"Remember the Lexington" a conspiracy theory

[Mjr. Whoopass]

In Wing Commander IV, if you decide not to defect to the Border Worlds both times you're given the option and you destroy the Intrepid, the Lexington automatically blows up. My theory is that Black Lance members (at least including Seether and Paulson) rigged it to explode in the event that the Intrepid was destroyed.

Seether and Captain Paulson escaped on a shuttle, rather than being on the bridge where the captain should've been, and in a fighter where a fighter pilot should've been. This can suggest the Lexington was rigged to explode if the Intrepid was destroyed.

This ensures that the Border Worlds appears to be overly aggressive rather than that Confed searched and destroyed a weaker Border Worlds carrier. The Lexington thus becomes a 'Remember the Maine' (the American Battleship destroyed to help start the Spanish-American War) in the beginning of the War with the Border Worlds. This might also ensure that Blair wouldn't survive since he didn't approve of many of the things that were going on, and could potentially rat out their operation. This can also help to enrage Confed civilians as the great hero of the Kilrathi war was shot down by Border Worlds forces.

 

[Dundradal]

That's not what really happens though. In the novelization Blair launches a torpedo at the Lexington but detonates it right in front of the flight deck. The explosion hinders flight ops and the Intrepid is able to get away.

As to the rest of your post, ummmmm no.

 

[Vinman]

Doubtful. In any event, USS Maine's explosion wasn't a conspiracy, it was an accident.

 

[LeHah]

Seether and Captain Paulson escaped on a shuttle, rather than being on the bridge where the captain should've been, and in a fighter where a fighter pilot should've been. This can suggest the Lexington was rigged to explode if the Intrepid was destroyed.

Just because you CAN start a thread, doesn't mean you always SHOULD. If you consider posting something again, stick your head in a bucket of sand and breathe deeply until the feeling passes.

 

[Primate]

It's an interesting theory. The Lexington goes down pretty quickly. It didn't seem like enough time to get to the flight deck and launch a shuttle.

 

[Mjr. Whoopass]

The Lexington goes down pretty quickly. It didn't seem like enough time to get to the flight deck and launch a shuttle.

Exactly, even if the carrier hasn't taken any damage whatsoever and you've taken care of enemy bombers, it still explodes. I can't think of a better explanation than that those two were involved in rigging the explosion.. Think about it, Seether is one of the top pilots aboard the Lexington. If the Lexington was in a head to head battle with the Intrepid the logical place for him would be out flying. It's also doubtful that Paulson would leave the Bridge to get into a shuttle when his ship sustained no damage.

If anyone thinks that theory is doubtful I would be interested in hearing your explanation for how the Lexington spontaneously blows up. I would also like to hear how Seether and Paulson end up in a shuttle.

If you join the BW forces, Blair or Intrepid pilots take out the Lexington. I was talking about the scenario where you choose to stay with Confed to the end. Even when you go with the 'official' events, how did those two get into a shuttle? If Blair were flying against my ship, I would want to abandon ship, but Seether believed himself to be better than Blair. Even then you would assume Seether would be in a fighter (or bomber) trying to stop Blair and destroy the Intrepid. It could seem that Tolwyns goal in sending the Lexington was to have this prestigious ship explode preferably by the Border Worlds or if that failed, by Black Lance operatives in order to gain the vote for War.

The sinking of the Maine doesn't correspond exactly, but there are similarities. The Navy conducted an investigation into the sinking of the Battleship Maine, but it never discovered who was responsible for the explosion. The newspapers of the time blamed the Spanish for the explosion and fanned the flames of war. Soon "Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain." became a rallying cry for war. After ousting Spain from Cuba, the United States seized Puerto Rico. After Puerto Rico, the US annexed the Philippines, Samoa, Guam, and Wake Island, followed by Hawaii. We don't know if the US was responsible, but it certainly gained from this event. We also don't know if the Black Lance was responsible for the explosion, but despite the scenario that caused it, they certainly used it in an attempt to advance their cause.

 

[frostytheplebe]

Doubtful. In any event, USS Maine's explosion wasn't a conspiracy, it was an accident.

The destruction wasn't a conspiracy, but using that to get us into war with the Spanish was... I found that terribly ironic as the survivors of the USS Maine were rescued by SPANISH warships.

 

[Sharpshooter]

The only explanation for this that makes sense to me plot-wise is that Blair can't both attack the Intrepid and defend the Lexington - so the BW bombers blow it up, because Blair doesn't have time to get back.

(Gameplay-wise, it's obvious the designers didn't want to continue the Confed path - which is most likely a good thing, since Blair becoming a Black Lancer would probably have made the game too easy.)

 

[MjavTheGray]

The instant death of the Lexington is no different from instant death of the Intrepid - in case you have done something 'wrong'.
I, personally - am somewhat disappointed in lack of desire in game developers to make an 'evil Confed' path in the game. There would be many oppotunities to make Blair a monster. Don't you people tell me you wouldn't want to be a 'bad Blair' for a once

By the way - with lots and lots of experienced game modders around - isn't there a possibility to ...patch some missions? Possibility to leech Confed cratf in every mission - to use it later - would be great. And this would be quite natural for BW at that time... To fly a Hellcat again would be nice...

 

[Death]

Fuck the Hellcat. Swipe a freaking T-bolt, so we can be like Blair in the novelization.

 

[Wedge009]

Edit: Death beat me to the reply, so here's the quote:

I, personally - am somewhat disappointed in lack of desire in game developers to make an 'evil Confed' path in the game.

I don't think it was so much a lack of desire as a lack of time and money. That was the down-side of the 'Interactive Movie' style of game - there is just no feasible way that developers can make a wide-branching game and storyline, and still stay ahead of deadlines and on budget. Don't forget, WC4 had an insanely huge budget for a game (at the time), and I understand that they barely reached an even return, if at all.

 

[Bandit LOAF]

The Intrepid also explodes if you 'lose' a mission (... although don't you have decloaking Avengers that blow up the Lexington?)

The conspiracy theory doesn't make sense for several reasons. One is that the Lexington was actually essential to Tolwyn's operations in the sector - it was the only fleet carrier with the Third Fleet and was the only platform Seether could use for biological attacks (until the Vesuvius came online.) We see his internal dialogue in the novel - losing the 'Lex was quite a blow. Two is that they already *had* their Maine - the Intrepid had destroyed the TCS Achilles, a famed heavy cruiser, with all hands earlier in the week. Also, there's not any evidence that they escape on a shuttle if the ship blows up without Blair defecting, is there?

Space Point, I guess.

I don't think it was so much a lack of desire as a lack of time and money. That was the down-side of the 'Interactive Movie' style of game - there is just no feasible way that developers can make a wide-branching game and storyline, and still stay ahead of deadlines and on budget. Don't forget, WC4 had an insanely huge budget for a game (at the time), and I understand that they barely reached an even return, if at all.

Edited to comment: this is *still* a problem with non-interactive-FMV games today... more and more you'll hear developers talk about how they just don't have the money to make a 30-hour game.

 

[Wedge009]

What happened that made it necessary for the Intrepid to destroy the Achilles? I thought the Border Worlders were doing their best to avoid conflict since they were the innocent party, but I suppose when cornered, one has to fight back...

Edit: I remember the uncloaking Avengers popping up to destroy the Lexington if you choose to stay with Confed a second time.

 

[Mekt-Hakkikt]

Maybe it was a fake attack, just like the Orlando depot.

Edit: no, does not sound so from LOAF's post.

 

[ChrisReid]

What happened that made it necessary for the Intrepid to destroy the Achilles? I thought the Border Worlders were doing their best to avoid conflict since they were the innocent party, but I suppose when cornered, one has to fight back...

The Achilles and another cruiser, along with their fighter wing, battled the Intrepid through three systems. The Achilles' destruction and most of the damage we see aboard the Intrepid was the result.