So I keep struggling with this...
The bit I think I struggle the most with is government type, how to translate the various government types into an interesting description, and also how they impact players. Marc Miller's article on government types is interesting in pointing out that the government type is primarily a description of the player facing aspects of the government. But that doesn't really help me...
Atmosphere type is another one that I am challenged to interpret in interesting ways, though it has immediate mechanical meaning (indicating what kinds of equipment are necessary).
I'm also reading Roger Moore's article in Dragon Magazine, "Preventing Complacency in Traveller Gaming" for ideas.
Any other ideas folks can point me to would be cool.
I'm even interested in notes like "hey, the description of world xyz from adventure 21 is a really cool example of what to do with these particular aspects of the UWP".
First, you might want to take a look at
The Traveller Adventure, which has several fairly good world descriptions to go over.
Second, take the UWP apart and look at each of its components.
Size: if it is 4 or smaller, the lower gravity may cause your characters problems if they are used to 1 Standard G. Things fall slower, if they jump, they take a while to come back down, running is going to be an effort, while if they are using projectile weapons, the ballistics are going to be a bit odd.
If the atmosphere is Thin, and they are used to standard atmosphere, they are going to run short of breath until they adjust, their endurance is going to be less, with a lower amount of oxygen, unless the planet has an enriched oxygen atmosphere, which could happen if it has lots of plants producing oxygen and not a lot of animals producing carbon dioxide.
Hydrographics: If less than 40% or so, think dust, dryness, increased thirst. Unless the air has additional moisture, figure you are going to have problems with dehydration. Low moisture could be viewed as an atmospheric taint, requiring the characters to have masks that have a humidifier element. If 90% or higher, think of a really humid day, hot or cold, if hot, you feel like you are in a steam bath, if cold, then fog and damp and drizzle all of the time. The latter can be quite depressing, so characters get short tempered or loose effort, while the steam bath can get them really short tempered. On very dry planets or asteroid belts, there very could well be restrictions on water usage, enforced with strong penalties.
Planetary population: How many people per square mile of inhabitable area? If a non-tainted atmosphere of 5, 6, or 8, the population might be spread out over a large area. With a tainted atmosphere or very thin to vacuum, the population might be much more concentrated in sheltered domes or areas, with restrictions on what you can do, like smoking or using a flame for cooking, as you are using up precious oxygen. The more crowded the area, the higher the likelihood of committing social mistakes that could get the local government involved.
Law Level: That I think is sort of straightforward, with the higher the level, the greater the likelihood of encountering local government officials in an official way.
Lastly, the government type. Do not get too hung up on this, as while the planet might be listed as one type, it might actually be something else. It could be listed as a "Representative Democracy", but if one political party has been in power for an extended period of time, it might be more accurate to view it as a "Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy", with little concern for the average citizen, along with a strong tendency for an "Impersonal Bureaucracy", and a need to find a patron in the local political structure. You can find examples of that on Earth at the present time. Basically, a wide knowledge of World History is a help here. And for another time, I will recommend the CIA World Fact Book as a resource.
