Smoothing the edges...

From the recently resurrected interview:

LOAF: Apparently you did... WCIII used a branching plot, how did you decide which options were used and which weren't?
Keith: Just decided what would make the best story, mostly. I had to drop some things for space considerations. The whole thing about rescuing the scientist with the Temblor Bomb, for example.
 
No, the *player* isn't afraid of Thrakhath... a main character who doesn't worry about anything isn't an interesting one.
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True, Blair goes on about how he needs a wingmen he can trust, while all the Player needs is someone who draws fire and don't steal his kills.

I would argue that this isn't true - the three ships flown in WCIV can't be specific to the Union of the Border Worlds... because the UBW comes into existince *during* the game. They *must* be existing designs flown when the colonies thought themselves part of the Confederation (in fact, we encounter them all before the UBW is formed, early in the game).
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I agree, the BWU cames into existence after the game begins. But I think they those ships specific to the Border Worlds Militia in some way. Seether uses Avengers and other BW craft to frame the attacks on the Border Worlds. Later, Blair & co remarks:

Maverick: Look, Confed’s a much bigger machine than any of us can possibly imagine. That bastard Seether – and whoever he’s working with – can marshal incredible resources.
Hawk: Sure: mercenaries, pirates, Confed craft, our craft…
Panther: The unmarked ships.
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If the Player flies a Vindicator on Telamon, the colonists recognize it as the "Border Patrol".

Besides, I'd argue that the game itself makes the point there's more ships flying off the Intrepid than it's reflected in gameplay. When Blair lands during the fight with the Vesuvius, you can see a Vindicator landing on the flight bay. :p

I never had any problem with the novel using different ships. Even if no background is given, it seems there was no way the BW could have that many vindicators with apparently expensive and exotic light tachyon guns.
 
Bandit LOAF said:
From the recently resurrected interview:

LOAF: Apparently you did... WCIII used a branching plot, how did you decide which options were used and which weren't?
Keith: Just decided what would make the best story, mostly. I had to drop some things for space considerations. The whole thing about rescuing the scientist with the Temblor Bomb, for example.
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I guess I should have taken you up on that offer for the old stuff from Andrew you dug up. I should look on my HD to see if I have anything from him, although I think most of what I got I already passed along. Worth a double check though.
 
Delance said:
If the Player flies a Vindicator on Telamon, the colonists recognize it as the "Border Patrol".
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It's fun if you take a Dragon, because Dekker berates the survivors of a holocaust, calling them "idiots" for not realising it was a commandeered craft. Sensitive, huh? ;)
 
Peterson said:
It's fun if you take a Dragon, because Dekker berates the survivors of a holocaust, calling them "idiots" for not realising it was a commandeered craft. Sensitive, huh? ;)
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Yeah, that was really funny:D

I liked how Dekker is sort of like Maniac's counterpart in WC4
 
Peterson said:
It's fun if you take a Dragon, because Dekker berates the survivors of a holocaust, calling them "idiots" for not realising it was a commandeered craft. Sensitive, huh? ;)
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Because Marines should worry about sensitivity and etiquette when dealing with people poiting weapons at them. Anyway, it's a good point that the guy was't much looking at the insignia.
 
Delance said:
I never had any problem with the novel using different ships. Even if no background is given, it seems there was no way the BW could have that many vindicators with apparently expensive and exotic light tachyon guns.
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Pliers makes it a point that the Stormfires, for example, are salvaged weapons that he adapted for the Intrepid's fighters himself. The "standard" Vindicator probably has only the laser/tachyon guns.
 
Ijuin said:
Pliers makes it a point that the Stormfires, for example, are salvaged weapons that he adapted for the Intrepid's fighters himself. The "standard" Vindicator probably has only the laser/tachyon guns.
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Well, sure, the stormfire was an addition, just like the home-made coaking device.
 
Bandit LOAF said:
I would argue that this isn't true - the three ships flown in WCIV can't be specific to the Union of the Border Worlds... because the UBW comes into existince *during* the game. They *must* be existing designs flown when the colonies thought themselves part of the Confederation (in fact, we encounter them all before the UBW is formed, early in the game).
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I seem to remember references to the UBW having been in existence for quite some time before the events in the game. Something like "The UBW stood with us as a loyal ally of the Confederation throughout the Kilrathi war, and now they're attacking us?". While reading the book and playing the game, I don't remember any indication that the colonies which became the UBW had declared their independence recently, just that we didn't hear about them before WC4.
 
No, it happens during WCIV - the it's announced during the newsbrief where Tolwyn is interviewed.
 
The union of Border Worlds as independent political entity is something that happens during WC4. Tolwyn mentions the Border Worlds on his speech as a region, I think.
 
Delance said:
The union of Border Worlds as independent political entity is something that happens during WC4. Tolwyn mentions the Border Worlds on his speech as a region, I think.
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Perhaps its more like they had thier own separate entity like a "State" Government and thier own seperate militia that included those fighters and capital ships?

It makes more sense if you think about it that way, they had one Senator that would report to the official Confed senate, but other then that, they had thier own free rule until they decided to break off altogether.

It makes sense that way for Tolwyn to call the BWS allies instead of members, and also gives a little bit more of an explanation to the quote, "A lot of people thought it was the Border Worlds that kept us in the war long enough for the Colonel here to land the boom." - Vagabond
 
Something that seems to be missed here is that "border worlds" can be used both as a reference to the UBW (as in the formal government formed during the events of WC4) when capitalized, and just referring to worlds on the border of Confed space (not necessarily specific to any particular timeframe) when not capitalized. Just listening to them say the words doesn't tell you anything about whether or not the phrase is capitalized.
 
But... is it normal to call Confed's own colonies 'ally' ?
If they're part of Confed, if they're ... property of Confed...
Why would Tolwyn call citizens of Confed - 'ally'?

So while playing WCIV it still seems to me that BW are separate from Confed since the Kilrathi war. Maybe even - since pre-war times.

Not that I am attacking the official line.
I am just talking of my feelings of what is natural in WCU
 
frostytheplebe said:
Perhaps its more like they had thier own separate entity like a "State" Government and thier own seperate militia that included those fighters and capital ships?
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The Border Worlds milita existed before WCIV. This is made clear because: a) they are blamed for the attacks and b) their paint job is quite old. The Union of Border Worlds came into existence during WCIV. It's unclear what their status was before that, or what kind of representation, if any, they had on the senate.

It's interesting to notice that 10% of the Senate was solid into going into war and 10% on not going into war. I always wondered if the people who greet and hug Blair in the end of that scene were members of the 10% that didn't want war, and if they are related to the Border Worlds.

frostytheplebe said:
It makes sense that way for Tolwyn to call the BWS allies instead of members, and also gives a little bit more of an explanation to the quote, "A lot of people thought it was the Border Worlds that kept us in the war long enough for the Colonel here to land the boom." - Vagabond
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Confed ruled over the Border worlds, since, when they declared independece, the first thing they say is that Confed laws no long apply to them.
 
By the way, can anyone point me at info about "church of man"?
Any specific about them would be very useful...
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The Church of Man is the formal name for the "Retros" in the original Privateer. They're a religious group that believes technology is evil, and to that end they sponsor all sorts off anti-technology terrorism (including taking over research bases, anti-shipping patrols, etc.).

They were something of an aside in the original Privateer, but they were the major focus of the addon, Righteous Fire. As the Terran-Kilrathi War wound down, a new leader named Mordecai Jones took over the church and reorganized it into a much more effective fighting force. Using surplus Kilrathi ships and mass produced copies of the stolen Steltek Gun, the Retros began to blockade shipping in the Gemini Sector. forcing them into a direct conflict with the Terran Confederation Navy.

Most information about the Church comes from Righteous Fire - they're rarely mentioned outside the original Privateer.
 
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