True. Here, I simply notified the players that this is an anachronism, that the writers just used the one rifle available in the game, leaving it to the GM & players to ignore or just understand that it's actually an earlier model but nobody got time to delve into that. But yes, the M41A Pulse Rifle is definitely anachronistic, and the same probably goes for the various M4A3 service pistols and such.- Pulse Rifle... If I remember, the pulse rifle the Montero crew can find have been created after the initial launch of the Cronus. Therefore, it shouldn't be on board.
Again, quite possibly. I used this to foreshadow the abominations crawling around the place. Also, IIRC, the damage to the airlock is specifically described as having occurred from the inside, right? I might be wrong, but I think so.- The Junction A-1 Dock is damaged... could be from the creature OR forceful entry by the marines.
Now, I personally prefer if the Darconis stuff gets off the Cronus in some way related to the PCs actions, experiences, and/or observations. To have it occur off-screen robs the players of some agency and immersion, so I always kept the "Colonial Marines were already here and stole some samples without leaving any clues" as a last ditch explanation. Narratively, it makes for a much more dramatic story if the players can connect these things to their own gaming experience, rather than relying on a retcon'y "CMs had already been onboard" cheat.Last,
I've personally introduced vague memory of soldier boarding the Cronus into Ada if the player pushes her to reveal what happens between the crew being put in cryo and the arrival of the Montero crew.
That said, your take on this, playing up Ava's faulty memories, is a very good handling of the story beat. I still prefer that the players/PCs experience how the Draconis stuff gets off the Cronus, rather than having an NPC expose about it, but having chosen to go with the explanation scripted in DoW, I think using Ava as a vehicle to relate hints about that plot thread is rather genius. Kudos.