In Dragon 102 there is an article, A Thousand in One, that compacts interstellar settings by taking the interesting stuff from different worlds and placing them on other planets, thus shrinking the size of the setting and providing more meat for each resulting planet.

I have an idea using that idea for Gamma World, one that is slightly based on the 7^th edition. The world is chessboard where each region has its own rules and content. Crossing a boarder may cause the character to change (alignment, mutations, appearance) as well as alterations to technology, game rules and whatever else the GM desires. Unlike the 7^th edition, there are no pulses that alter reality- each region is static.

The how determines if the laws of reality can be altered. If it was caused by a cataclysm where reality was warped by technology, then that tech is needed again. If it is caused by rips or portals in reality, then one has to reset the location or close the holes completely to affect the setting.

This allows GMs to play anything and everything they want. Steampunk mutants fighting mad science creations in the form of walrus cyborgs. Go for it. Superhero mutants duking it out with Cthulhu and Godzilla, why not? Rock hard science mutants dealing with drug addiction among oak farmers, it works. Jedi Delvian mutants protecting candy people from monstrous editors wanting to exterminate all life not mentioned in the holy books (Encyclopedia Britannica) is a distinct possibility.

Of course this doesn’t have to be Gamma World, it can work with many science fiction, science fantasy and fantasy settings.