Okay, everyone... you wanted it...
This thread has been causing a bit of debate, but we have started to sketch out some ideas.
A new Mercenary is already in the works, just waiting for final inspiration and a but of free time before production starts proper.
A new Psion is about 60% written already, but is a longer term project. Ready when it is done kind of thing.
Starports... huge sprawling maps... that sounds like a fantastic project for a new Kickstarter, where we can just keep adding things as we did with the Great Rift... but I digress.
All of those would be brand new projects, created from (more or less) scratch.
However, aliens...
The points you all make on aliens are more than valid, and they could certainly use proper representation in the game. However, being who we are at Mongoose, we could not avoid the chance to 'fiddle' with the idea, and so this is what we have come up with:
Aliens of Charted Space. Spread across (perhaps) four volumes, each of 250-300 pages in size.
The first volume would cover the Aslan (drawn mainly from the Drinax material, but it makes sense to include all the major races together, and not force people to lash out for Drinax?), Zhodani, Vargr and K'kree. The idea here is a) it gives all the major races present around the Marches and Reach and b) the new ideas we have for the K'kree are just too cool not to include. Seriously, we plan to make herbivores awesome!
Volume 2 covers the Solomani, Hivers, and Droyne.
Volume 3 moves onto the wannabee major races - Darrians, Geonee and Suerrat.
Volume 4 covers minor races. And we can have volumes 5 and 6 until you all tell me 'okay, Matthew, we have enough aliens now!'
Each alien race would be covered in the same detail as Aslan in Drinax, so you get the history, physiology, tech, and careers, as well as CSC, High Guard and vehicle sections. We would not be including 'home' sectors for them.
We think this approach would have the advantage of not only getting properly playable alien races into your hands, but also allows us to 'define' each alien race for the current edition, making it easier for us to proceed with other projects (such as the Fifth Frontier War).
I would be looking at getting at least volumes 1 and 2 out in 2019.
So... what do you think? Anything you would change, tweak, alter, or is there a Better Idea?