[Webstral]

Gorgeous resources. Thanks for posting those.

Years ago, I saw a book in the Loompanics catalogue for making machine tools that required no electricity. I'm kicking myself now for not having bought it. Come to think of it, I'm kicking myself for not having bought many of the books in good ol' Loompanics.

The availability of knowledge underscores the point that many things are possible in Twilight: 2000. However, as with all possibilities, means and opportunity are prerequisites. Time, manpower, resources, and know-how are all needed for many of the intriguing possibilities. One reason New America emerges as such a threat is that they do their planning. Their libraries are probably very well-stocked by late 1997. They have the tools they need to make use of the available resources and manpower. Most likely, the critical skills have been identified.

I've have tried to play up the theme of preparedness with my work. Thunder Empire is really all about laying the foundation for success. Poseidon's Rifles, on the other hand, is more about exploiting existing opportunities. Silver Shogunate is more of an effort to show what happens when the good guys don't get it together. (Though admittedly, Nevada is in a tough spot in the event of a sudden collapse of civilization.) The Black Watch in southern Vermont only survives because a survivalist cell does its homework and organizing in advance. Even then, the survivors in southern Vermont hold on by their fingertips for quite some time. When cantonments have access to the right expertise and the ability to support the work, many possibilities that today would be considered cost-ineffective become boons.