What Space Atlases would you like to see?

[griffin]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

G'day

I have suddenly discovered a need to ransom a small king, and so my thoughts turn to the e23 wish list. Of the desiderata listed, I am qualified to write only perhaps Space Atlas series titles. Before I start snowing the editors with proposals, I thought I had perhaps better sound the waters. What sorts of systems do the buying public want to buy?

For me I'd say first take a look at GURPS Space Atlas 4. That's my favorite Space Atlas and is one that I'd love to see done as a GURPS 4e supplement.

As for new stuff the elements I'd like to see are as follows:

• Space Opera style stting like Star Wars
• Transhuman Space style setting with FTL starships and Ultra-Tech gear

I am an inveterate fan of the SF of Jack Vance, and my stock in trade as an SF GM is worlds in the Vancean mold, ie. inhabited by very strange but utterly logical (or at least consistent) cultures, governments founded upon strange premises, and social adaptations to unprecedented conditions. Fear not! I shall not attempt to inflict a pastiche of Vance's writing on you, and the editors would protect you if I tried. The question remain, though: do people want to buy Space Atlases describing worlds with bizarre governments and societies? Societies with radically different family types? Societies with different values? Societies with radically unfamiliar social 'gender' roles? Or is this a hopelessly uneconomic niche?

I'm not that familiar with Jack Vance's work so I can't directly relate to what you are indicating your settings would model. While it sounds interesting, I like to be able to relate to the characters in a setting so if they are just too weird, I may not care for the setting. For example the setting for Fantasy II: The Mad Lands, held absolutely no interest for me. It was just too strange and the adventures available seemed a bit mundane in a rather fantastic setting.