I did a quick search for Campaign Law, and it looks like it isn't currently for sale anywhere online. Even ICE doesn't mention it on their site. That's too bad, as it sounded interesting.

The MegaTraveller world building book was by Digest Group Publications and it was called World Builder's Handbook. It was a compilation of two earlier books called Grand Survey and Grand Census. Though it was useful principally for traveller, I used it for other settings as well; had pretty useful guidelines for defining things like continent shape, continental drift, etc. Though robust for the time, it has some scientific innacuracies in it.

Later resources I use for scientifically faithful world build are GURPS Traveller first in, and a non-gaming title World Building (part of the aforementioned Ben Bova SF Writing Series.)

Once TSR's World Builder's Guide was published, it received a permanent spot on my shelf. It's full of little idea seeds, useful notes on demographics, mapping guidelines, etc. Anyone who has this, important note: the tables describing map scales need to be increased by 25%.

I get some good use out of Hero games Fantasy Hero for 3rd and 4th edition, more in the vein of campaign conception that world design. For SF games, GURPS Space plays a similar role. Both of interesting compilations of common genre conventions and tidbits for their restpective genres.

Quote from: ColonelHardissonI did a quick search for Campaign Law, and it looks like it isn't currently for sale anywhere online. Even ICE doesn't mention it on their site. That's too bad, as it sounded interesting.

Wow, that's too bad.  The advice was only about 30 pages or so (albeit with that ridiculously small font that ICE used back in the early 80s; it would be around 70 pages today) but incredibly useful.  I still remember a lot of it today (especially the basic geography stuff, which was great).

ICE should republish that material as a 'generic supplement'.  It would do well, I think, at least as a pdf.

Quote from: Caesar SlaadThe MegaTraveller world building book was by Digest Group Publications and it was called World Builder's Handbook. It was a compilation of two earlier books called Grand Survey and Grand Census. Though it was useful principally for traveller, I used it for other settings as well; had pretty useful guidelines for defining things like continent shape, continental drift, etc. Though robust for the time, it has some scientific innacuracies in it.

That's why I didn't recognize the description of the book above - I never made the move to Megatraveller. I stayed with the little black books. Thanks for the heads-up.

Quote from: Caesar SlaadLater resources I use for scientifically faithful world build are GURPS Traveller first in,

Damn! I keep hearing recommendations for this - Psion, at EN World, is among the foremost fans of this book. Trouble is, it's out-of-print, and last I checked eBay, it was going for a lot more than I was willing to pay. I'll just have to keep my eyes open at the game shops, I guess.

Quote from: Caesar Slaadand a non-gaming title World Building (part of the aforementioned Ben Bova SF Writing Series.)

Yeah, that entire series is really useful for this sort of stuff.

Quote from: Caesar SlaadOnce TSR's World Builder's Guide was published, it received a permanent spot on my shelf. It's full of little idea seeds, useful notes on demographics, mapping guidelines, etc. Anyone who has this, important note: the tables describing map scales need to be increased by 25%.

Thanks for the note - how did you find this out? The WBG is a classic of its kind, in my opinion. Worth looking for. Plus, now I believe it can be bought as a pdf.

Quote from: Caesar SlaadI get some good use out of Hero games Fantasy Hero for 3rd and 4th edition, more in the vein of campaign conception that world design. For SF games, GURPS Space plays a similar role. Both of interesting compilations of common genre conventions and tidbits for their restpective genres.

I have the old GURPS Space. I wonder how good the new hardback is? GURPS Fantasy and Infinite Worlds are both top-notch, by the way. Fantasy is a very good overview of just about all the various shadings of fantasy that one can use for one's campaign. Inifinite Worlds is basically an expansion of the Alternate Earths books about parallel/alternate universes. Lots of food for thought, even though I like the first Alternate Earths book on its own.

Quote from: ColonelHardissonsion, at EN World, is among the foremost fans of this book.

What a coincidence. (Note which NTL "class" I took. )

QuoteThanks for the note - how did you find this out? The WBG is a classic of its kind, in my opinion. Worth looking for.

Well, about the time it came out, I had maps of my main campaign world in paper, and when I wanted to break down a region into smaller maps, I would break a big hex into little hexes A LA the old Judges Guild "campaign mapping system."

This required me to do a little math if I wanted to know exact distances of smaller hexes. I soon became pretty familiar with the proportions of various components of a hex, and something looked funny when I was looking at their mapping table.

QuotePlus, now I believe it can be bought as a pdf.

Yeah, I think it's great that they put this title out in PDF. Will make it useful to another generation of gamers.

Quote from: Caesar SlaadWhat a coincidence. (Note which NTL "class" I took. )

Well, I'll be damned.

Oh, here's one to add:
Aria: Worlds

Quote from: SobekOh, here's one to add:
Aria: Worlds

Funny... I've had that one at hand for some 10 years, but haven't yet found time to study it anything like seriously

very cool.