Hello.
@Kilgs:
It's a toss-up. I own the original 2300 AD set, and the Colonial Atlas. Plus... Earth Core/Cybertech. The Colonial Atlas is excellent and I recommend it regardless of your system choice. Oh, I do have the pdf for Starcruiser (spaceships and stuff) but haven't looked at them since the first read.
But I think Colin wrapped all of the main set stuff into the Mongoose 2300 book. So you may want to benefit from that. It lays things out better than the 1st edition set but has a few things here and there of interest.
Are you using your own rule system? If so, then get whatever you want. If you need a rules-system, go Mongoose and the old Colonial Atlas. (IMO)
(PS-If you're planning on using AS, I do have a filemap for the all of the Arms done by someone else. I think it may be stored in the Library. PM me and I can send it.)
Currently I work on two different projects with the same core idea: the creation of a fictitious science fiction background about the early years of mankind setting for the stars - which means space-travelling with slower-than-light propulsed spaceships. So the first two to three waves of settlers and colonists would use a mixture of multi-generation- and/or sleeper-ships to get to the closer stars which might hold exoplanets which would be suitable for settlements or at least for some basic terraforming to make them habitable to a certain degree.
The first project is about the background of a a role-playing-game a friend of mine develops over 20 years already; the background of this game is about the 31st century in which FTL and stuff is all common; actually it has a lot in common with Traveller; and Traveller was one of the main spirits that made him create this his background. But he did not take care of the early ages of mankind in space; and he and I have started working on the first centuries of spacetravelling - basically the period of time until FTL became available - in order to complete the historical development and make things feel much more "round". And surprise: this is pretty much the time between 1990 and 2350. So this is where 2300 AD might come in handy - at least for offering hooks and ideas to apply "fair use policies". No, it would not be about copy-pasing or simply taking the ideas of others; it is just about looking at things how such a period of time was already handled; maybe some things come close to what we have on my mind, maybe other things show us some things we have not cared yet, etc .
The other project is basically the creation of a basic background I would like to use for two more different projects which again are linked (does this make sense?) - a novel and a hard sci fi rpg background. The major difference between this and the project with my friend is that the project of my friend's is a somewhat dark and dystopian way to look at things. In contrary I want to create a background myself in which the spirit of the early settlements of the US-terriroties and a certain gold-digger-mentality is underlying the whole colonization and settler-theme - so a hard scifi background with a much more positive perspective enriched with dreams and hopes. I am sick and tired of so many multigeneration starship novels and stories which are so dark, sinister, negative and sh*t and sorts ... So this is where things root for me.
Both major projects have one thing in common: the technological approach as well as the "more or less" realistic depiction of the close neighborhood of our solar system. Over the last couple of years the search for exoplanets and the understanding of the different star-systems around us were kind of in focus of space sciences. And the results up until "now" I would like to consider as the core structure for the space I'd like to settle in my fictional work.
As for space-travelling: Travelling to the stars with sub-speed-of-light is kind of a feat and a challenge ... But I think you can use this for creating some intense and exciting challenges for the backgrounds I would like to create. And here, again, 2300 AD might come in handy as well, if it delves into some basic ship-concepts and space-travell-issues.
So back to 2300 AD. So yeah, I am more interested in the background material (for now). If it comes to the choice of the proper gaming-system I haven't decided anything yet. But I can tell you one thing for certain: Currently only Mongoose Traveller, and Alternity are on the plate. Both have their powers and weaknesses; and both convince me as well as I like.
AS I will use for the star maps. I have read through the blog/website you have mentioned on my other topic about AS. And I already got the files for the star-systems up to 23 light-years distance. I am not certain, but I wouldn't be surprised to find the 2300 AD datasets for AS on this website as well. I may be wrong, but then - certainly - I would ask you for the files. Promised. :rofl:
Best wishes!
Liam
