Hmm, thinking about it I do seem to remember reading somewhere that the high-rise orientation was a screw-up. I think it was an interview, along the lines of 'Where did the unconventional deck layout of the AHL come about? - Oh we didn't mean it to be like that, the deck plan artist did it and it was too late to change it." That's purely from memory and I can provide no reference.
It would be interesting to verify it.
Wait, what?
There's, what, 14 deck plans in the AHL box? And GDW just said "Hey Bob, make us some deck plans".
The amount of miscommunication, lack of over site, and mishandling that would suggest is legion.
Especially considering the cost of the product.
I bought this game back when it was published, and it was $40. That's $116 today. It was a classic "Dad gave me some money" kind of thing, when I was younger, and had less of an idea of value for money. Today, I would think long and hard about spending $100 on, well, most anything. Especially a board game.
So, having these deck plans "just show up", thus making the game much more expensive than perhaps it should have been (if it, say, had half the deck plan pages). That's just hard to imagine.
Next thing you know, you're going to tell me that the way Traveller spec'd out it's missiles is completely wrong and redone…oh, wait.
