock this achievement.

If you are on the Halcyon Path where you notify the board you know the whereabouts of Phineas: Progress through the story and send a tracking signal or a corrupted tracking signal from Phineas’s Lab during the main story mission, Long Distance. Doing so automatically initiates Signal Point in Space. Upon its completion, return to Akande. Provided your playthrough complied with the above three preconditions, the Board will view Edgewater to be productive, and the achievement will pop.

If you are on the Phineas Path and do not notify the board you know the whereabouts of Phineas: Progress through the story. After acquiring the dimethyl sulfide for Phineas and selecting his lab as your next destination, enroute, you'll receive a communique from Sophia Akande. She'll ask you to turn Phineas in. Agree. You have the option of cooperating and sending a tracking signal or tricking her and sending a corrupted tracking signal from the comm terminal in Phineas’s Lab. After sending either the tracking signal or the corrupted signal, travel to Byzantium and speak to Sophia. Provided your playthrough complied with the three preconditions listed above, the Board will view Edgewater to be productive, and the achievement will pop. If Sophia does not bring up Edgewater and discusses other matters, conclude that dialog. Speak to her again and she'll praise you for your efforts on Edgewater and the achievement will unlock.

If the Board considers Edgewater unproductive, Sophia will give you the main story quest, Foundation. During that quest, you unlock the following achievement, mutually exclusive to this one:

If you satisfy the prerequisites for this achievement, it is possible to unlock this and its mutually exclusive counterpart during the same playthrough using save manipulation. After completing Signal Point in Space and BEFORE talking to Sophia, make a hard save. Travel to Edgewater and kill Reed. Go to Sophia who will give you the main story quest, Foundation. Play through it and unlock Ludwig was Right. The following guide provides a detailed solution: Solution for Ludwig was Right In The Outer Worlds: Spacer's Choice Edition

Once you unlock Ludwig was Right, load the manual save and unlock this achievement. The game’s endings are heavily influenced by the events in Edgewater. If you are working towards the “good” ending, you will want to unlock Ludwig was Right before Mightier than the Sword so that Edgewater survives in your official save file. Conversely, if you are working for the bad ending, you will want to pop Mightier than the Sword before Ludwig was Right to ensure your official save file incorporates the destruction of Edgewater.

Missable Achievement

This achievement requires that you make some specific choices during the game. It’s mutually exclusive of the achievement Ludwig was Right, however, it's possible to earn both achievements in the same playthrough with a well timed save.

For this achievement at the start of the game you need to choose to redirect power to Edgewater, then convince the deserters to return but not have Reed step down as leader.

Much later in the story Sophia Akande will ask you to send a tracking signal on Phineas' terminal as part of the quest Long Distance. I believe it does not matter whether you send a corrupted signal or not. I sent the corrupted signal. Afterwards, Sophia will ask you to meet with her. Before talking to her make a manual save.

Assuming you directed the power back to Edgewater and Reed was left in charge, you will be awarded the achievement after speaking with her.

Afterwards, reload your save and before talking with Sophia, travel to Edgewater and kill Reed. This will switch the outcome you get when talking to Sophia allowing you to unlock the other achievement once you complete the quest she gives you.