Utterly Mad

The Pit => Creative Endeavors => Topic started by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 08:08:44 pm

Title: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 08:08:44 pm

So, naming it Shared World until we get an actual name.
Things we need to figure out
1. Setting
2. Major events
Things we might want to figure out
1. Timeline
2. Any really major figures (essentially, pre established characters with a decently detailed background so we all have a grasp on the character)

I'm probably missing some things so feel free to point them out.
---------
So setting wise I'm up for anything, though my experience writing is primarily in the fantasy, modern, and some apocalypse settings.
And until we figure out setting I think that's all we can really determine.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: ApatheticExcuse on March 25, 2015, 09:49:12 pm

Settings I personally like:

Post Apocalyptic - Nuclear, zombies, robots out of control, aliens, whatever. It always makes a good backdrop, especially for this type of project, simply because I can write a story about Fred's enclave in north America, and someone else can choose to go a completely different direction and talk about the re-emergence of the Mongol Empire in Asia, and it can all exist in the same universe while still being somewhat plausible. Plus, technology is easy to figure out because everything could be low tech, today tech, or near future tech, once again all in the same universe.

Post apocalyptic doesn't even have to mean nukes and zombies. We could have a world that exists right after the fall of the Western Roman Empire or something - I'm meaning a setting where major changes have just taken place, or are taking place in the world.

Alternate History - Wild West, WWI/WWII, Napoleanic Wars that never really ended, North Korea actually won, the Saxons beat the Normans and England never became the world-dominating empire it did because of this, whatever. Same logic as above, people can write about radically different things and still have plausibility.

A Grimdark Far Future - Same logic. Look how much completely different shit comes out of 40K writers. If the universe is a literal universe, then pretty much anything can be plausible.

A completely different idea could be to not actually build a setting. Use the real world, but write about some secret aspect of it, kinda like SCP or similar. We could build on this after writing the groundwork, and have things kind of evolve as we write them.

Honestly, I think we're all pretty creative and can work with anything, and I'm pretty good going with a strict cannon for us to adhere to, or making it up on the fly. About the only thing I'm not personally interested in would be high fantasy. I just don't dig magic and dragons and stuff, and don't know what I'd really have to contribute if we go that direction. No problem if magic is in a more "real" setting  (like Larry Corea's Hard Magic series, if anyone's read that), but I just don't have a ton of interest in writing Tolkien-esque stuff. That's just me, though.

I think timeline and major events should wait until we figure out a setting though. I mean, if it's alternate history, then a major event could be Tesla's invention of a death ray that causes the RL WWI to happen in the 1950s instead of the 1910s. If it's set in the far future, then the same thing could have maybe occurred, but no one would care 20,000 years later, because current events are focused on a war with a human colony that's been separated  from Earth's Colonial Authority for a few thousand years, and who cares what happened way back when?

When building a timeline, it seems like it would make more sense to fill in only a few really defining moments rather than laying out a really clear course of events. Then we can write what we like and not worry about stepping on toes so much.

Anyway, that's my thoughts.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Forrest on March 25, 2015, 09:51:29 pm

Post apocalyptic and Grimdark are my two choices right now, slightly leaning towards post apoc.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Rhodri on March 25, 2015, 09:58:18 pm

Post-apocalyptic far-future, purely because of how awesome it sounds.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Wheel-Son on March 25, 2015, 10:12:24 pm

If post apocalypse I could think of makeshift weapons 'n shit. If like grim dark future, I dunno plants or fruits or somethin.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 10:12:56 pm

Yeah, Post apoc(non zombie...I can only come up with so many ways to describe chopping a head off....) and Grimdark both seem really interesting, with a personal preference towards Grimdark.

Also, yeah, having a loose timeline listing only a few major events sounds like a good idea, that way we have a few events we can mention already and reference without having to go 'does this fit in the timeline', and of course we could always make it a bit flexible.
And yeah, I was thinking major events and timeline would wait until we settled on setting.

So now we need to narrow down possible settings. Think me and Forrest are trying to decide between Grimdark and Post apoc, though as I've said I'm open to whatever, and we've eliminated high fantasy.

...and Rhodri ninja'ed me. So question: Should I make a list of participating writers? I mean it's open to anyone but a list of who's participating might help keep track. I dunno, I'm kinda tired so don't know if this actually makes sense.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 10:14:10 pm

hmm......
a medium fantasy (monsters, no real nice fantasy shit(like elves/helpful wizards), mabye magic that makes you apeshit insane), dark fantasy where everything kinda sucks. sorta like Warhammer Fantasy/Bloodborne.

this is the phase i will probably be most interested in. might write some in universe fact papers.

this can be grimdark, as long as SOMETHING nice can happen once in a while.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 10:15:53 pm

Yah, let's not make something super dark and depressing one hundred percent of the time, at least have it where we can do nice upbeat stuff too once in a while.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 10:18:01 pm

oh, hey, i could give my two favorite shared universes here. two REALLY good ones you should read before starting this.

ill link the TVtropes pages

Metamor Keep (WARNING: Slightly Furry)  http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MetamorKeep

Paradise (WARNING: VERY FUCKING FURRY) http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WebOriginal/Paradise?from=Main.Paradise

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 10:19:55 pm

Furry as in porn or Furry as in Furry characters kinda like The Whiteboard?
Note: I only ask because everytime ever I've seen a link and someone's said it's Furry it has been porn.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: ApatheticExcuse on March 25, 2015, 10:20:07 pm

Well, if people want fantasy-esque elements, I'd throw a firm vote in with far future. Grimdark is a good setting, and just because the future's a scary place doesn't mean it all has to be bad stuff going on. Plus, very high technology and magic can be pretty hard to tell apart.

Not a huge fan of anthropomorphics and stuff personally, but hey, evolution does funny things to lifeforms, and there's not reason it couldn't all fit into the universe in that sort of setting.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 10:24:54 pm

okay, gonna put up a poll, because brain does not want to handle the numbers right now.

So settings with votes/consideration
Grimdark/Far future (just gonna put these together since they sound really similar.)
Post Apocalypse (if this gets voted in, expect another poll with some specifics)
Grimdark/Far Future with fantasy-esque elements (gonna put this seperate I do believe)
Post Apocalyptic Far Future (because Rhodri suggested it and why not make it an option.)

Anything I miss?

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 10:26:29 pm

Quote from: Vulnus on March 25, 2015, 10:19:55 pm

Furry as in porn or Furry as in Furry characters kinda like The Whiteboard?
Note: I only ask because everytime ever I've seen a link and someone's said it's Furry it has been porn.

The Whiteboard. thus far i have seen no sex in either, and i have read all of Paradise and the first 100 or so stories of Metamor keep (there are over 7 MILLION WORDS in Metamor keep though......)

also, you missed my dark fantasy thing.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 10:31:50 pm

Poll is up with all currently considered settings that haven't been outright dismissed by a participant.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 10:33:47 pm

Quote from: Vulnus on March 25, 2015, 10:31:50 pm

Poll is up with all currently considered settings that haven't been outright dismissed by a participant.

also, if you are going to start reading Paradise, start with the first Chronologically of Matthiasrat's stories, and then keep going. the ones before that arent interesting until you know more of the setting.


also, i promise only ONE fuzzy animal race at my end, and i will try my best to make it fit.

EDIT: oh, i should check for new paradise stories. wait, i wrote one at one point? best click it. *starts gagging*

IM ASHAMED OF MY SHITTY WRITING SKILLS

JESUS THAT IS BAD

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: ApatheticExcuse on March 25, 2015, 10:42:13 pm

Just for my clarification:

Post apoc far future: Are we talking about a far future where an apocalypse has just occurred, or a future far after an apocalypse has occurred?

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 10:43:56 pm

I am going to let Rhodri explain since it was his idea.
However reading it I personally assumed an apocalypse in the far future.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Forrest on March 25, 2015, 10:45:24 pm

Ooh, future far after an apocalypse has occurred has always been a personal favorite of mine. I'm personally up for pretty much anything, though I was never that interested in futuristic settings, honestly.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 10:47:32 pm

...and I might need to narrow down the poll list, but I'll wait for now, probably until tomorrow.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: ApatheticExcuse on March 25, 2015, 10:57:43 pm

Quote from: Forrest on March 25, 2015, 10:45:24 pm

Ooh, future far after an apocalypse has occurred has always been a personal favorite of mine. I'm personally up for pretty much anything, though I was never that interested in futuristic settings, honestly.

This is why I ask. Depending on which civilization you talk to, right now is a post apocalyptic future. I mean, look at the western roman empire, or the mayans. Living there at the time would have seemed like the end of the world, but we don't really think of it like that now despite not actually being THAT far into the future. I can explain better, but I'm just not sure how different future far after an apocalypse is from just the far future. If it's the other (future experiencing an apocalypse), then I'd be willing to change my vote to that in the event of a tie.

I'm just gonna put this brainstormy specific stuff here for later as notepad doesn't want to save things properly today since it appears we may be going one of these two directions.

Spoiler (hover to show)

Apocalyptic Future/Dark Future/Far Future

Cold war never ended, Russians won the space race. By mid 2020s, humanity moved out to the stars to escape threat of nukes and stuff. Earth nuked itself and has been lost to time as just a legend. Thousands of years later, "Russians" and "Americans" still carry out an intergalactic cold war, about to turn hot, even though neither actually remembers anything about the original communism vs. capitalism idological stuff, instead hating eachother because that's normal to do. Maybe some other threat now presents itself as well, threatening to fuck up the balance of power and kill everyone.

Humans colonized everywhere in the 2100s, finding the galaxy surprisingly empty. Bad thing A happened, and everyone lost contact for a LONG time. Some confederations formed, some planets forgot they aren't where humans came from, some people evolved into things not recognizably human anymore. People in some places have gotten over bad thing A, and are moving out into the stars again, finding the galaxy much less than empty now.

Humans tried to colonize the galaxy, but it turned out all the good spots were taken. Shouldn't have poked the alien bear, so some titan AE shit happened. Thousands of years of war, scrounging, and being on the run, humanity is on the verge of extinction, and every day another world collapses.

Humans bumped into benevolent aliens on their first extra-solar stop. Aliens shared everything with humanity, setting up thousands of years of prosperity. Jealous faction created a virus to kill aliens because they saw them as X (slowly killing human culture, too fascist, too communist, whatever), and it worked. Human Empire is slowly decaying and corrupting itself.

Humanity bumped into seemingly benevolent aliens after slowly moving out of the solar system over hundreds of years. Aliens found a clever way to slowly kill off humans (lowering birth rate, mysterious illness, whatever) while still seeming to be friends, people figured it out, galactic war insues.

Humans are the benevolent aliens. This is not quite as pleasant as it sounds, because aliens don't always really want benevolent overlords.

Apocalypse

China and Russia went very, very sour during the sino-soviet split. Nuclear war isn't fought Commies vs. Capitalists, but commie vs. commie over control of the red world. China wins and starts consolidating, but the west sees it's chance and nukes them. They get nuked back. Everyone nukes everyone. The war never actually ends, but people are just to dead to fight actual battles anymore.

As above, but the war does end, with communism coming out slightly on top. As part of peace deal, U.S. (only western nation not a glowing wreck, sorry "stuck in the middle" europe) is broken down into small republics, kinda like Russia right after the end of the cold war.

Algae bloom renders most water undrinkable. No major nuclear war occures, but small scale wars are fought over remaining water rights between neighbours. Someone finds a way to clean water after most people are dead, humanity struggles to rebuild and not nuke eachother now that the water thing is out of the way.

Nukes are never developed. Without the threat of global annihlation, the West and East get into it about 10 years after the end of WWII. Gas, germs, and bullets kill millions. War never ends, but yet again, most people are too dead to care or keep fighting. Europe makes a better setting here, because it seems realistic to me that that's really where this would be taking place, but a depopulated, slowly collapsing US could be interesting too.

Some third world party develops a super weapon (super nuke, biowarefare, whatever) and tries to end the cold war. No one takes them seriously. Third world tries to demonstrate just how serious they are, something goes wrong, everyone dies.

Turns out nukes do actually ignite the atmosphere and boil the oceans when you make them big enough. After years and years of "who's is bigger tests", this goes awry and everyone dies without an actual war taking place.

Nutty group starts a plague with specific, if absurd goals. Ends up killing everyone because plague weapons are a pretty bad idea.

Nothing identifiably bad really happens, but people go the way of the panda and just stop living and reproducing. The world crumbles slowly without anyone noticing untill it's too late.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Forrest on March 25, 2015, 10:59:28 pm

Well, I mean, take Fallout, for example, that'd be semi-far into the future after an applicable apocalyptic event, I guess. If we mean far, it'd probably mean a few hundred years more than that.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 11:02:42 pm

Quote from: Forrest on March 25, 2015, 10:59:28 pm

Well, I mean, take Fallout, for example, that'd be semi-far into the future after an applicable apocalyptic event, I guess. If we mean far, it'd probably mean a few hundred years more than that.

actually, we could do a massively fat into the future where some weird shit happened and its fantasy. So we could mix and match. Like, you know the zone in stalker? Like that happened everywhere at once. After a long enough time.....

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Forrest on March 25, 2015, 11:03:33 pm

Quote from: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 11:02:42 pm

Quote from: Forrest on March 25, 2015, 10:59:28 pm

Well, I mean, take Fallout, for example, that'd be semi-far into the future after an applicable apocalyptic event, I guess. If we mean far, it'd probably mean a few hundred years more than that.

actually, we could do a massively fat into the future where some weird shit happened and its fantasy. So we could mix and match. Like, you know the zone in stalker? Like that happened everywhere at once. After a long enough time.....

This actually sounds pretty cool.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 11:07:52 pm

Quote from: Forrest on March 25, 2015, 11:03:33 pm

Quote from: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 11:02:42 pm

Quote from: Forrest on March 25, 2015, 10:59:28 pm

Well, I mean, take Fallout, for example, that'd be semi-far into the future after an applicable apocalyptic event, I guess. If we mean far, it'd probably mean a few hundred years more than that.

actually, we could do a massively fat into the future where some weird shit happened and its fantasy. So we could mix and match. Like, you know the zone in stalker? Like that happened everywhere at once. After a long enough time.....

This actually sounds pretty cool.

Anomalies and artifacts creating new races, old ones being twisted into new forms, a long ass time happens, guns are ancient and ununderstandable devices (mabye preserved so long by anomalies?), and a sort of weird middle ages is happening in the shadows of the ancients.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Forrest on March 25, 2015, 11:08:52 pm

Yeah, I'm kinda leaning towards that, actually.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 11:21:19 pm

Actually, the IRL renaissance happened because some Italian merchants started reading ancient Roman and Greek texts to learn architectural techniques and other things, so how about a world on the very edge of a new renaissance? Also, if ANY religion were to make it through an apocalyptic event, it would be the Roman Catholic church. They went through worse, and the US and Europe is coated in Christian imagery. Plus, the papacy would defiantly survive the apocalypse for a short time at least. A ton of other religions would make it through as well, like........ Wait, what IS the main religion in China? Islam would make it through as well, over a slightly smaller area.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 11:24:13 pm

whoa, okay guys, I get your excited for the idea but let's see what everyone is interested in and then see if that's the popular choice.
Also...uh different religions aren't my strong suit and I really don't want to misrepresent so don't expect me to make that much of an emphasense...and spelling isn't my strong suit either.

EDIT: Should I go ahead and reset the poll? Because it sounds like a few opinions might have changed.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 11:33:36 pm

Oops. That last bit of the post about the religions was supposed to be in a different window, I was sending it to a mate, and just fucking typed it here I guess. Well. Anyway, that point stands. Unrelated to this, but true.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 25, 2015, 11:35:47 pm

Okay, since it sounds like a few opinions have changed I will try and reset the poll, so that those who voted for something and then had one of the ideas explained to them and liked it more can vote for what they really want.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: ApatheticExcuse on March 25, 2015, 11:50:35 pm

Quote from: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 11:21:19 pm

Actually, the IRL renaissance happened because some Italian merchants started reading ancient Roman and Greek texts to learn architectural techniques and other things, so how about a world on the very edge of a new renaissance? Also, if ANY religion were to make it through an apocalyptic event, it would be the Roman Catholic church. They went through worse, and the US and Europe is coated in Christian imagery. Plus, the papacy would defiantly survive the apocalypse for a short time at least. A ton of other religions would make it through as well, like........ Wait, what IS the main religion in China? Islam would make it through as well, over a slightly smaller area.

I would disagree really strongly. The renaissance happened because the plague and a change in population distribution, at least in the mainstream opinion. Though that's the joy of history, you can link anything to anything depending on your view.

A very convincing argument could even be made the Catholic church is responsible for the renaissance, a view which was really common in my parents generation, but less so now.

Main religion in China is a bit of a misleading question. The oldest "religion" in china is Confucianism, which has survived for a very, very long time, but is less likely to survive an apocalypse than Catholicism, which has spent a good chunk of it's existence forcing dominance on the world, and could likely do so again should things fall apart. I agree, same logic to Islam.

Anyway, revote!

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Wheel-Son on March 25, 2015, 11:54:16 pm

Yeeaah... I'm Kinda hanging out... waiting until needed... I'm leaning to the post apocalypse though. And by leaning I mean faceplant.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 11:56:00 pm

Wait........
oh.
well, I was talking about Florence, and the shit that happened there that started renaissance art up. Not really tech, but art. And I'm never thinking right after 11pm. Also, Asian religions can get a bit odd. Like, I get Hinduism as much as I get a few others, but I need to stop talking before derail. Anyway, lets get a revote up in this bitch.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Hayle on March 25, 2015, 11:57:11 pm

Dark fantasy is obviously the best choice, guys. OBIVOUSLY.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: ApatheticExcuse on March 26, 2015, 12:03:32 am

Man, I don't really care much what we choose anymore. I'm just excited to see what everyone's gonna write now XD

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 26, 2015, 12:05:38 am

We can always do multiple shared worlds in different threads to help keep confusion down.
So Post apoc is in the lead with 2 votes... semi surprised that it's just 2 but hey, whatevs.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: ApatheticExcuse on March 26, 2015, 12:21:40 am

Quote from: Perigrin on March 25, 2015, 11:56:00 pm

Wait........
oh.
well, I was talking about Florence, and the shit that happened there that started renaissance art up. Not really tech, but art. And I'm never thinking right after 11pm. Also, Asian religions can get a bit odd. Like, I get Hinduism as much as I get a few others, but I need to stop talking before derail. Anyway, lets get a revote up in this bitch.

BTW Peri, I'm not implying I'm right and your wrong, don't misunderstand! History is so open to interpretation that you can really draw all kinds of threads. For example, you can link the cause of September 11, 2001 to say, the 1953 coupe in Iran, or, as people commonly do, to the CIA training of the muhajedeen during the Soviet-Afghan war. You can even link it to the Wright Brothers or to Henry Ford. That said, I personally think it has more to do with the post WWI partition of the ottoman empire and the british occupation of Palestine, which began on September 11, 1922. This is my opinion based on the facts available, and that Bin Laden's first public announcement was that the attacks marked the end of 80 years of western oppression. Conicidence? Maybe, but it goes to show no one is ever absolutely right when it comes to history.

Yay, derail.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Siege-Loli on March 26, 2015, 12:24:30 am

You giggly fucks always give me the most interesting of ideas to write about. After I finish the story-line for the Terminal Reboot I'll be writing a story based off the Roman Empire. It will have never fallen apart and would have united the world under Roman rule.

Also I'm in favor of the grim-dank.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 26, 2015, 12:27:41 am

Okay, so we've got a tie between post apoc and Dark Fantasy.
so do we want to do both in two threads? or however many threads... IDK. I'm tired and should probably stop trying to organize this for now.
Anyway, I'm sure whatever  we do we'll all enjoy reading and writing it.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: ApatheticExcuse on March 26, 2015, 12:31:48 am

Quote from: Vulnus on March 26, 2015, 12:27:41 am

Okay, so we've got a tie between post apoc and Dark Fantasy.
so do we want to do both in two threads? or however many threads... IDK. I'm tired and should probably stop trying to organize this for now.
Anyway, I'm sure whatever  we do we'll all enjoy reading and writing it.

Three threads might be the answer, it's a threeway tie now.

As a concept, we could make a super universe. Dark Fantasy past that somehow eventually leads to post apoc present, that leads to grim dark future. Could write literally the whole history of the universe.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on March 26, 2015, 12:34:41 am

if you guys want to set up the other two threads, we can just convert this one over to one of the three. and the super universe idea sounds cool.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Perigrin on March 26, 2015, 12:36:55 am

I'll get a write up of the dark fantasy basics done here in a minute, one sec.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: ApatheticExcuse on March 26, 2015, 11:44:09 am

So... post apoc. Guess we should start establishing some stuff. Two questions I'd have:

1. Is it known what caused the apocalypse? Even if it's not known for sure, will the in-universe characters have a rough idea what probably happened? Couple of ideas as to what might have happened:

Spoiler (hover to show)

China and Russia went very, very sour during the sino-soviet split. Nuclear war isn't fought Commies vs. Capitalists, but commie vs. commie over control of the red world. China wins and starts consolidating, but the west sees it's chance and nukes them. They get nuked back. Everyone nukes everyone. The war never actually ends, but people are just to dead to fight actual battles anymore.

As above, but the war does end, with communism coming out slightly on top. As part of peace deal, U.S. (only western nation not a glowing wreck, sorry "stuck in the middle" europe) is broken down into small republics, kinda like Russia right after the end of the real cold war.

Algae bloom renders most water undrinkable. No major nuclear war occures, but small scale wars are fought over remaining water rights between neighbours. Someone finds a way to clean water after most people are dead, humanity struggles to rebuild and not nuke eachother now that the water thing is out of the way.

Nukes are never developed. Without the threat of global annihlation, the West and East get into it about 10 years after the end of WWII. Gas, germs, and bullets kill millions. War never ends, but yet again, most people are too dead to care or keep fighting. Europe makes a better main setting here, because it seems realistic to me that that's really where this would be taking place, but a depopulated, slowly collapsing US could be interesting too.

Some third world party develops a super weapon (super nuke, biowarefare, whatever) and tries to end the cold war. No one takes them seriously. Third world tries to demonstrate just how serious they are, something goes wrong, everyone dies.

Turns out nukes do actually ignite the atmosphere and boil the oceans when you make them big enough. After years and years of "who's is bigger tests", this goes awry and everyone dies without an actual war taking place.

Nutty group starts a plague with specific, if absurd goals. Ends up killing everyone because plague weapons are a pretty bad idea.

Nothing identifiably bad really happens, but people go the way of the panda and just stop living and reproducing. The world crumbles slowly without anyone noticing untill it's too late.

So yeah, just a few ideas.

2. If we establish a canonical timeline, how far up till the end of the world should it go before we just start winging it, and how detailed do we want the timeline? I was playing with one last night, and concluded that it was pretty easy to get from 1848 to a realistic scenario of nukes dropping in 2021 (or really any time after the 1950s if we want to do low or realworld tech instead of near future tech), but that it didn't really leave us much room to write prequel stuff. I was actually writing it for a proposed concept for the far future universe, but might as well share it because it can be adapted over to more current post apoc pretty easily. Right now, it doesn't end with nukes being dropped for the above reason, but it's yet again more just a suggestion of a rough outline for you guys to consider than a suggestion of what the real timeline should be.

For those who aren't really interested in history, the divergence point is pretty obviously 1946, and the REAL "cause" of nuclear war IMO in this particular timeline is Dewey winning in 1948. As I say, this timeline is intended for the far future, whenever we get that going, which is why it ends in a Golden Age here (and colonization of the galaxy in the word file holding the rest of it - this was conceptually based around the space cold war thing I'd thrown out there a few posts ago, and is really more geared to explaining why the USSR still exists when interstellar travel is invented than setting up a good current nuclear war.), but it's not hard to change it up if we want a nuclear apocalypse.

Spoiler (hover to show)

1776 - The American Revolution begins. King George makes note of this in his diary, stating "Absolutely nothing of importance happened today." Due to a combination of European wars and trade concerns diverting their attentions, the British fail to quell the rebellion. The United States of America is born.

1848 - Karl Marx and Fredriech Engles lay down the tenents of socialism in The Communist Manifesto. Around the same time, the Spring of Nations occures, aboloshing whatever remains of feudalism in much of Europe. Nationalism is born amongst the new states, though Imperialism remains the norm for the next 60 years.

1914 - The First World War starts, obstinately due to the assasination of Austrian Archduke Ferdinand. It's generally agreed retrospectively that the war had no specific cause other than Europe needing another balance of power war, but politically, it does make clear the importance of Nationalism over the basic tenents of Imperialism. Some contemporary historians will assign this as the actual cause of the war, though this view changes over the next hundred years.

1918 - Russia's Czar is deposed. The world makes paltry attempts to halt the Russian Revolution in it's tracks (cross-ref: American Invasion of Russia), but nations on all sides
are generally too war weary to concern themselves. The Soviet Union is born.

1939 - The Second World War starts. Obstenantly, the cause is Germany's aggression towards the rest of Europe, though modern historians present a good case as to this war being caused by an unsatisfactory resolution to the First World War and simply because "they could".

1944 - Germany, hard pressed for some miracle weapon to insure victory, launches crude ballistic missiles at the United Kingdom. They are believed to be the first man-made objects in space.

1945 - The first man-made nuclear device is detonated in the United States, and is quickly followed by more tests, cumulating in the useage of the new weapon to bring a speedy end to the Second World War. While the Soviet Union and the United States are both still in jovial spirits, mistrust over the Western world's actions during the Soviet revolution, and the American unwillingness to share their new technology, amongst numerous other differences, cause clouds of mistrust to begin forming.

1946 - Joseph Stalin is deposed by his First Deputy Premier, Vyacheslav Molotov. The Western world mourns the loss of a stalwart ally in the recent war. Molotov inacts surprisingly effective agriculture and industry reforms, and the Soviet Union quickly elevates to world power status.

1947 - With the partition of Korea, Germany, and many other states following the Second World War, it becomes increasingly evident that the political and social views of the East and West cannot co-exist without strife. Russia obtains nuclear weapons through a combination of independant research and espionage. This year marks the generally accepted beginning of the Cold War.

1948 - In an election that surprises no one, Thomas E. Dewey defeats incumbent Harry S. Truman, becoming the 34th President of the United States. Dewey runs on a platform of internationalism, and promises to take the fight to communism, while embracing the New Deal economic policies brought in by Franklin D. Roosevelt, albiet under the new name of Internationlist Economics. At first, he is arguably one of the most wildly popular presidents in U.S. history.

1949 - As part of an attempt to strengthen the international community against communism, President Dewey orders the mobilization of troops into French Indochina, to assist against the Communist insurrection being led by Ho Chi Mien in Vietnam.

Late 1950 - While statistically and tactially successful, the Vietnamese War is quickly becoming a public relations disaster on a global scale. As the United Nations becomes involved, the International Assembly of Soviets pushes back, pouring aide, arms, and material into the beleagured country. China, fresh from it's own communist revolution but unaffiliated directly with the Soviet Union, commits nearly half a million troops to the campaign. The UN falters and begins to lose their nerve. Many wonder if a third world war is just over the horizon.

1951 - Despite numerous success in the Vietnamese War, the Dewey government grows increasingly unpopular on the home front. Protests erupt across the United States as harsher and harsher draft laws are inacted. Racial riots break out due to the percieved unfairness of the draft laws, but are quickly supressed through use of arms. While President Dewey debates authorizing the use of nuclear weapons, calmer minds amongst the American people take a firm opposition to this, and it is decided that Indochina is not worth a nuclear conflict. The American Expeditionary Force withdraws, and with the retreat of it's biggest component, the UN force in Vietnam is quickly swept away by Communist forces.

1952 - Without a wartime economic setting, the Dewey Government's Internationalist financial policies begin to falter, and the American economy begins to backslide. President Dewey is practically ejected from office in the election, losing soundly to Senator Robert A. Taft, running on a strict platform of non-interventionalism and abolishment of not only the Internationalist reforms, but many of the more successful Roosevelt era New Deal reforms. The United States withdraws into itself, becoming isolationist yet again.

1955 - The United States is shocked when the Soviet Union launches a satalite, Sputnik-1, into earth's orbit, at least two years before the commonly predicted timelines. Later this year, the Soviets launch a crude ballistic missile, sending the Western world into a panic.

1956 - The USSR fires a true ICBM, capable of intercontinental flight and against which no effective countermeasure has been developed. In light of these Soviet launches, the United States intervenes in the fledgling Cuban revolution despite Russian threats, attempting to stop the Soviets from gaining a launching point for nuclear weapons off the American coast. Tensions run high, but nuclear war is miraculously averted through diplomacy. America comes out from it's shell of isolationism to inact the Rockefeller Doctrine, a forgien policy similar to the Monore Doctrine, stating that no outside aggression will be allowed in the American hemisphere. America makes several failed attempts to maintain objects in Earth orbit, racing desperately to catch up to the Soviets.

1957 - Premier Molotov announces the success of a Russian manned space mission, the cosmonaught Yuri Gagrin making it successfully into orbit for seven and a half minutes. Unfortunately, inadequate shielding on the spacecraft causes it to explode on re-entry. America launches it's first ballistic missile. Despite lagging in the space race, a modicum of balance is restored to the world as the nuclear arms race begins to even out.

1958 - Three American companies perfect the integrated circuit almost simultaneously, leading to a small patent fight, and a large boost to American rocket research.

1960 - Premier Molotov is killed in a car accident, and control of the Soviet Union falls to former defense minister Nikolai Bulganin. Despite many diplomatic gains having been made in the last three years, Bulganin takes a hardline stance against the western world, and declares the beginning of the world-wide Socialist Revolution. The West dismisses this as posturing, safe in the knowledge that neither side of the Cold War is truely capable of achieving world dominance without horrible costs.

1961 - The Soviet Union launches an object into orbit. While unconfirmed, a great deal of evidences points to this object being a stellar weapon capable of intercontinental bombardment. This is confirmed when Premier Bulganin announces the Soviet annexation of Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, threatening strikes on Paris, London, and Washington should the west intervene. Much debate is raised in the U.S. to the proper course of action, but a test-firing of the orbital weapon sends the west reeling back. The Free World looks on in terror as the Russian Army marches unopposed into Stockholm. The Russians gain complete control of the North Sea, and fears abound that the rest of Europe will be overrun. President Hamilton J. Smithard annouces that America will stand by it's European allies despite all threats, and the Soviet Union appears to take this seriously, halting their advance after the capture of Denmark.

1962 - The United States intervenes directly in several more South American revolutions, and annexes Mexico directly to remove the left-leaning government there. The Soviet Union raises much international protest, but stops short of military threats, feeling comfortable in their stellar dominance. U.S. GDP rises back to a level that puts it in direct competition with Soviet economic power, and despite immense global tension, the world appears to quiet down again.

1963 - Much of Europe, concerned that the Americans will not be an effective force with which to stop Soviet aggression, bands together into the European Union. Despite predictions from economists in both the US and USSR, this does wonders for the collective European economy, and a third superpower begins to emerge. Near the same time, the differences in Soviet and Red Chinese policies begin to tax on the relationship between the two nations. Border skirmishes erupt, and the West looks on with glee as Russia is forced to halt any European plans to settle their borders.

1964 - The United States achieves manned spaceflight. While not publicly announced, the mission is more than just a publicity stunt - several orbital denial objects are placed in orbit, in an attempt to nullify Soviet orbital weapons. Private communiques between the Russian and American governments make it clear that the nuclear playing field has become more level, and in combination with a rapidly escalating Sino-Soviet conflict, the leadership of the west breathes easily for the first time in nearly a decade.

1966 - Despite the west's rapid gains on the USSR, both scientifically and militarily, the Soviets find that they are unable to resolve their issues with the People's Republic of China. What started as minor border disputes quickly escalates into a full scale war. In an attempt to thwart the Russians from achieving an easy win, the European Union takes a large risk and secretly shares nuclear technology with the PRC.

1967 - Several Chinese test detonations and a great amount of posturing on both sides force a ceasefire to the Sino-Soviet War. The Cold War resumes at full pace, albiet with the understanding that all significant parties have a realistic chance of assuring mutual destruction. Looking to achieve some small victory over their foes, they begin the true space race - to the moon.

1968 - After several aborted attempts, the Americans successfully place a man on the moon. This is understood to be a one-way trip due to technological limitations, but the public moral still soars as the stars and stripes are planted on it's cratered surface. Russia grumbles at the American claims, and Premier Bulganin declares that American space aggression will not be tolerated.

1970 - America revisits the moon, this time successfully bringing home samples and astronauts. Despite confirming the moon's obvious unsuitability for colonization, American President John F. Kennedy announces the United States' intention to establish colonies.

1972 - Russia sends six cosmonauts on a one way trip to the moon, claiming it is the start of colonization. The American government responds alternatively with claims of the unsuitability of the moon for colonization, and reaffirmations of their plans to colonize. Premier Bulganin dies of a heart attack, and is succeeded by a string of fairly unremarkable moderates. The Soviet Union continues to prosper.

1993 - The first graphene microchip is constructed by European scientists. The design is quickly stolen via espionage, and soon the chip is perfected across the globe. Computer design explodes, and new technologies are developed at an unbelieveable rate.

2001 - A crude, but functioning plasma drive is invented in the USSR, bringing cheap energy to an already flourishing socialist economy. Either feeling altruistic, or perhaps because of concerns of it's potential as a weapon, a pair of Soviet scientists leak the technology to American and European governments, and soon the first plasma weapon is detonated. Still, free energy abounds, quality of life soars around the globe, and despite the obvious threat of increased firepower in an already tense world, the Golden Age of Earth begins.

Going in a different direction, would anyone be up for a WWIII RP? I'd give a go at GMing, or someone more qualified could, and we could RP the global events leading up to the end of the world as the nations involved Nation States style.

What do you guys figure?

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: RedVulnus on April 01, 2015, 11:01:14 pm

shit. Sorry, been having a lot of stuff go on and forgot about this.
Let's see, I don't think we want the timeline TOO detailed. that way people can go in and flesh it out at will or as necessary.

Also, one the RP idea I'd be up for that. Also, tip here: ask about RPs in the RP section. It's pretty well garunteed to get some kind of attention I do believe.

Title: Re: Shared World [Set Up]
Post by: Exodus on April 01, 2015, 11:22:30 pm

So, what r u going to do with the finished product.