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Old 08-08-2019, 12:07 PM   #4291
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Zhongguo-8

Basically, spy missions in a slightly steampunk 19th century China. Martial Arts, magic, steam tech, spies, daggers, stolen artworks, and what have you.
A couple of forgotten details...

A) Japan and Korea have noticed the difference and learned the whys and wherefores. Thus neither Japan nor Korea is the "Hermit Kingdom" they were in Homeline history. Each got started much later than China, but for a variety of cultural reasons, they're pretty much as caught up as China.

B) None of these societies is Westernizing per se. There are Western ideas flooding in, but they've being absorbed differently than in Homeline history. Example: Western dress is seen simply as what Westerners wear. East Asians would only dress in Western clothing for a costume party or a theatrical performance. Meanwhile the idea of constitutional government with civil liberties is dealt with as the most workable future for each of these societies.

C) Just because these nations are embracing Western technology it doesn't mean they've dumped any of their own. The "Steampunk" aspect of this setting in China, Korea, and Japan, is enhanced because of the unique ways in which Western and Eastern technology have been blended. This world's Westerners are taking notes.
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Old 08-09-2019, 11:22 AM   #4292
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Try this one...

Rome-14

In this Rome's history Caligula was obsessed from Childhood about boats, ships, and the sea. Tiberius found out about this when Caligula was 14. He then sent the boy to Hispania Baetica to study shipbuilding and sailing. Caligula became very good at both. When Tiberius ( who in this world decided that he's make Claudius emperor, because he thought him a fool) died and Caligula went to Rome to see Claudius made emperor, Caligula asked Claudius for the resources to explore the seas.

Claudius thought that would keep Caligula busy so he set him up.

It is now the year 1,000 AUC. Rome is settling the Caribbean and making regular trips to Asia.

Basically, Roman plus the Age of Sail.
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Old 08-09-2019, 09:27 PM   #4293
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Try this one...

Rome-14

In this Rome's history Caligula was obsessed from Childhood about boats, ships, and the sea. Tiberius found out about this when Caligula was 14. He then sent the boy to Hispania Baetica to study shipbuilding and sailing. Caligula became very good at both. When Tiberius ( who in this world decided that he's make Claudius emperor, because he thought him a fool) died and Caligula went to Rome to see Claudius made emperor, Caligula asked Claudius for the resources to explore the seas.

Claudius thought that would keep Caligula busy so he set him up.

It is now the year 1,000 AUC. Rome is settling the Caribbean and making regular trips to Asia.

Basically, Roman plus the Age of Sail.
Huh. Caligula will have a massively different reputation here than on Homeline. I do wonder if butterflies from this event would lead to someone other than Nero being Claudius's successor.
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Old 08-10-2019, 11:54 AM   #4294
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Huh. Caligula will have a massively different reputation here than on Homeline. I do wonder if butterflies from this event would lead to someone other than Nero being Claudius's successor.
Basically, Caligula is Henry the Navigator. As for Nero, Caligula's family, except for Claudius, were sent to Spain too. Nero was never born, and the Children that woman did have lived and died in Spain.

Claudius married a quiet woman and his children were quiet competent rulers of Rome.
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Old 08-10-2019, 07:16 PM   #4295
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Basically, Caligula is Henry the Navigator. As for Nero, Caligula's family, except for Claudius, were sent to Spain too. Nero was never born, and the Children that woman did have lived and died in Spain.

Claudius married a quiet woman and his children were quiet competent rulers of Rome.
I would like to see this worldline expanded, it seems interesting.
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Old 08-11-2019, 07:27 AM   #4296
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I would like to see this worldline expanded, it seems interesting.
Doing my best (early 3rd century AD I'm a little weak on Asia and Africa). Given that Rome-14 is advanced in shipbuilding, navigation, and sails, but still mainly Roman in technology(although intellectual cross fertilization is causing medicine to advance rapidly and certain asian technologies like the box bellows and the spinnig wheel are being embraced) this world's progress has been slower than ours. Most of the larger Caribbean islands are settled by Roman colonia The introduction of cattle, horses, and hogs, to the new world has totally disrupted every native society. However, with the slower expansion of a weaker foe, it has yet to be seen if they'll have the same fate as on our world.

Maize, potatoes, chilli peppers, and pumpkins, have all shown up in the Mediterranean. Already Meroe (ancient kingdom near Ethiopia) has vast fields of Maize. And turkey birds grace the tables of Rome for Saturnalia (they in fact called Saturn Chickens in Rome because of this).

Roman and Greek merchants are becoming part of the normal scene in the spice markets. They've conquered a few small islands like the Maldives and Mauritius but mainly they're on their best behavior. Roman and Greek scholars seeking the wisdom of the gymnosophists is becoming a comedy cliche both in India and the Mediterranean basin.

(More later, I need to look stuff up).
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Old 08-12-2019, 12:25 PM   #4297
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I would like to see this worldline expanded, it seems interesting.
Australia has just been discovered by the Romans. They still think it's the northern extension of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_Australis]the Great Southern Continent[/url] and have named it "Australis."

They've mainly have sailed along the northern coasts while seeking new spice islands. PCs could be sent to map the coasts of the Great Southern land. Or maybe they be be sent to start a collonia.
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Old 08-13-2019, 07:41 AM   #4298
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Australia has just been discovered by the Romans. They still think it's the northern extension of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terra_Australis]the Great Southern Continent[/url] and have named it "Australis."

They've mainly have sailed along the northern coasts while seeking new spice islands. PCs could be sent to map the coasts of the Great Southern land. Or maybe they be be sent to start a collonia.
I wonder if they'll be more or less weirded out by the local fauna than the first Europeans who visited Oz in our history.
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Old 08-16-2019, 11:26 AM   #4299
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I wonder if they'll be more or less weirded out by the local fauna than the first Europeans who visited Oz in our history.
The 18th century Europeans had more of a sense of what the world should look like than the Romans. Sure, the Black Swans will weird the Romans out, but the Platypus, while seeming strange, won't spawn disbelief.
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Old 08-16-2019, 09:32 PM   #4300
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Huh. Caligula will have a massively different reputation here than on Homeline. I do wonder if butterflies from this event would lead to someone other than Nero being Claudius's successor.
Maybe the divergence was actually further back, that Claudius didn't get the sickness that caused his limp & deafness. This made him a suitable successor to Tiberius - and altered Claudius' brother Germanicus' fathering a son, so it was a different Caligula that was born (different person than Homeline's, just with same parents & same name).
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