NationStates Jolt Archive

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http://z3.invisionfree.com/TheWorldUpsideDown/index.php?

I would be interested in a Post-WWII, Early-Cold War RP.

I would be interested in a Post-WWII, Early-Cold War RP.

This.

Remember, this poll is just for the time period.

The history of this particular Earth will be vastly different from our own. I'm hoping to get a good deal of variety in among the nations. I'm afraid crazy alternate histories are something of a fetish of mine :p

Either way, while you can expect the various archetypes to remain in place, there will be a 'Europe' an 'Asia' and so forth, don't expect the map to look a lot like 20th century Earth (since the cold war theme seems popular).

I'm thinking that most states will have a more 19th century mindset when it comes to politics. Or even less 'civilized' in some areas. With large 'native' empires still about things could get interesting.

I may even decide to feature non-'European' states as the worlds great powers :eek::eek::eek:

I'd like to get into the Napoleonic Era

World War One could be interesting, as does the Cold War idea.

I'm pretty much okay with anything WWI and newer.

The Napoleonic wars would present an interesting period.

This is the map, for those that are interested:

It will be modified to be era-appropriate, of course. This iteration is more 19th century. A cold-war era version would obviously feature a lot less open space.

I'll probably brush some borders up later as well, but this gives you a rough idea of the shape and feel of things.

It won't let me post images until I have four posts though, so how are all of you?

I still have to write up backgrounds on all of these places too. If there are any volunteers to help out with getting a working history going (which will be started once the period is determined) feel free to step up.

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/9648/deerp.png

And THERE's the map :P

I could help writing histories, if you need help.

didn't they have a slightly better idea of what the world looked like by then?

Any era sounds good, particularly interested in inter-war period

Crimean War sounds pretty nifty.

I would prefer anywheres from WWI tech up till modern day. Anything earlier than that I find just turns into a case of "I'v got more men, I win" type of thing. Not always, but most of the time. It also ends up revolving around mass attacks because of the innaccuracy of weapons at the time. WWI is an in between period I find, with WWII being the first real small unit actions. Generally you end up with people using troops the size of platoons or a few squads within this time. As I said, earlier than that and people normaly using regiments, divisions, or even entire armies in a single small area. This is my opinion, and it may not be right, but it is what I have seen in the past.
Pre-19th century is interesting though. But I will always love WWII era.

If you decide to have this based in a date like 1936, I might* choose to join this RP as Ethiopia <o

*RL matters may interfere so I can't give assuredness I'll join

If you decide to have this based in a date like 1936, I might* choose to join this RP as Ethiopia <o

*RL matters may interfere so I can't give assuredness I'll join

There isn't an Ethiopia. Check the map I posted :P
The closest thing would be Kemet or Kesh, but they're more similar to the ancient states of that area in terms of culture.

EDIT:
Also, TechnoSoviet, should I assume your vote counts towards a Cold War era? Or did you change your mind after that post?

I would be more than happy to work up some histories, I think it would be quite fun :D

Right, I'll have the basic backgrounds done, which would more or less cover 'recent' history and won't be affected by era TOO much. From there we can just work by continent I suppose.

Speaking of which, I need to come up with names for those too :P

Right, I'll have the basic backgrounds done, which would more or less cover 'recent' history and won't be affected by era TOO much. From there we can just work by continent I suppose.

Speaking of which, I need to come up with names for those too :P

Well, I suppose that the lower rightmost continent could be referred to as the Hinterlands, especially in earlier era's.

Well, I suppose that the lower rightmost continent could be referred to as the Hinterlands, especially in earlier era's.

I was trying to find more 'native' names to imply a lack of total European dominance. 'Intisuyu' is basically 'Land of the Sun', which I found both appropriate and highly ironic :P

Ajuardo I stole from another source. It sounds nice, though :P

Orihalkos is taken from 'Orihalcum', which is 'mountain metal' or something. Lots of metal there :P

Bascilos Nisci is basically 'King's Island'.

'Hypernotea' is from 'Hyperborea', but in the south.

Dashret is the Old Kingdom Egyptian name for an area of Africa, meaning 'red land'. I imagine we'll end up with lots of red sand there.

Finally, 'Tianxia' is Chinese for 'Under Heaven', subscribing to the traditional Chinese view that everything outside of China sucks.

EDIT:
Whoops, forgot 'Ard Mahjoola'. That's Arabic for 'unknown land'. Equivalent to 'Terra Incognita' :P


I updated the map to be more in line with a WWII/Cold War era, IE: Less white space.

However, with a lack of a major 'colonial rush' there are still some unclaimed territories.

http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deerp.png

Well, looks like cold war carries the votes with or without Technosoviet. I'll have to figure out what to put on Hypernotea. Possibly some kind of Greekified version of Afghanistan.

Tonikaten? I dunno. Could mean "Rocky Land".

Afghanistan, under the Alexandrian Greeks, was called Bactria (Βακτριανα), so that could be an idea for a name.

Cold War! Uber USSA ftw!

Cold War! Uber USSA ftw!

If there is a 'cold war' per se, then it would probably be based on religious divides, rather than socio-economic ones. If you'll note, the largest state on the map is called 'The Caliphate' :P

If there is a 'cold war' per se, then it would probably be based on religious divides, rather than socio-economic ones. If you'll note, the largest state on the map is called 'The Caliphate' :P

Largest by land does not necessarily mean largest by population, or most powerful. I assume that the religions for this will be RL ones? If so, how will sacred cities be handled, as these are generally the objectives of religious wars, and such? With the altered map and all.

Largest by land does not necessarily mean largest by population, or most powerful. I assume that the religions for this will be RL ones? If so, how will sacred cities be handled, as these are generally the objectives of religious wars, and such? With the altered map and all.

Indeed, but it does give you lots of resources. The Russians had a smaller population than China and the US, but they've still got more tanks than anybody else :P

I also think the Caliphate is in a position where it wouldn't survive long unless it had a fairly formidable military, considering all the states it borders, especially with the aggressive Triple Alliance to the south, the Yavani to the west, and the Lion Throne right in the middle. They're obviously doing SOMETHING right.

Well, the religious scene will probably be a bit more varied than it is now. IRL (or religions similar to IRL, anyway) religions will be handled mostly by making stuff up, I guess.

Similar to IRL, Ajuardo will probably be something similar to the Catholic religion, with Basciolos Nisci and Orihalkos being primarily Orthodox, to reflect their Greek-ness. I'm not sure if there'll be a Protestant-type religion, although perhaps Vansable could be a recent breakaway from the main 'Christian' church.

Ard Mahjoola will probably mostly be 'Muslim', with some native religions hanging about, especially in the south with the Triple Alliance and Central Tribes.

Intisuyu and Dashret will both have native religions for the most part, although within the colonies it may be a different story.

Hypernotia will, I'm thinking, be some form of Buddhist or Hindu (with Christian and/or Olympian modifications), perhaps both, since it's our 'India' with Greek flavors.

Tianxia can have a Taoist/Confucian/Shinto mix.

This is, of course, unless somebody wants to import their own ideas, in which case I'd be happy to take them into consideration.

So, are all nations theocratic? Can we have some that are like, say fascist or otherwise secular?

yeah, the religion thing seems a little limiting

So, are all nations theocratic? Can we have some that are like, say fascist or otherwise secular?

Definitely. I was just giving the 'dominant' religions in each region. Both Liege and The Commonwealth are going to be fairly liberal governments. A few of the Yavani states may be downright atheistic or agnostic, although I'm going to say that most states will not have anything like the modern liberal ideal of government. Probably the most liberal will have governments similar to the 19th century United States or England.

Revolution, communist or fascist (or otherwise), will definitely be a possibility, but if it happens you can expect a response similar to what happened in post-Napoleonic Europe, when Russia ran in and stomped over everybody that even thought about revolting.

The Tianxia states will probably have something like the modern East Asian approach to religion, sort of 'semi-casual' for most of the populace.

EDIT:
@Takaram
Like I said, those are just the regionally dominant religions. As in the real world, there are no doubt a plethora of minor religions.
Since in this world there wasn't a massive effort to convert everybody to Catholicism or a massive die-out of native populations, those 'minor' religions can be fairly significant in attendance as well.

It sounds like an interesting concept. I'll join if you can get some forums going.

Great. That'll be sometime after tomorrow. I'll consider the poll over at noon, US Mountain time.

K. I am willing to help in any way you wish.

As am I.

Alright, once I get the various governments set up and a very barebones 'my idea' sort of description up for each state, I'll hand them off to other people for finishing up by continent.

Make your selection now while they're still free :P

I have a fairly good idea of what Ajuardo will be like, so I'll handle the states there.

Remember, this is basically the outlines for each state, not a detailed history. Basically we're looking at encyclopedia-levels of information, a few paragraphs at most. I'd like to give people some leeway to decide the specifics of countries.

In the mean time, here's the basics of Tianxia. This is very much a rough draft, but it's a suitable outline, I think. Historical details (arrival of the Aragonians and suchlike) may be changed to suit the history, of course.

So whoever takes this on, if you're not sure about something, just make something up. We can always change it later.

Tianxia

The Empire of Fusang:
An island nation which, while isolated early in its history, took rapidly to importing ideas from other states in order to strengthen itself. It has developed a culture which prides itself on the ability to refine ideas from overseas and produce superior products. Fusang's home island is a highly technologically advanced state, with a well-off populace of highly educated white-collar workers. Their mainland holdings on Tianxia are, however, what might be termed an 'industrial hell', and produce most of the states industrial goods.

Fusang has a strong navy and army, but it's larger mainland population sometimes threatens to get out of control, and the Qi Empire has a strong incentive to 'liberate' members of their own ethnic group to the north.

The Qi Empire:
An ancient state, founded many thousands of years ago. The Qi state, from which the Qi ethnicity takes its name, is regarded by most of the continent of Tianxi as the center of civilization. Although it has gone through a number of dynasties, the state itself has remained fairly stable. Recent years have, however, seen some signs that the reign of the Dragon Emperor's may be coming to an end, with the breakaway states of Min and Huainan securing their independence.

The Qi maintain a large population and one of the largest standing armies on the planet, but most of it is poorly equipped and trained. The Empire is not very well developed industrially, but has strong potential if its people can be motivated properly.

The Peoples Republic of Min:
A breakaway state from the Qi Empire, the Peoples Republic of Min modeled itself on the ideal of Liege, with several additions. Touting their government as a 'Collective Republic', Min's leadership virtually deified the concepts of hard work, collective action, and reverence for the elected government. While voting for deities was a new concept, the people of Min seem to have taken to it.

Min has a decent industrial base and a fiercely independent population. It's main base is agricultural, though. This has forced the Qi Empire to deal with the state diplomatically for grain, a situation with which the Qi are not pleased at all. Min's volunteer army is well trained, but not well equipped, as they mostly rely on arms 'inherited' from Qi army depots.

The Empire of Huainan:
The second recent rebel from the Qi family, Huainan's Emperor claims to be the true successor to the Dragon Throne. Huainan's position is delicate, but not untenable. A recent alliance with Aragon has given the 'Eastern Emperor' more leverage, and the Qi may have some trouble if Aragon joins Huainan's war on the Qi.

Huainan has several difficulties with keeping it's army fully staffed, since it has a large 'loyalist' population. It's territory encompasses many excellent ports, and the Qi Empire is eager to recover it's trade links with the East.

The Principality of Jingnan:
A protectorate of the Qi Empire, and former province, Jingnan recently gained a degree of independence via diplomatic means, chiefly threatening to revolt and cut the Qi Empire off from its key sources of oil and natural gas. Jingnan has thus maintained good relations with the Qi, and while retaining the Dragon Emperor as their sovereign, are virtually independent from the Qi Empire, conducting their own foreign affairs and internal dealings.

Jingnan has a modest army, as the Qi provide most of their protection in exchange for a reduced price on oil. Jingnan's arid climate requires them to import much food, although the coastal regions have a moderate climate.

The Temple-Kingdom of Hou Liang
Hou Liang was, until recently, a mysterious state. With strong religious leadership, it's theocratic government held absolute control over the lives of its citizens. Dress and public conduct were strictly regulated to match ideals passed down since before writing was invented. Brutal repression of deviant ideas and people was quite common. A high mountain range, with desert to the west and dense jungle to the east, kept the Hou Liang isolated from the world until about two centuries ago, when they received a rude awakening in the form of ships from the Triple Alliance, come to colonize. The arrival of the Aragonians on the East coast served to further drive the Hou Lang to desperation, and now they fight a bitter war on three fronts.

The Hou Lang have a fanatical, if under equipped, military. With an entirely self-contained economy, they benefit from being able to pay their soldiers well and often, but suffer from supply problems as they have to build almost all of their own munitions.

I have a couple of good ideas for some of the nations of Europe, do you think I could present a draft?

I have a couple of good ideas for some of the nations of Europe, do you think I could present a draft?

I'll post those once I finish with them. Ideas would be welcome, but I'll do the major stuff myself.
'Ajuardo', by the way :p

Sure thing. Here's my idea for Vansable. I got the idea from real European history, from the Roman Gaul of the 1st Century B.C. to the 1st Century A.D.
The change is that in our Europe, Gallic culture was swamped under strict Roman rule, and disappeared by the late 1st century, but in this world, Latin (or their Ajuardan equivalent in this case) influence shrank down to the capital, Lutetia. The various Gallic chiefdoms fought over the Roman capital, similarly to the Tetrarchy in RL 4th Century A.D. Over time, a coalition of three tribes, the Senones, Bituriges and the Aedui conquered the remaining tribes and installed an inter-tribal government, called The Court. The Court is a place of palatial intrigue, ever-changing allegiances and political backstabbing as the various families and tribes try to maneuver into various positions of power in a never-ending dance of influence.

Let me know what you think.

I'd be willing to do a work up on Intisuyu. Just a question, what is part of the continent exactly, just the main landmass, or the surrounding islands? Also, should the info on the rain forest and mountain tribes, and scattered small chiefdoms and kingdoms be more detailed as they will not be controlled by an actual player or not? Finally, is there a general direction you were going with this landmass, or anything major I should know, that would need to be worked in?

Sure thing. Here's my idea for Vansable. I got the idea from real European history, from the Roman Gaul of the 1st Century B.C. to the 1st Century A.D.
The change is that in our Europe, Gallic culture was swamped under strict Roman rule, and disappeared by the late 1st century, but in this world, Latin (or their Ajuardan equivalent in this case) influence shrank down to the capital, Lutetia. The various Gallic chiefdoms fought over the Roman capital, similarly to the Tetrarchy in RL 4th Century A.D. Over time, a coalition of three tribes, the Senones, Bituriges and the Aedui conquered the remaining tribes and installed an inter-tribal government, called The Court. The Court is a place of palatial intrigue, ever-changing allegiances and political backstabbing as the various families and tribes try to maneuver into various positions of power in a never-ending dance of influence.

Let me know what you think.

Actually, I had intended Vansable to be the 'up and coming' young state, which fairly recently conquered its smaller neighbors, and is still a rising star in terms of power. Their main problem is a tyrannical ruler with a short temper and the fact that their rapid expansion has not made them many friends.

Estgloria, though, fits your idea fairly well, although with a sort of mix of pre- and post-revolutionary France, in that while theoretically the rights of the people are a sacred institution, the corrupt nobility and queen are bringing the state down from within. The nobility spend all their time trying to gain power, prestige and all that, while the people are essentially used as pawns.

The equivalent to Rome would be the Yavani Empire, which is more Greek, think Eastern Rome with a lot less 'Rome'.

I'd be willing to do a work up on Intisuyu. Just a question, what is part of the continent exactly, just the main landmass, or the surrounding islands? Also, should the info on the rain forest and mountain tribes, and scattered small chiefdoms and kingdoms be more detailed as they will not be controlled by an actual player or not? Finally, is there a general direction you were going with this landmass, or anything major I should know, that would need to be worked in?

'Intisuyu' extends out to Tupactisuyu and to the border of the Central tribes, roughly.

For the rainforest people, a little detail would be good. I envisioned them as a sort of mix between Inca and Maya culture for the more civilized people, with the less settled ones being more traditional Brazilian tribal people. A sort of 'overall summary' of the area, with maybe a couple notes on more significant people, would be good. It MAY be longer than the standard state description, since you're talking about several states.
They may get added to the map later anyway, to fill up the white space. If they're not on the map, they can't be player controlled, though.

For the 'general direction' I was going for a South American feel, with strong Inca influences (obviously, from the name). My idea for Tupactisuyu would be that it was a rebel colony. Zhon I felt should be a little more 'wild', maybe with Mayan influence, less strict and centralized control and a bit more of an anarchistic feel away from the government centers.


UPDATED MAP:
http://img15.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deerp.png

I think this'll be the final revision unless I add some states in Intisuyu.

EDIT:
Alright, I lied, minor update:

http://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=deerp.png

This map includes capital cities. These may be subject to change, of course.

States with a dot but no name indicate a capital named after the state. States with no dot either have no settled capital or are composed of several states with different capitals.

The two maps will be left separate, since all the dots and names could be confusing.

I'll write a history for Ard Majoola if you want.

Alright. Do you mind doing the background info as well, or will you wait until that's finished?

Also, in terms of the era, is anybody opposed to, say, a very early Cold War? Perhaps 1950 level technology? That might appeal to both the WWII buffs and the people interested in the Cold War era, as the level of technological disparity would allow quite a few states to have 1940's or even earlier levels of technological and military development, while still remaining effective even against modern forces.

On the subject of nukes, which we do have to address, I had planned something like this:
Nukes would be around, and allowed for use, but very rare. Essentially this particular world has a very short supply of uranium/plutonium, and both are valued well above platinum in monetary value alone.
Nukes would be very much the 'last resort of last resorts' and the MAD scenario would be impossible, as the largest stockpile would be some ten or twelve weapons.
Essentially, nuclear weapons would be a states 'trump card' rather than its deterrent. Their use not guided so much by morality and not-wanting-to-kill-everybody, but by the fact that each one is worth enough to buy a continent.

A little background info would be appreciated. I can take the rest after that.

Alright, I wrote this up pretty quickly, so as with the Tianxi stuff it's basic, but it gives my ideas for the region. Feel free to change things about if you want, but I'd like to keep this 'feel'.

Ard Mahjoola

The Caliphate
An old state founded by the Prophet and First Caliph nearly 800 years ago. While strong, it is at war with both the Lion throne and The Yavani Empire, a war in which all participants are essentially in deadlock. It's strength lies in numbers and smaller elite units. The new Caliph is young, but something of a reformer and has made it his mission to modernize the navy. While a strict theocracy, the Caliphate allows people to practice their native religion in conqoured territories if they pay a tax to do so.


The Kingdom of the Lion Throne
Once a colony of the Yavani Empire, the Lion Throne broke away peacefully several hundred years ago and established itself as a theocratic body similar in nature to the Caliphate, the difference being that the Lion Throne is Christian. They have a small population, but are extremly zealous and while they have gradually lost territory to the Caliphate over the last few hundred years, they have made the Islamic empire pay for every step. Their military is very advanced and, when possible, they import what they can.


The Pashqi Emirate
An island state which recently broke off from the Yavani Empire. They are modestly rich, exporting spices and sugar. While 'modest' describes just about everything on the island fairly well, the Yavani Empire is in a situation where it may not notice a few islands changing owners in the Great Souther Pelagic Ocean.

The Shahdom of Aryanam
One of the most ancient states in the world, Aryanam has existed in some for for the past two thousand years. Although it changes dynasty with some regularity, the state has remained stable in its periods of independence. It has been conqoured a few times, but the people of Aryanam generally take the attitude that, 'conquerers come and go, but we'll still be here."
The state is 'allied' to the Caliphate, and de facto ruled by the Caliph's advisor to the Shah. This has created some tension, as Aryanam's sect of Islam is not well compatable with the Caliphate's interpretation on many points, not the least of which is who is permitted to inherit the title of Caliph.

The Confederation of Five Tribes and Ten Kingdoms
A somewhat unique accident of government, the Five Tribes and Ten Kingdoms is a mish-mash of states connected by a strong desire not to be ruled by the Caliph or the Triple Alliance's Tlatoque (king). Their culture is strongly horse-based, and they are one of the few armies to retain mounted infantry units on horseback. These are, however, very effective and a respected force. They do not fight from horseback, generally, but rather employ horses much as other armies use trucks. The government is basically Republican in nature, with each tribe or kingdom sending a representative to vote on important matters at the capitol, which rotates every five years between one of the ten kingdoms. Each individual state has a varying degree of democratic process, most are essentially constitutional monarchies.


The Chiefdom of Chajoma
The Chiefdom of Ajawil
Two halves of the ex-chiefdom of Mesca, Chajoma and Ajawil are ruled by the sons of the last king of Mesca. The states are named for their rulers, and are locked in a bitter civil war over who will claim the succession. Ajawail to the south has the support of the Triple Alliance, as Ajawil himself was educated in that country. Chajoma is recieving some logistical support from the Five Tribes and Ten Kingdoms.


The Allied City-States of the Divine League
Around two hundred years ago the city states of the southern coast noted, with some alarm, that many of their neighbors were rapidly being consumed by the newly arrived Caliphate armies from the north, and by the every-growing Triple Alliance of the South. Each city fell with little effort on the part of the conquerers, as no single city could possibly raise a force to match the armies of the Caliph or the Tlatoque. The cities therefore banded together in a tight alliance, forming the Divine League, so named because of the heavy Christian presence in the area, a holdover from the days when the Yavani ruled the eastern shore of Ard Mahjoola. The League is blessed by the Pope and officially allied to the Papal State.
In recent years the Caliph has begun courting the Divine League's Council of Cities, perhaps intending to form an alliance.


The Triple Alliance
The Triple Alliance is an aggressive state, formed from conquest and built on military strength. Once a man comes of age he is required to enlist for a ten year term of military service, something which the tightly controlled education system ensures all young men are eager to do. Women are not required to enlist, but are permitted, a result of the great Huscatlanotl Tlatoque's "Question To his Advisors" some fifty years ago, in which he said, "My mother-in-law is a fearsome creature, and she is the personification of all women in our empire. Should not, therefore, the enemy fear our women as much as us?"
Since then the Alliance military permits women in all arms of service and the 'question' is inscribed above the entry of all female barracks.


The Alliance of Central Tribes
Similar to the Diviene League, the tribes of the Central Pennensula became somewhat worried with the arrival of the armies of the Alliance from the north. In this situation, banding together seemed the only wise thing to do, and, just barely, managing to repel the Alliance invaders. History has not been kind to the Central Tribes, as a short time after that the armies of Inca Huascar arrived from the south. The people of the Central Tribes are hard and cynical by nature as a result of this, and tend to regard all outsiders with suspicion, if not outright hostility.

Alright, so the poll's over, and it looks like we're going cold war. Once the forum is up I'll put up a poll for a more specific time period.

http://z3.invisionfree.com/TheWorldUpsideDown/index.php?

Here's the forum.

No IC stuff yet, as we're still in the planning phase.

Anybody interested in helping out is encouraged to register and contribute, even if it's just to throw random ideas out.

A few updates on the forum for your viewing pleasure.