Life in Wild Space

As would be expected with a name like "Wild Space," circumstances on the frontier can be surprising, dynamic, hazardous, even savage. While living conditions vary greatly from planet to planet, some generalizations to aid a traveller about Wild Space can be made:

Cuisine

As one heads away from the major trade routes, foodstuffs tend to be increasingly basic and unadorned, though salt is commonplace as a preservative. One generally has a limited range of choices and styles, although bigger towns and cities will often have at least a couple ethnic or fusion restaurants. Non-canned, prepared meals are usually long-lasting, and easy to make.

On space vessels, diets primarily revolve around soy-based protein, and travellers, even ones taking nutritional supplements, who log heavy space hours need to be careful, lest they develop health problems. On space stations, the fare can be better or worse depending on the amount of traffic the station sees.

Planetside, younger settlements ordinarily have fresh grains and produce available (fed up with eating soy, typically one of the first structures that colonists build is a greenhouse), but fresh meat is often rare (most livestock is space and resource inefficient). Most dairy products are also customarily hard to find while away from major population centers, and more exotic items are also likewise scarce.

Attire

Although clothing will vary by climate (e.g., desert, tundra, rainforest, etc.), on the frontier, everyday clothes tend to be rugged, durable, and functional. People will usually have several sets of clothes, at least one of which is reserved for more formal/festive occasions. In Wild Space, most clothing is also unisex and able to be worn by either gender. Since clothes are durable, families use lots of hand-me-downs (some clothes will be worn and passed on by all the children in the family as they age), and used clothing stores are common.

Long coats, dusters, and jeans are a common sight. Over someone's pants, chaparejos (or chaps for short) are worn to protect the legs from brush, animals and other problems. Frontierfolk usually dress in layers (e.g., shirt, vest, overcoat). Hats of all sorts are also very popular to keep sunlight, rain, snow, and wind out, and warmth in.

As one moves from the actual frontier to outposts, towns, and cities, clothing generally becomes more varied and upscale. More expensive clothes are made of better quality materials, are more fashionable/ornamental (ruffles, fur lining, etc.), and less functional and practical.

In space, jumpsuits are common everydaywear on most commercial ships and smaller stations. Inhabitants of larger stations, however, tend to dress like cityfolk.

Excerpted from: Dr. Becky Banzai, The Known Sphere: A Traveller's Guide, Kyodai Ryu Publishing, 2150