Excaliburs in WC4

[Mincemeat]

In Wing Commander IV the confed excaliburs that you fight have their top speeds trimmed to below 400kps.

In the game itself it's obviously a gameplay balance decision, but I wonder if there are any references in the novel and other "canon" sources as to why this came into being.

 

[ChrisReid]

In Wing Commander IV the confed excaliburs that you fight have their top speeds trimmed to below 400kps.

Hmm, I don't think they do.

In the game itself it's obviously a gameplay balance decision,

Replacing their Reapers with Ions was a gameplay balance decision and necessary to make room for the new gun additions in the engine.

but I wonder if there are any references in the novel and other

Spoiler

"canon"

sources as to why this came into being.

I'm not sure any are necessary. Any changes are minor and can easily be attributed to it being unnecessary for the craft to have everything that was envisioned for wartime combat. The same changes happen to real fighter craft all the time.

 

[Dundradal]

I haven't read TPoF in a while but excaliburs aren't mentioned very much (the only reference that comes to mind is when Blair makes the connection that the excal was a prototype for a lot of the systems found in a dragon)

 

[RogueBanshee]

The Excaliburs never appear in the novel they just get mentioned a couple of times.

That happens with a lot ships actually. The Avenger, Vindactor and Banshee never appear in the novel. (Which really sucks IMO since as you can tell from my username the Banshee is one of my favorite ships.) The Bearcat never gets mentioned by name but the novel refers to a class of upgraded Hellcat which it never gives specs on so thoose might actually be Bearcats.