Well, apparently expressing that I was withholding my opinion just leaves people assuming my opinion, an oversight on my part.
I actually did like the Hard Times setting, but wasn't actually all that keen on the Rebellion, a contradiction, I'm sure, but that's the reason why I didn't want to state my opinion - and the coming of the Virus and the New Age, I did not like at all. Or maybe it was just the imposition of a new system and a change in the underlying canon - suddenly m-drives where out and Heplar was in (not that I didn't like Heplar as a concept, but introducing it then - while also deciding that all the system names in the Old Expanses had changed - and making this all happen after only 75 years, just didn't hold my interest to the extent that the deep history and layers that evolved to explain the Third Imperium - and First and Second as well).
So, not a fan of the New Era, not really a fan of the way the Rebellion occurred and how the factions played out - so it's easier just to believe in the Lorenverse. Had it been a second civil war period, with Hard Times during recovery, I would have liked that better, but that's just my opinion. If Mongoose (well, Matthew anyway - I'm just a freelance writer with opinions) decides to do a Rebellion timeline, I'm sure I'd still be interested in writing for it, in fact putting a little spin on while staying within the canon could be fun.
(and I just caught up with Sigtrygg's post, and what he says above about the Hard Times is close to what I felt. As for the FFW, I liked that, but always thought that a short war with status quo antebellum (with a broken sword worlds) was a bit of a cop-out - which again, wouldn't stop me from writing for it - but also as Sigtrygg said, it lacked a PC scale of things as well - part of why, I suspect the Sky Raiders and other Far Frontiers adventures from FASA were more compelling at that time - as a referee the FFW made you kind of a spectator trying to hang on. Loved the wargame though.)