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Old 09-08-2014, 03:47 PM   #481
ericthered
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Default Re: New Reality Seeds

Showa-2

The Americans, British, Nazis, and Soviets destroyed themselves the a nuclear exchange in 1954, and Japan, already half in control of china, was left as the most most powerful nation on the globe. it conquered all of china, south east Asia, and broke the control of the British in India, though it didn't have the man power to conquer it themselves.

The year is 1993, and the world still lives in the shadow of Japan. Its mellowed in comparison to what it used to be though: after killing off large numbers of subject populations and still facing significant resistance, the techniques were examined and more attention has been given to PR. The younger generation of Japanese pushed for better use of the wealth it had plundered, and high ranking government ministers realized that at the current rate of conflict, they would loose more than half their male population. The Japanese empire now concerns itself with greater and greater luxury for its people. With their greater asian co-prosperity sphere they are enjoying their prosperity. Miltary affairs in the rest of the world are concerned mainly with ensuring no one can threaten Japan or its merchants.

Europe and the US have rebuilt their societies -- kind of. They are mostly agricultural, relying on Japan, Australia, or South Africa for machinery. Japan really doesn't care what they are doing as long as they don't have the economic or industrial power to challenge it, and as long as they keep purchasing tractors. Meanwhile, people are digging up the remnants of old technology: the atomic bomb. Japan's nuclear arsenal is only moderately full, and the remenents of Europe dream of regaining the ultimate weapon...

This world is meant primarily as background. possible adventure themes include stopping or aiding the European hunt for their old weapons, manipulating the Japanese government to make life more palatable for subject nations, or miracle workers on direct aid missions. Showa-2 is also a good contrast or comparison with Reich worlds, having a similar background.
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Old 09-09-2014, 05:55 AM   #482
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I need to do more work on Celtic-3 until that is ready try...

Celtic-4

In this world a powerful nobleman (who dies young on most worlds) with connections to Brittany decides that New France is doomed if it doesn't get new blood. He's got wealth and connections to the royal court. He decides to look for ambitious farmers with problems that aren't basically their fault and then force them to move to New France.

Because the Noble's power base is in Brittany, of the 12,000 people he send to New France, almost all of them are Bretons speaking Breton. For comparision, Homeline's Quebec was founded by 5,000 French people and little or no emigration after that.

The Bretons soon take over New France and become the dominant group liguistically and ecconomically. Francophones only hold the government jobs.
When the battle on the Plains of Abraham is won by the Brits, the Bretons aren't really displeased. They ask for a government like those of the seaboard colonies and respect for their religion. The Brits, seeing the Bretons as just another group of Welsh people pretty much give them that.

The local year in this Q4 world is 1837. The religious revivals sweeping through North America are suddenly filled with announcements that Arthur's Merlin is returning to prepare for Arthur's return. Arthur and Merlin have decided Democracy is the true future and they plan to bring freedom and justice to all. Arthur is to be reborn as a Breton in western lands unknown in his lifetime.

Many European governments are fearful because these stories seem to being taken serriously across all of Europe as well as the Americas! Meanwhile Homeline has noticed the local mana level jumped from 30%low/70% none to 5%high/45%normal/47%low/3%none. And it seems to be going up!
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Old 09-09-2014, 08:15 AM   #483
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Antipodes
Global wealth, power, and influence have shifted hard to the south after a major war in the north.
1995 A.D.
POD Cuban Missile Crisis goes hot, USA/Soviet nuclear exchange, major destruction in Northern Hemisphere

TL 7
Major Powers:
• Australia (representative democracy CR 3)
• Brazil (representative democracy/military CR 4, CR 5 in occupied Uruguay)
• South African Empire (representative democracy/oligarchy CR 3 for whites, CR 4 for others)

South Africa has conquered most of the southern part of Africa. The gov’t took in tens of thousands of white Europeans, North Americans, and Euro-Africans as provisional residents (preference given on basis of perceived political reliability).
Brazil expanded south to occupy Uruguay after a brief but very destructive war. The Brazilian gov’t maintains a show of elections, but a junta runs the state.
Australia received so many Asian refugees that the country is now over 1/3 Asian origins. ''White Australia'' policy imploded early. This massive demographic shift fueled political upheaval that led to the extension of full civil rights to all citizens regardless of ethnic origins.

The Big Three states do not really trust each other. Each maintains links with smaller, poorer client states. Each moves against the others, seeking influence and power while trying to avoid a direct confrontation. Lots of espionage!
Brushfire wars, revolutions, and brigandage plague much of Europe. The United States limp along, battered, impoverished, a third-rate power. The former USSR stands empty of anything that could be called modern civilization, with most of its cities reduced to irradiated heaps of blasted rubble. China, swamped with Soviet refugees and covered in fallout, splintered into warlord territories.

Last edited by combatmedic; 09-09-2014 at 12:06 PM.
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Old 09-09-2014, 11:54 AM   #484
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Lump

1910 A.D.

Tl 6 Emergent Super-science Tech Path

POD 1850s

Scholars working in the United States and the United Kingdom unlock the secrets of phrenology.

Phrenosugery
• Prefrontal lobotomy
• Killjoy
• Brain tissue graft
• Hotshotting
Skills changes:
Brainwashing TL 7
Criminology TL 7
Surgery TL 7
Physiology TL 7
Hypnosis MVH technique of phreno-mesmerism allows emotional stimulation by touching different parts of the head

Killjoy and hotshooting have been successfully used on criminals and lunatics (not counting all the ones who died after or during surgery).

Surgeons have succeeded in uplifting chimpanzees and orangutans to manlike intelligence. The animals show remarkable facility with sign language and some researchers claim to have taught the apes to read.
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Old 09-09-2014, 12:38 PM   #485
ericthered
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Antipodes is fun. I'm looking for areas of the world that may have been missed. What's going on with Japan, Tiawan, and Korea? I'm assuming India is behaving like it normally would and is concerned mostly with India, but those three Asian countries should be doing at least something.... lets see if we can answer that with logic:

I can see soviet bombardment of at least some of these nations. Korea is especially easy to imagine. I don't know that the soviets would care enough about Japan to reduce it to the state europe is in... eh, maybe. Tiawan would be fun to still have around though. It won't have the power of the three big ones, but its going to be a big enough player.

----------------------------

Celtic-4: Its a fun idea. For me the biggest issue is what the magic that will happen will look like. I just am not seeing a flavour. I suppose that could be left up to a GM ...

------------------------------

Lump: do these techniques work on worlds other than lump? do they work with people who are not from lump? do they work on people who are from lump off of lump? do they have antibiotics (TL7 surgery seems to suggest that they do...)?

I can certainly see the world as a fun one. Well done.
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Old 09-09-2014, 01:13 PM   #486
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ericthered View Post
Antipodes is fun. I'm looking for areas of the world that may have been missed. What's going on with Japan, Tiawan, and Korea? I'm assuming India is behaving like it normally would and is concerned mostly with India, but those three Asian countries should be doing at least something.... lets see if we can answer that with logic:

I can see soviet bombardment of at least some of these nations. Korea is especially easy to imagine. I don't know that the soviets would care enough about Japan to reduce it to the state europe is in... eh, maybe. Tiawan would be fun to still have around though. It won't have the power of the three big ones, but its going to be a big enough player.

----------------------------

Celtic-4: Its a fun idea. For me the biggest issue is what the magic that will happen will look like. I just am not seeing a flavour. I suppose that could be left up to a GM ...

------------------------------

Lump: do these techniques work on worlds other than lump? do they work with people who are not from lump? do they work on people who are from lump off of lump? do they have antibiotics (TL7 surgery seems to suggest that they do...)?

I can certainly see the world as a fun one. Well done.


Yeah, I suspect Taiwan has nabbed a chunk of mainland territory. Nothing even close to reunification, but more land than the ROC claims today.


Japan might have been hit by bad fallout. I'll have to check up on estimates.
The Soviets may or may not have pulled off a really devastating strike.


Korea is likely wrecked. If not by a direct strike, then by a combo of fallout and North Korea attacking South Korea.

India is probably in rough shape. I'll want to check the projected fallout pattern, and think about the economic effects of losing trading partners, technical assistance, and so on. Also refugee problems. They may suffer a famine, even with Borlaug's rice.




Based on historical research and some counterfactual speculation I've read, the US could have won a nuclear war with the USSR at that juncture (Cuban Missile Crisis). But it would be a pyrrhic victory, with millions of casualties, the loss of multiple cities, the long term negative environmental and economic effects. Maybe a period of political isolation and massive loss of foreign influence too, if other countries blamed the USA for the war.

Other countries could blame the Soviets, too only there wouldn't be any Soviet Union left after massive retaliation.
-------------------------------------------



RE: Lump:

I think it may be best if the weird science only works on Lump, the way some Grensback tech just doesn't transfer.

For non-Lumpers, I see two possibilities:

#1 It works on anyone who comes to Lump.

# 2 Non-Lumpers may show "anomalous skull formation, a likely sign of dangerous mental instability". That sort of thing merits further study. Overzealous doctors might attempt surgery to cure those poor insane mutants.
Unscrupulous scientists/surgeons might just try to get their hands on the "'abbey-normal" brains, one way or another.


(I prefer #2, but what do you think?)

They do have antibiotics.
Certain medical technologies developed faster in world with so much head and brain surgery going on.

Criminals can be caught with greater efficiency and ""cured'' through surgery. Sort of.

The ape-lifts can have IQ 7 or 8 with brain grafts. They look like chimps or 'rangs with deformed skulls and bulging brows.
They don't have better manual dexterity and they can't vocalize human speech. They can learn sign language and they can learn to read.
Yes, they are playable.
If transported off Lump, they retain their IQ.

I think they are treated as Valuable Property (Social Stigma) on Lump.

Last edited by combatmedic; 09-09-2014 at 01:36 PM.
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Old 09-09-2014, 01:21 PM   #487
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No one wins a nuclear war. The best one could ever hope for is pyrrhic. I say we "won" that crisis because our leader was more ******* crazy than "theirs". Our time line has to be the rare one for having Khrushchev be the sensible one to blink in that game of chicken.
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Old 09-09-2014, 01:43 PM   #488
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
No one wins a nuclear war. The best one could ever hope for is pyrrhic. I say we "won" that crisis because our leader was more ******* crazy than "theirs". Our time line has to be the rare one for having Khrushchev be the sensible one to blink in that game of chicken.
Yep.

That's why the USA does not make the list of big powers in Antipodes.
It survived, but as a broken and battered state. Entire cities laid waste, terrible loss of life, ruined economy, political isolation, heavy taxes to fund reconstruction, strict rationing, etc.

Things were far, far worse for the Soviets. Massive retaliation destroyed civilization in the USSR. We're talking genocide.
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Old 09-09-2014, 02:59 PM   #489
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This one is a rough draft.

ROUGH


Anima

Current year circa 4500 BC.
TL 0/1 world with out-time tech and native spirit magic

Spoiler:  


Torch-People TL 1+ with TL 3 gunpowder and crude naphtha, TL 6 crystal radios, and TL 3 fire-lances
Fertile Crescent towns TL1
Most of the rest of the world TL 0



I haven't decided on where to place the Neolithics, but it shouldn't be far from a place with naptha. Or maybe they migrated.

In this setting, objects have spirits. So do places, people, plants, and animals.
If you can talk to an objects' spirit in the right away, you can learn how to make the object, or at least try to craft something sort of like it.
This particular shamanic ritual is very difficult, though, and knowledge of it is not at all common.
It was developed by the tribe in question first.


I'm not sure if the backstory is 100% plausible.

Between this and the Qarmatian world, which do people prefer?

Last edited by combatmedic; 09-09-2014 at 03:13 PM.
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Old 09-09-2014, 03:52 PM   #490
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Another weird parallel


Logos
230 B.C.
POD
Language-based “people hacking” invented in Classical Greece and further developed in Hellenistic period

Major Powers:
Macedon, Seleucid Kingdom, Ptolemaic Kingdom, etc. Every empire’s ruler is either a philosopher king or else employs (and often falls under the influence of) court philosophers.

Since the old-fashioned magi and soothsayers started studying the Logos-science, religious institutions have grown more potent.
Even some of the (better educated) merchants have begun using it to sell their goods and services.
Hellenization has progressed with greater rapidity and depth than in OTL/Homeline.

The special skill set works like bardic enthrallment skills, with an additional Philosophy requirement.
The ability will work on out-timers, but they get a bonus to resist. It does not translate to other timelines on which bardic abilities would not normally function.
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