This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

Share your experiences creating alternative history

Started by Shipyard Locked, April 20, 2016, 05:36:08 PM

Previous topic - Next topic
Print
Go Down Pages 1 2
User actions

JesterRaiin

#15
May 04, 2016, 07:43:26 AM
Quote from: RPGPundit;895751It's not really an "Alternate history" in the standard sense I would use for that term.  A regular "alternate history" is a timeline that has some point of variance from our own that then leads to a very different world (e.g., the American Colonies lose the revolutionary war... and then what?).

Dark Albion is pretty much the history of the War of the Roses as it happened, but with magic and the supernatural added into the mix. There are differences in that some other details are different (religion, some of the other countries, names, etc.) but it doesn't actually diverge in its chronology from the general timeline of events.

I see.

This is one of things I often wonder about and it's a bit relevant to the topic, so: let's say you have an "alternate history" setting where certain real-world things (like cities, people, events) exist, EVEN if the events that led to them don't exist in this setting. The best example for this would be a city named after a certain real-world saint, who didn't exist in that setting (or simply, didn't gain much recognition, etc).

The question is: would you rather drop the case and change it, or keep it and simply introduce something that explain its existence. In that former example - the city is named after a guy (bearing same name) who was important to its citizens because of his war efforts, or something.
"If it\'s not appearing, it\'s not a real message." ~ Brett

RPGPundit

#16
May 06, 2016, 03:33:41 AM
I'm not really sure what you're referring to. Are you talking about Albion now? Or some other setting?

In any case, if it was named after someone who surely didn't exist, I'd rename it.  Since cities tend to be built in areas of geographic significance, it can make sense for them to still exist in a place even if they're not named the same.
LION & DRAGON: Medieval-Authentic OSR Roleplaying is available now! You only THINK you\'ve played \'medieval fantasy\' until you play L&D.


My Blog:  http://therpgpundit.blogspot.com/
The most famous uruguayan gaming blog on the planet!

NEW!
Check out my short OSR supplements series; The RPGPundit Presents!


Dark Albion: The Rose War! The OSR fantasy setting of the history that inspired Shakespeare and Martin alike.
Also available in Variant Cover form!
Also, now with the CULTS OF CHAOS cult-generation sourcebook

ARROWS OF INDRA
Arrows of Indra: The Old-School Epic Indian RPG!
NOW AVAILABLE: AoI in print form

LORDS OF OLYMPUS
The new Diceless RPG of multiversal power, adventure and intrigue, now available.

JesterRaiin

#17
May 06, 2016, 03:39:36 AM Last Edit: May 06, 2016, 07:50:46 AM by JesterRaiin
Quote from: RPGPundit;896308I'm not really sure what you're referring to. Are you talking about Albion now? Or some other setting?

In any case, if it was named after someone who surely didn't exist, I'd rename it.  Since cities tend to be built in areas of geographic significance, it can make sense for them to still exist in a place even if they're not named the same.

It was "in general" question. And I got my answer, thanks. :)

------

Edit: it was my 666th post here. Rejoice people, for Evil walks the land. :cool:
"If it\'s not appearing, it\'s not a real message." ~ Brett

Ravenswing

#18
May 06, 2016, 06:48:13 AM
The closest I ever came was after all the Scarlet Pimpernel playtesting I did.  I diverted both my main fantasy groups onto it for a few months, and as a reward I plunked their regular fantasy characters into Revolutionary Paris, both groups at once.  Their only instructions were that they all understood French, and that they could indulge themselves.

They wound up storming the Salle des Machines during a session of the National Convention and slaughtered most of the deputies, including Robespierre, Danton and St Just.
This was a cool site, until it became an echo chamber for whiners screeching about how the "Evul SJWs are TAKING OVAH!!!" every time any RPG book included a non-"traditional" NPC or concept, or their MAGA peeners got in a twist. You're in luck, drama queens: the Taliban is hiring.

Tetsubo

#19
May 07, 2016, 08:48:36 AM
I've used a Balkanized American as the basis of a Cyberpunk setting. The 'break' point being the send term election (in a highly corrupted process) of Dan Quayle. Yes, it was quite some time ago.
Print
Go Up Pages 1 2
User actions