New Reality Seeds

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

[The steam engine requires far more than knowledge to work. You need TL 5 metallurgy as well as thermodynamics.

Metallurgy yes. Thermodynamics no, not when they aren't inventing them for themselves.

The Prime Directive is about NOT interfering. Why would they name worlds that based on its overt violation?

They could call it "Kirk".

[scc]

Page 17 of Low-tech would argue otherwise about how advanced you need to be to make a steam engine

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Metallurgy yes. Thermodynamics no, not when they aren't inventing them for themselves.



They could call it "Kirk".

Not understanding the underlying thermodynamics would result in horrible mishaps happening quite commonly.


Picard broke the PD just as often, just with more self-serving philoso-babble.

I think Enterprise would convey the idea of Star Trek-ish interference as well as the experimental nature of the manipulation.

But common names don't always follow logic.

[Drifter]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

That sounds prone to misunderstandings.
Change anyone's history/environment and you fundamentally change their present self.
I don't think you should use "our" Reagan in an alternate timeline when so much else is different.

I disagree. A shorthand is a must unless we are producing detailed alternate history books and associated biographies. More than just a paragraph or three is getting into overkill (which I admittedly am prone to do).

The Reagan of 1976 is pretty much the same man as in 1980, especially if the only difference in the timeline is when he became President, as per Astromancer's Squeaky Timeline. The Reagan of Ruff-1 timeline is practically unimportant to the story, he is just acting as in the 'official' story is in our timeline - he was somehow responsible for bringing the Soviets down. Just at the wrong time as it turned out.

Now a Reagan that stayed a liberal Democrat, or a working actor, or a Scout Master, that would be open to broad interpretation.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Drifter

That might make an good setting; Ruff-1, named after the author of How to Prosper During the Coming Bad Years. President Reagan in the 70s somehow brings about the Soviet collapse in 1979, except this one is violent. A Russian coup leads to a limited nuclear exchange - while peace is quickly restored the world economy collapses in a heap. If Reagan is blamed (unlikely) you get Ted Kennedy overseeing a liberal super malaise while the US descends into chaos. Survivalists were right. Its 1988 and various Militias are begining to carve up the US as the feds retreat and local power brokers start to look like warlords in a coming civil war.

Of course Liberalism isn't generally linked to Malaise and Carter was trying to head the Malaise off. If Ted Kennedy is in office after the collapse of the USSR and a limmited Nuclear exchange, then you'd more likely have a New Deal like rhetoric of shared sacrafise and bright tomorrows. If Ted (under the stress of events) finds in himself some of the charisma of his brothers and a horseback load of his deeply crooked dad's shrewdness, as well as some of his mom's grit, you might have a very hopeful/selfconfident America. An America proudly going in a liberal/democratic socialist direction. The millitias would hate that like poison.

[Astromancer]

If Prime Directive is a sarcastic term, it works. The best ones would involve the chance to transform societies and promote adventure. Spaceships for Victorians or paper for ancient Rome.

[Drifter]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

An America proudly going in a liberal/democratic socialist direction. The millitias would hate that like poison.

All your points are very true - but what's the fun in that? ;)

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Drifter

All your points are very true - but what's the fun in that? ;)

Making the good news into the basis of pure horror. With the twisted minds on this forum it's easy and fun!

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

If Prime Directive is a sarcastic term, it works. The best ones would involve the chance to transform societies and promote adventure. Spaceships for Victorians or paper for ancient Rome.

Here are some ideas...

Not technology just crops. Give the Old Kingdom of Egypt bananas, plantains, yams, sweet potatoes, maize (corn), and the beans and squashes that go with it, plus the knowledge of Nixtamalization, citrus fruits, and cotton. These crops would difuse North and South. Africa would develop along similar lines to Asia and Europe, a massive change.

If the printing press were introduced durring the 12th century Renaisance, chances are that the Islamic world would have also embraced the technology and developed in radically different ways.

Deliver silkworms, mulberry bushes, and the technologies of raising silkworms and spining and weaving silk to Ancient Rome and the ecconomy of the Ancient world is completely transformed.

[tantric]

My favorite alt-history had the Communists winning out over the Fascists in the Weimar Republic. There was a full write up on the alt-history website called "Red Eagle Rises". With Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemborg at the reigns, the German People's Republic is terrifyingly efficient. And, of course, there is no brain drain - all the scientists say, Germany develops the A-bomb and uses it on England. Unfortunately, all of that was lost in a editing FUBAR incident.

Still plenty of other good timelines in the wiki.