Cultural Hallmarks

What elements of the settlement's predominant culture stand out? A settlement might have an unusual stance on religion, a specific demographic, distinctive natural features, noteworthy political views, or any number of unique elements that differentiate it from other settlements in the galaxy. These hallmarks can inform your decisions about many other aspects of the settlement. Conscientious Culture Design Creating science-fantasy cultures can be a delicate topic. It's best to avoid creating species or cultures based on damaging stereotypes or simplistic reductions of real-world groups. Creating entire cultures out of harmful genre tropes, such as “primitive nomad” or “noble samurai,” reduces real-world cultures to caricatures and perpetuates misconceptions about people from those cultures. Taking inspiration from the real world is wonderful—our world is filled with an incredible diversity of cultures and peoples—but you should do so with care and respect for those sources.