So...let's lay down some good alternate history game setting ideas....
 
What if...the Confederates did not officially surrender during the U.S. Civil War, but instead took to guerilla warfare in the mountains, like several of Robert E. Lee's generals envisioned?

Quote from: Zachary The FirstSo...let's lay down some good alternate history game setting ideas....
 
What if...the Confederates did not officially surrender during the U.S. Civil War, but instead took to guerilla warfare in the mountains, like several of Robert E. Lee's generals envisioned?

So, do you want to discuss this one or introduce others?

My idea would be what if China had discoved and successfully colonized the Americas? Make it around the time of the Europeans and have them meet near the Mississippi or the great Lakes.

As for Civil War history...it is not moy strongest period.

Bill

Quote from: HinterWeltSo, do you want to discuss this one or introduce others?
 
My idea would be what if China had discoved and successfully colonized the Americas? Make it around the time of the Europeans and have them meet near the Mississippi or the great Lakes.
 
As for Civil War history...it is not moy strongest period.
 
Bill

If people want to comment on ideas, that's cool, or they can introduce their own.
 
It would have been interesting for China to have had a colonization presence on the West Coast of the present-day US.  According to the hypothesis put forth in the controversial book 1421: The Year China Discovered America, they certainly had the opportunity to do so.

Probably the wildest I ever came up with saw Karaite Japanese establish colonies in the new world. Then go on to convert and civilize the natives.

My homebrew setting starts with working magic, and mangles history from there.

What if... when President Truman relieved General MacArthur of command during the Korean War, MacArthur staged a coup.

Quote from: HinterWeltMy idea would be what if China had discoved and successfully colonized the Americas? Make it around the time of the Europeans and have them meet near the Mississippi or the great Lakes

No, no.  Make them concurrent with a massize viking settlement.  Kung fu versus berserks over the fate of the New World!

Have you all read this Kim Stanley Robinson book Days of Rice and Salt?  Pretty great.  The plague kills about 90% of Europeans, and so world history is left up to two factions: Ottoman/Turkey/Persia and China.  

Yummy.

Quote from: jrientsNo, no.  Make them concurrent with a massize viking settlement.  Kung fu versus berserks over the fate of the New World!

Hmmm, seems like it would be a good concept for an anime... :hmm:

Ah alternative history... the death knell of American sci-fi.

Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalAh alternative history... the death knell of American sci-fi.

Myself I think that baen books proves that one can do both, but YMMV.

Muslims win the Battle of Tours (732 CE). Western Europe becomes part of the Islamic world, and the Byzantine Empire is left fighting a desperate war in two fronts. Eastern Europe is a savage land full of pagan barbarians, and there are reports of sea raiders coming from the North...

Carthage wins.  Rome is sacked and becomes "just another province" in a Carthaginian civilization. Europe loses its focus (without requiring a plague) and Northern Africa becomes more of the "seat" of western civilization.

The US revolt doesn't happen, instead the US gains representation in Parliament.  Thus British power is maintained.  This forms the model for acceptence of the other (white) colonies and the transformation of Parliament to becoming a Commonwealth Parliament. The game would be set in the 50's and 60's where a more technologically advanced Empire starts to deal with civil rights movements from the black and asian colonies who are also seeking representation or independence.

Most of the alternates that fascinate me involve the Empire in some form or another.  I'd love to see a game of Ministry of Space or Scarlet Traces for example.

Ministry of Space: Britain pilfers the Peenamunde rocket scientists and prevents the yanks or Russians getting any rocket scientists or technology, the Rocket Group is funded by Nazi gold and Britain gets to Mars with Orion technology by the 2000's.

Scarlet Traces: Wells' martians invade, Britain survives and then pilfers their technology becoming the pre-eminent world power and eventually launching a counter invasion of Mars.

Yarrr, what if pirates still roamed the seven seas like in the jolly old days of Blackbeard, by gum!

YARRRPPundit

You mean as in Somalia or Indonesia? Not exactly glamorous, I know, but piracy is alive and kicking.