Early-Modern-Alternate-History-Worldbuilding-RP-thing

[Vahir]

It's the year 1700, and the age of enlightenment is just beginning to dawn. All over Europe, free thinkers are beginning to question the supremacy of the old feudal aristocracy. The various old powers are firmly entrenched in their colonies, and now bicker and struggle for dominance in a brutal game.

But even the way of war is changing; No longer are vast armies of pike and musket trudging across the fields of Europe, ravaging the land as they smash against each other or wait in sieges. The flintlock is being widely embraced by armies everywhere, and there is a growing certainty among the generals of the day that battles are not won through large squares slugging it out, but instead by long, thin lines which can devastate the enemy with volleys of fire.

But there is no England, France, Austria, or Russia.

Oh, these nations are there, but they aren't what they were historically. You see, in this RP, we'll collaborate to build an alternate history. We'll each make a nation of our own, and then- sorry folks!- interact with each other to establish our own, internally consistent Europe.

Now, I should be clear on one point: This isn't fantasy, magic or otherwise. You're allowed to make your own country, but if you do, you'll need to establish just how it came to be. So no kingdom of Derpistan- the point is to make a version of the world which could have existed, if only. I'll be looking for a smaller group for this RP, since, given its world-building aspect, we'll need to be closely working together.

Now: Interest?

[Eschatologist]

This sounds up my alley something fierce.

[Nerevarine]

I'll give it a shot

[ethanjory]

Yup yup.

[Voltus_Ventus]

I'm on board for this.

[Vahir]

Nice to see interest so soon. What countries are you guys interested in being? Myself, I'm thinking of being a Valois union of France and Castile-Aragon.

[ethanjory]

Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland under the protectorate formed by Oliver Cromwell.

[Nerevarine]

I'm thinkng a surviving Khazaria

[Willy Vereb]

I'm thinking about something like a dualist Hungarian-Polish Kingdom ruled by the Báthory Dynasty.
He even had a semi-realistic chance to conquer Russia!

[Nerevarine]

I'm thinking about something like a dualist Hungarian-Polish Kingdom ruled by the Báthory Dynasty.
He even had a semi-realistic chance to conquer Russia!

@Willy Vereb

Hmmm, I wonder if a strong Khazaria and Hungary-Poland could be enough to kill off Russia in this timeline, with a bunch of small East Slavic Kingdoms in what was Russia

[Willy Vereb]

<Snipped quote by Willy Vereb>

Hmmm, I wonder if a strong Khazaria and Hungary-Poland could be enough to kill off Russia in this timeline, with a bunch of small East Slavic Kingdoms in what was Russia

@Nerevarine

Everything depends on what everybody else picks.
I suspect people will make Russian and German nations of some sort which kinda gives an "immunity" for these nations to be toppled prior to the game's start.

On a different note, it's an important piece of history during this time that the Ottomans conquered a sizable portion of Hungary and Poland in the past and they were driven out just recently.
Would this bit still stand with your Khazaria?

[Vahir]

Khazaria surviving would have wide-ranging effects on Eastern Europe. Primary among which, I think, is that the Russian principalities would have been shielded from the mongol steamroller. The way I see it, this would have two effects:

1. The Russians wouldn't be weakened enough for the Lithuanians to grab all their land, so your Hungary-Poland might exclude things like Galicia.

2. On the other hand, the Russians would never have a reason to unite, so they'd probably be shattered into little principalities anyway.

[ActRaiserTheReturned]

the Sarmatians, Sarmatians, the great warrior people from northern territories in Europe.
the Denyen, identified by some with the Greek Danaoi and by others with the Israelite tribe of Dan;
the Ekwesh, possibly a group of Bronze Age Greeks (Achaeans);
the Lukka, an Anatolian people of the Aegean who may have given their name to the region of Lycia and the Lycian language;
the Peleset, whose name is generally believed to refer to the Philistines;[12]
the Shekelesh, identified possibly with the Italic people called Siculi (from Sicily);
the Sherden, possibly Sardinians or people of Sardis;
the Teresh, i.e. the Tyrrhenians, possibly ancestors of the Etruscans;
the Tjeker, also known as the Sikil and possibly Greek Teucrians;
the Weshesh.

The Sea People's led by Sarmatians.

[Drunken Conquistador]

Hmmm...I was thinking about a surviving Muslim state controlling parts of Spain, Portugal and North Africa

[Vahir]

the Sarmatians, Sarmatians, the great warrior people from northern territories in Europe.
the Denyen, identified by some with the Greek Danaoi and by others with the Israelite tribe of Dan;
the Ekwesh, possibly a group of Bronze Age Greeks (Achaeans);
the Lukka, an Anatolian people of the Aegean who may have given their name to the region of Lycia and the Lycian language;
the Peleset, whose name is generally believed to refer to the Philistines;[12]
the Shekelesh, identified possibly with the Italic people called Siculi (from Sicily);
the Sherden, possibly Sardinians or people of Sardis;
the Teresh, i.e. the Tyrrhenians, possibly ancestors of the Etruscans;
the Tjeker, also known as the Sikil and possibly Greek Teucrians;
the Weshesh.

The Sea People's led by Sarmatians.

@ActRaiserTheReturned

While good ideas on their own, I think we shouldn't use nations that predate the fall of Rome. If the Sea Peoples are still around (And have their own country!), it would really screw around everything else in Europe.

I'm going to set a maximum date before which all historical events are unchangeable, possibly the year 0, possibly before or after. The exact cut off date can be agreed to by everyone.

Hmmm...I was thinking about a surviving Muslim state controlling parts of Spain, Portugal and North Africa

@Drunken Conquistador

Interesting. How about this, as a compromise between our ideas: Granada wasn't taken by Isabella and Ferdinand, and it later became part of your muslim nation. Meanwhile, the western coast of the Iberian peninsuela could be occupied by the Kingdom of Portugal, including Galicia. Sound good to you?

(I'll edit this with a map of what I mean later, when I have more time)

[ActRaiserTheReturned]

I would love to play an alternate Han Dynasty where Han Xin was not executed, and Liu Bang and they had a close friendship.

[Voltus_Ventus]

I was hoping to play a Nation that consists of the Ottoman lands west of Istanbul? Walachia, Serbia, Yugoslavia, Crimea and the such.

Or possibly a North Italian Nation consisting of Sardinia-Piedmont, Lucca, Parma, Tuscany and Modena, maybe even incorporate the Swiss.

Hmm.. not sure but it's for sure either of those.

[Nerevarine]

Khazaria surviving would have wide-ranging effects on Eastern Europe. Primary among which, I think, is that the Russian principalities would have been shielded from the mongol steamroller. The way I see it, this would have two effects:

1. The Russians wouldn't be weakened enough for the Lithuanians to grab all their land, so your Hungary-Poland might exclude things like Galicia.

2. On the other hand, the Russians would never have a reason to unite, so they'd probably be shattered into little principalities anyway.

@Vahir

Also, im planing on having the Khazar's conversion to Judaism be much more agressive, that being them enforcing conversion on the peasents and conquered people (aka the Kievan Rus and other East Slavs). This would give them a better sense of unity and identity, plus im wondering how the presence of a massive Jewish majority state would effect Eastern Europe as well

[Lord Monbodo]

I'm in and I'd be very interested in either a Finland that managed to conquer Sweden and gain hegemony over Scandinavia or an Electoral Palatinate that's trying to unify Germany a few centuries early.

[Willy Vereb]

[quote=@Nerevarine]
<Snipped quote by Vahir>

Khazaria surviving would have wide-ranging effects on Eastern Europe. Primary among which, I think, is that the Russian principalities would have been shielded from the mongol steamroller. The way I see it, this would have two effects:

1. The Russians wouldn't be weakened enough for the Lithuanians to grab all their land, so your Hungary-Poland might exclude things like Galicia.

2. On the other hand, the Russians would never have a reason to unite, so they'd probably be shattered into little principalities anyway.

@Vahir

Well, as you said Russia would not be united so while the date of the land-grab is ambigious it could happen.
You can also say "(alternate) history always finds a way" or the convenient self-correcting butterfly effect to not mess up things further than we want.
This is the beauty in the chaotic threads of history combined with author fiat.

I was hoping to play a Nation that consists of the Ottoman lands west of Istanbul? Walachia, Serbia, Yugoslavia, Crimea and the such.

Or possibly a North Italian Nation consisting of Sardinia-Piedmont, Lucca, Parma, Tuscany and Modena, maybe even incorporate the Swiss.

Hmm.. not sure but it's for sure either of those.

@Voltus_Ventus

Your first idea is likely impossible with a Polish-Hungarian union and Khazaria around.
Especially since half the countries you mention didn't exist and/or were part of the above mentioned two nations.

The second idea can work albeit I don't even have the faintest idea how the hell the Swiss are coming into the picture.
They're literally at the other end of Europe.

<Snipped quote by ActRaiserTheReturned>

While good ideas on their own, I think we shouldn't use nations that predate the fall of Rome. If the Sea Peoples are still around (And have their own country!), it would really screw around everything else in Europe.

I'm going to set a maximum date before which all historical events are unchangeable, possibly the year 0, possibly before or after. The exact cut off date can be agreed to by everyone.

@Vahir

Maximum date sounds convenient at first but the fact is some changes alter history in a grand way while others are less relevant.
If you set the cutoff date to before Constantinople then theoretically somebody can prevent Christianity wideaspread in the Roman Empire thus dictating the religion of Europe in the future.

I think a better idea could be that, among possibly other restrictions, you cannot change history in a way which would prevent or radically alter the formation of what we know as the European Culture.
Possibly including some key national identities. Germans, French, Italians and several more in Europe, at least.
Without these "reference points" of history the whole setting would turn into a gigantic mess where nearly everything can happen and you can convincingly found the "Kingdom of Derpenistan" or create your own type of BS nationalities/religions from scratch.