Alternate Earth

[robject]

The hard part about statting out Earth for Traveller is that I am far too involved in my little corner of it. I project countries forward, and they tend to be the same as before. Or, if I try to think about the Terran Confederation, I tend to think of it as today-plus-technology, rose-colored glasses and all.

It's not satisfying.

So I like to step back and create a parallel Earth. If Star Trek could do it multiple times, surely I can try it once.

First, I don't use today's map. I use one of the the Triassic maps out there.

Like here: http://australianmuseum.net.au/image/map-of-world-late-triassic

Or here: http://www.scotese.com/newpage8.htm

Then I create nations the way Robert E Howard did for Conan. Names can resonate with us just enough to give us a concept, but they're not carbon copies of our current states. I'm free to mix things up and create a different set of countries to love and hate.

 

[simonh]

The hard part about statting out Earth for Traveller is that I am far too involved in my little corner of it. I project countries forward, and they tend to be the same as before.

You've got a neat idea going there, but I'll just chip in that, depending on the time scales involved, projecting current nations forward isn't all that mad. Things change, but there are plenty of European nations around today that existed in a more or less recognisable form up to a thousand years ago. Even firther back around 200 years ago Britania, Espania and Gaul were Roman provinces, not nations, but they were geographically and administratively distinct regions on which the modern nations are based and there are plenty of other examples all over the world.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the USA still exists, give or take a few island territories, in another thousand years. The same goes for Japan, Turkey, Greece and many many others. China is another story though. It's political system has a reckoning with history to face up to somewhere down the line and whether it ends up in one piece or several, like the USSR did, is anybody's guess. Spain has strong regional differences pulling it a apart, but it's break up is not inevitable.

As for the UK, it's quite possible Scotland will split. I hope they don't, but I think it's the most likely outcome. After all to stay in the UK the pro-Brits have to win every referendum without fail, while the splitters only have to win once and it's done.

Sorry if I'm highjacking the thread a little, but it's an interesting subject.

Simon Hibbs

 

[mike wightman]

Just remove the Earth from your Traveller setting altogether.

Set a game in the far far future, the location of the human homeworld has been totally lost in the mists of three long nights and seven empires that have risen and fallen.

Star Frontiers, Alternity's Star Drive campaign, Star Wars - none of them have the Earth in their settings.

 

[Timerover51]

I am basically doing a very similar thing for a story that I am working on, but it is magic-based, not Traveller-based. The starting setting is in Europe, roughly about the equivalent of 1500 AD or so, but with a fair number of changes

If I were going to use another map for Earth, I would lean to using the Warhammer map, as already existing in reasonably complete form. I have a version intended for the Civilization 3 computer game that I have downloaded and been working with.

 

[martletsquire]

You can always choose a future Earth already laid out for you by a sci-fi author.

Heinlein's few future tracks are not rose-colored, and develop the political structure of Earth in several interesting ways.

 

[kilemall]

What I'm doing with my TC is projecting nations forward, but also creating new nations similar to the 2300 Azania, and also with shocks like the Great Plague, moving to Cities and then more shocks with the Centauri Worlds, the Cloud, humanity altering with each experience,the idea of nations seeming silly to some next to the differences in living on each planet or habitat.

Part of my story is that the concept of 'nation' is being pulled at HARD, which in some cases makes people even more fervent to hold onto that identity in the face of change and the enormity of space, and others very ready to let it go or ignore the traditionalists.

Also, some have grasped the opportunities of the move to the Cities and space with both hands and are up and coming, and others never improved or are backsliding, which on an alien world or O'Neill colony is Damn Dangerous.

There is a Back To Earth movement that is taking advantage of the one way trip to TL3 Earth 'national heritage' territories, and fighting low-level barbarian tech wars against their old blood enemies using sail, cannon, horse and flintlock.

Another part is that since countries win different franchises to develop on colonial worlds, the map and who is competing is totally changed and people have learned to hate new and different nations.

There is a provision in TC articles for tribes to be treated as nations that did not have specific representation in the former UN, and now some megacorporations are arguing that they are properly tribes and are moving to petition to be nations!

So I think you can make an Earth recognizable but still jarringly different enough so that it's 'not the same place'.

 

[Aramais]

Well, Rob, as you know we are about 15 years from now a Chinese ideologue will use her scientific skills to resolve the growing ecological crisis facing humanity. She will attempt to reduce the world population by ten percent or so as a warning shot. Unfortunately, her virus works too well, reducing both population and the basic manufacturing capability (which is in part a function of population) in a major set-back. She stays the course, however, and uses threats of further "culling" to get and keep the nations of Earth in line. She is quickly dubbed the "First Empress Zhang," and she and her descendants build a unified Earth over the next several hundred years. Eventually, her Jin Jun family guard also become the explorer class, while non-nobles (including especially many of North American descent) gravitate toward the Imperial Fleet...

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Ah...

Well, Rob, as you know we are about 15 years from now a Chinese ideologue will use her scientific skills to resolve the growing ecological crisis facing humanity. She will attempt to reduce the world population by ten percent or so as a warning shot. Unfortunately, her virus works too well, reducing both population and the basic manufacturing capability (which is in part a function of population) in a major set-back. She stays the course, however, and uses threats of further "culling" to get and keep the nations of Earth in line. She is quickly dubbed the "First Empress Zhang," and she and her descendants build a unified Earth over the next several hundred years. Eventually, her Jin Jun family guard also become the explorer class, while non-nobles (including especially many of North American descent) gravitate toward the Imperial Fleet...

So, that is the backstory. Sweet, now I get things a bit better. Thanks, sir.

 

[JimMarn]

One of the things that startled me in Dr. Who back in the 1980s, with Tom Baker, was that some Time Lords opted out of the entire thing, and lived outside the cities as basically nomads in leather clothes with swords and bows.

Leela and the robot dog was with him when they found this out, and they opted to stop being his companions and stayed there with the Gallifreans[sp?] who lived outside the cities.

 

[Aramais]

So, that is the backstory. Sweet, now I get things a bit better. Thanks, sir.

Everybody has a backstory. It's the front-story that gets interesting.