Quote:
Originally Posted by Raellus
Perhaps there's no mention of all of that stuff because, as a writer trying to sell product, Wiseman had to assume that purchasers' gaming groups hadn't completed those module missions yet? I mean, otherwise, he's essentially ruining all those other products with spoilers (i.e. how their successful completion would influence the game world)- including, most significantly, Going Home!
It's kind of a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't scenario. By failing to account for the outcomes of those modules, it seems like he's being careless or super absent-minded. By including all that stuff, he's basically screwing GDW/FFE over by riving away the major plot points of many of the previously-published, still-for-sale, adventure modules. Why would you buy module X when you already know how it's supposed to end?!?
So, the lesser of evils may have been to ignore anything covered previous canonical works. That's why the ETO units are not mentioned at all in HW.
What would be really helpful to Ref's then is an official addendum to HW, with the results of earlier modules factored in. Kind of like a flow-chart. For example, "If the players successfully completed module X, then Y would be affected in the following ways. If they failed to obtain [insert Macguffin], the situation will be as described."
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I actually like that a lot - especially since the players actions really affect the post HW world.
For instance a couple of ideas in that vein
"If the players managed to get the tapes from the Russian Satellite then the effects of the starvation in HW are significantly reduced as planting is directed towards areas that will get enough rain, reducing wasteage of seed and fuel in areas that would not be productive.
If the players managed to retrieve the scientists in Romania and successfully bring them home, starting in early November the first reactor comes on line from their efforts in the Cape May area followed by others in areas still under Milgov control."
FYI some events were mentioned for sure - keep in mind that Kidnapped was released before HW. Thus the successful kidnapping of the head of NA is presented as fact in HW. So again that supports more the rushed effort - and there is also the distinct possibility that Loren didnt have time to read the other modules. Thus if he is working on HW but hasnt read one of the modules I mentioned he might not have known of the events. This was pre-internet - and I have no idea how much the various GDW authors coordinated their work.
You can see that clearly in Gateway to the Spanish Main where the submarine from Last Submarine torpedoes the Bulgarian freighter with the Cubans on board. But according to Last Submarine at that time that ship is still being repaired and is in the hands of the UFB and has no weapons onboard. There are lots of other contradictions like that many of which have been discussed ad naseum on this board before
Also we know Omega happened and those units came home in the HW text itself- its stated in HW that reinforcements for some units came from the European evacuees that came home on Omega - so again its back to Loren either messed up, got hurried or didnt know how to deal with them so he just ignored them - and that needs to be corrected