The "essential"ness of the Essential Atlas for you

[Barrataria]

I was excited to find the Essential Atlas and have been using it (especially the Moddell sector map) to sketch out a new campaign. As someone who didn't read every comic and every Rogue Squadron book or keep track of how many times the Emperor came back, I've appreciated the timelines and other maps to help me pick through all those things for interesting places or ideas as well as placing planets "officially" on a grid. I had made a couple of abortive attempts to draw the galaxy, one from scratch and one from a derivative of Modi's map, but I'm just as happy to use the "official" map as the basis now for sector and system maps for games.

I'm curious for those of you with long-running campaigns/games... is the Essential Atlas directly helpful for you, or did it place planets or areas where they are not helpful to you or directly counter to how your campaigns have developed over the years?
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"A special effect without a story is a pretty boring thing"- George Lucas

[GMgreatness]

The Essential Atlas is one of the greatest tools I own. I use it a ton and it has really given me and my players a sense of space. I started my current campaign based on the Twin Stars of Kira supplement. Not only were those planents in the book, but I also found we were in close proximity to Sullust, Naboo, and Eriadu and was able to incorporate those influences into my game. As well as a visit to Eriadu at this point. So I think it has embelished our story and made my life as a GM a lot easier. I can also give my pc players a clearer picture of where they are and more justify visiting planents in close proximity.
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So...you rolled 9, 6s on 3 dice. How convenient... Let me think about this, Umm Ok, you fail for cheating.

and That is why you fail...

[Whill]

I absolutely love the Essential Atlas. It is extremely helpful for planning my campaigns. Not only for existing film planets and cool EU planets and locations, but also for plotting new worlds and sectors where there isn't anything on the map (including in between things). And being that I am not tied to any EU material that I don't think is cool, I can just wipe something from existence or replace it with something better if I so choose. You can't go wrong with the Atlas no matter how you use it.
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[Bren]

[garhkal]

I did not get the old one, just the essentle guide to vehicles and vessles, as well as the weapons one.. Got the new one during our local waldenbooks close out sale.. LOVE IT.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Luwingo_Spince]

The atlas rocks and was written by 2 fan boys of the highest caliber. You really can see the amount of love and attention that went into it.

I have found it extremely helpful for my KOTOR campaign as it helps nail down a time line for the Mandalorian Wars and where the battles took place in a visual sense.

Probably one of the best things to be published in the last decade.

[ZzaphodD]

Now, if only some kind sould could jot down the known hyperspace travel times next to the routes and post online...
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My Biggest Beard Retard award goes to: The Admiral of course..

[GMgreatness]

[garhkal]

Plus with the NEW essential atlas, it was a great help knowing where was and was not open depending on the era you played in..
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Yasriia]

I have found some "essential" books and some "new essential" books (droids, vehicles, weapons). But I've only found a "essential" atlas. Is this "essential" atlas the "new essential" atlas because no older version exists?

[Hellcat]

The New Essential Guides refer to new version of older books which include things that did not appear in the previous edition as well as new information for some items that did appear. Two Essential Guides are a part of the New Essential Guide Series because they do not have older versions and have come out since the introduction of the new series. These being the Essential Guide to the Force and the Essential Atlas. The first sereis covers Characters, Vehicles and Vessels, Equipment, Planets and Moons, Alien Species, and the Chronology. After the Essential Chronology came out they went back and started releasing new versions of most of these books (the Essential Guide to Planets and Moons doesn't have a new version to it to the best of my knowledge and the Essential Atlas would in part cover the new version while adding galatic maps).
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FLUFFY for President!!!!

Wanted Poster

[McKinley]

I'm very intrigued with this book. Think I'll pick it up.

Here is a clip of the Authors talking about it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxEV2tjkxrQ
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-The Wookie has no pants-

[Barrataria]

[Whill]

Planets and Moons was lame and had no maps. The artwork sucked. Most of the planet profiles in Planets and Moons were fluffed up with plot descriptions of the novels that took place there, a fact that the primary author of both, Dan Wallace, embarrassingly admits. I still own Planets and Moons but plan to get rid of it.

The Atlas is technically a new edition of Planets and Moons, but it goes above and beyond in sooo many way even beyond the addition of maps galore. There are large descriptions of the many regions of the galaxy and the exploration, growth and politcal changes throughout the history of the entire galaxy.

There have technically been three "Essential Guide" series. For clarity:

First Generation Essential Guides
Characters (95)
Vehicles and Vessles (96)
Weapons and Technology (97)
Planets and Moons (98 )
Droids (pre-TMP 99)
Chronology (00, includes TMP)
Alien Species (01)

Second Generation ("New" Essential Guides)
Characters (02, includes AOTC)
Vehicles and Vessles (03)
Weapons and Technology (04)
Chronology (05, incudes all 6 films)
Droids (06)
Alien Species (06)

Third Generation Essential Guides
The Force (07, entitled "Jedi Vs. Sith")
Atlas (09)
Warfare (11)
Reader's Companion (12)
Characters (12)

I own all of the 2nd and 3rd generation guides. The 2nd and 3rd generation books are all in glossy full-color. All of the 1st generation guides had no color and only black-inked drawings. I have owned or looked at all of the 1st generation guides, but the only one I plan on keeping is in my collection is Alien Species because some of the art is good and it includes some aliens and info that had to be cut to make room for 2 more films and 5 more years of EU in the 2nd generation edition.

Out of all of them, I would have to say my favorite guides are the 2nd Alien Species and the Atlas. I highly recommend them.
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[Yasriia]

Wow, thanks for the detailed answers. Now I know, what I'll order next...