Story Idea Thread: post your ideas here!

[redrobin65]

An interesting ISOT would be the 2020 Russian Federation going back to 1914.

Another one could be 1989 East Germany ISOTed to 1919.

[James G]

Feb 11, 2020 21:35:02 GMT redrobin65 said:

An interesting ISOT would be the 2020 Russian Federation going back to 1914.

Another one could be 1989 East Germany ISOTed to 1919.

Really like the second one. The Soviet occupation force would have to go with the ISOT though... or maybe not if you wanted to make it really 'fun'.

[stevep]

Feb 11, 2020 21:35:02 GMT redrobin65 said:

An interesting ISOT would be the 2020 Russian Federation going back to 1914.

Another one could be 1989 East Germany ISOTed to 1919.

redrobin65,

  Think the 1st one would be too much of a Russian wank as your got a state with 100 years advance in technology, even without nukes which can wipe the floor, or simply wipe out anybody who tries to resist them.

  The 2nd one is more interesting whether or not the Soviet occupation forces come along.

  If they do then they have overwhelming power including nukes and a lot of air and armour but limited supplies and also what would their loyalty be?  Lenin has taken over Russia but the civil war is in its early stages.  Might be even more interesting say taking it back to 1916 when the Czar is still in power as that would complicate matter more.  However they not only have to handle the down-timers, which they can in the short term at least and the E Germans.

  If they don't then the E Germans have a hell of a lot of power but their surrounded by the early 1919 German state which won't be that friendly to a communist dictatorship and that by the allies, although Lenin and his Bolsheviks are further east.

  Steve

[James G]

There is an island off Cuba - not the Isle of Pines but something smaller - which Fidel gifted to East Germany.
I'm unsure exactly of the current legal status but Reunited Germany hasn't claimed it. An ISOT East Germany might.
Imagine the alarm in 1919 Washington!

[stevep]

   Guys

  Two further points that occurred to me.

a) If course in 1989 the E German government was deeply unpopular and the ending of Soviet political support doomed it.  If the Soviet forces don't come along I can see that being another factor.

b)  What about W Berlin?  If it was included then youi have an isolated bit of 1989 W Berlin along with the American, British and French garrisons and officials.  If it doesn't then there's a pocket of 1919 Germany in the centre of the new E Germany.  Either way I would expect the E German regime to seek to claim it, if necessary by force and that will mean an additional point of conflict.

  Steve

[lordroel]

Feb 12, 2020 15:29:36 GMT stevep said:

   Guys

  Two further points that occurred to me.

a) If course in 1989 the E German government was deeply unpopular and the ending of Soviet political support doomed it.  If the Soviet forces don't come along I can see that being another factor.

b)  What about W Berlin?  If it was included then youi have an isolated bit of 1989 W Berlin along with the American, British and French garrisons and officials.  If it doesn't then there's a pocket of 1919 Germany in the centre of the new E Germany.  Either way I would expect the E German regime to seek to claim it, if necessary by force and that will mean an additional point of conflict.

  Steve

I had a idea that in 1988 a new East German leadership entered the scene, being a moderate Communist (but still a Communist) with plans to modernize and to strengthen East Germany by making it more independent from the soviet Union (which happens in 1990) and even joining the coalition against Iraq, by 2020 it is a modern East Germany (like China) and a regional power (not a member of the EU ore NATO however).

But that is a idea i have in my head for some time, doubt i can ever get a TL ore story made from it.

[James G]

Feb 12, 2020 16:00:13 GMT lordroel said:

Feb 12, 2020 15:29:36 GMT stevep said:

   Guys

  Two further points that occurred to me.

a) If course in 1989 the E German government was deeply unpopular and the ending of Soviet political support doomed it.  If the Soviet forces don't come along I can see that being another factor.

b)  What about W Berlin?  If it was included then youi have an isolated bit of 1989 W Berlin along with the American, British and French garrisons and officials.  If it doesn't then there's a pocket of 1919 Germany in the centre of the new E Germany.  Either way I would expect the E German regime to seek to claim it, if necessary by force and that will mean an additional point of conflict.

  Steve

I had a idea that in 1988 a new East German leadership entered the scene, being a moderate Communist (but still a Communist) with plans to modernize and to strengthen East Germany by making it more independent from the soviet Union (which happens in 1990) and even joining the coalition against Iraq, by 2020 it is a modern East Germany (like China) and a regional power (not a member of the EU ore NATO however).

But that is a idea i have in my head for some time, doubt i can ever get a TL ore story made from it.

So a non ISOT story?
The push for unification was strong but there were obstacles in the way. Say Russia or Thatcher in the UK says no and means it. Well... half of the people at least will leave even with a full on democracy. It makes a surviving East Germany near impossible.
Years ago on another board I started but never finished a surviving East Germany story. It was never going to work though because without the utmost ruthless border patrols, the country couldn’t survive.

[lordroel]

Feb 12, 2020 16:26:10 GMT James G said:

Feb 12, 2020 16:00:13 GMT lordroel said:

I had a idea that in 1988 a new East German leadership entered the scene, being a moderate Communist (but still a Communist) with plans to modernize and to strengthen East Germany by making it more independent from the soviet Union (which happens in 1990) and even joining the coalition against Iraq, by 2020 it is a modern East Germany (like China) and a regional power (not a member of the EU ore NATO however).

But that is a idea i have in my head for some time, doubt i can ever get a TL ore story made from it.

So a non ISOT story?
The push for unification was strong but there were obstacles in the way. Say Russia or Thatcher in the UK says no and means it. Well... half of the people at least will leave even with a full on democracy. It makes a surviving East Germany near impossible.
Years ago on another board I started but never finished a surviving East Germany story. It was never going to work though because without the utmost ruthless border patrols, the country couldn’t survive.

Well i also had East Germany surviving until 1991 ore 1992 with the new East German leadership wanting to show the West they where the good guys from now on taking part in the 1st Gulf War.

[stevep]

Feb 12, 2020 16:35:21 GMT lordroel said:

Feb 12, 2020 16:26:10 GMT James G said:

So a non ISOT story?
The push for unification was strong but there were obstacles in the way. Say Russia or Thatcher in the UK says no and means it. Well... half of the people at least will leave even with a full on democracy. It makes a surviving East Germany near impossible.
Years ago on another board I started but never finished a surviving East Germany story. It was never going to work though because without the utmost ruthless border patrols, the country couldn’t survive.

Well i also had East Germany surviving until 1991 ore 1992 with the new East German leadership wanting to show the West they where the good guys from now on taking part in the 1st Gulf War.

  I think the problem would be less persuading the west of this than of their own people.  As so few trusted the regime.  Even if this new ruler really opened up the government to new talents and non-communists, which is going to face huge opposition from the apparatchiks its going to take a lot for most people to trust him.  Also as James said reunion with W Germany, especially since it was so much richer and more advanced was very attractive.  Hence I would agree with James I can't see it surviving long as an independent state.  Thatcher might not like it but she doesn't really have any say in the issue and unless things go radically different Russia is unlikely to maintain any real influence in the region.

[Zyobot]

This idea is one for the future (it’d waste space in ‘Politics and Current Affairs’), but I’m contemplating an ASB TL in which the 2020 US IOTL gets sent to a TL in which Hillary won the 2016 election. OTL America would materialize in the space normally occupied by Canada, meaning that it’d become the new northern neighbor of Clinton’s US. In addition to Presidents Trump and Clinton meeting one another—which would make for an awkward first encounter—I’d also have to flesh out what sort of world took shape after TTL’s PoD (which, again, is Hillary winning in 2016). Some may think that the US would be a much better place without the actual POTUS in the White House, but I’m less sure. Especially since one theme I’m thinking about including is Clinton’s America being at war. But more discussion of that belongs elsewhere, perhaps.

[stevep]

Mar 9, 2020 1:01:57 GMT Zyobot said:

This idea is one for the future (it’d waste space in ‘Politics and Current Affairs’), but I’m contemplating an ASB TL in which the 2020 US IOTL gets sent to a TL in which Hillary won the 2016 election. OTL America would materialize in the space normally occupied by Canada, meaning that it’d become the new northern neighbor of Clinton’s US. In addition to Presidents Trump and Clinton meeting one another—which would make for an awkward first encounter—I’d also have to flesh out what sort of world took shape after TTL’s PoD (which, again, is Hillary winning in 2016). Some may think that the US would be a much better place without the actual POTUS in the White House, but I’m less sure. Especially since one theme I’m thinking about including is Clinton’s America being at war. But more discussion of that belongs elsewhere, perhaps.

  Well, unless the ASB is actively intervening to prevent climatic and other butterflies the 2020 US would be screwed as its a lot further north of where it was so most would become at best sub-arctic, if not full arctic.  Since its also smaller than Canada and a different shape that's going to have an impact on the climate of the Clinton 2020 world although how dramatically would be difficult to tell.

  Also would US facilities, people etc outside the US be duplicated or would only the Clinton world ones be present.  If the former then the US is going to have a lot of people and resources duplicated.  Duplication of people especially is going to be a serious issue anyway on numerous levels.

[Zyobot]

Mar 9, 2020 15:37:52 GMT stevep said:

Mar 9, 2020 1:01:57 GMT Zyobot said:

This idea is one for the future (it’d waste space in ‘Politics and Current Affairs’), but I’m contemplating an ASB TL in which the 2020 US IOTL gets sent to a TL in which Hillary won the 2016 election. OTL America would materialize in the space normally occupied by Canada, meaning that it’d become the new northern neighbor of Clinton’s US. In addition to Presidents Trump and Clinton meeting one another—which would make for an awkward first encounter—I’d also have to flesh out what sort of world took shape after TTL’s PoD (which, again, is Hillary winning in 2016). Some may think that the US would be a much better place without the actual POTUS in the White House, but I’m less sure. Especially since one theme I’m thinking about including is Clinton’s America being at war. But more discussion of that belongs elsewhere, perhaps.

  Well, unless the ASB is actively intervening to prevent climatic and other butterflies the 2020 US would be screwed as its a lot further north of where it was so most would become at best sub-arctic, if not full arctic.  Since its also smaller than Canada and a different shape that's going to have an impact on the climate of the Clinton 2020 world although how dramatically would be difficult to tell.

  Also would US facilities, people etc outside the US be duplicated or would only the Clinton world ones be present.  If the former then the US is going to have a lot of people and resources duplicated.  Duplication of people especially is going to be a serious issue anyway on numerous levels.

Yes to all of these points. ASB prevents the climate from getting screwed by Trump's America materializing, which also retains everything in its territory--people, terrain, infrastructure, the whole shebang. I'll definitely acknowledge that duplicates of the same person would pose massive legal debates, which would swiftly follow the shock and awe of the ISOT happening at all.

Of course, I'm concerned that the normal time-travel disputes would be placed on the back-burner for the moment, thanks to my worry that Clinton's America would be at war (since she'd probably implement the no-fly zone over Syria that she advocated for IOTL). But aside from that being a key reason that Trump's America might seek to distance itself from Clinton's own as tensions progressively mount between them, I'm unsure how much more of this I can discuss outside of 'Politics and Current Affairs'.

[Zyobot]

This next one is inspired by a short story titled On the Steppes of Central Asia, and has a somewhat similar premise as well. Where it mainly diverges is that sometime in the distant future, the American Founding Fathers find themselves revived just after dying, and no doubt baffled at the fact that not only has their vitality been restored, but also the setting they’ve found themselves in. Not to mention the stranger who greets them, explaining their current situation and catching them up on the history of the United States as it unfolded after their passings. But for as much shock, awe and mixed emotions would overtake them once a few hundred years of history has been relayed to them, the real bombshell will drop once he tells them that the American experiment was ultimately a failure.

As even though it started out successful, the various checks, balances and constitutional rights that they enshrined still weren’t enough to stop government from growing larger and larger throughout the centuries. Rather, it’s fallen prey mainly to greedy politicians, a complacent citizenry, and moneyed interests who’ve hijacked Capitol Hill for their own ends. Combined, these have facilitated the emergence of a security state whose endless warring, propaganda, and casual diktats have both deceived and browbeat the public into accepting throughout the years. That is, until the ‘American Empire’ that formed in the Founders’ absence was finally brought down, leading to a more extreme social order holding that, for all their wisdom and deserved wariness towards big government, the Founders still didn’t go far enough.

Because now, the current paradigm is anarchism. More specifically, a brand of anarchism that embraces free markets, private ownership, and mutual non-aggression against others. And the real clincher is that, for as long as it’s been demonized and discouraged throughout the ages, it’s actually turned out to work far better than previous social orders have.

[CastilloVerde]

I've had many ideas for a story/timeline. One of which is an ASB story that has the apocalypse occur in the fifth century AD with the decline and fall of the Roman Empire in the west. Essentially, the various migrating barbarian tribes (Vandals, Goths, etc.) will represent one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse ending with the Huns. Attila would be the so-called fourth horseman (…and the name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him…) From there, disasters and plague will consume the empire until the story culminates in a cataclysmic final battle between the Huns and the Romans which shatters the world and paves the way for a new world to be created from the ashes. Unfortunately I have no idea on how to approach such a story, especially since my narrative writing abilities are, shall we say, not the best.

[redrobin65]

The Border War

During World War Two, Hungary and Romania fought as part of the Axis. Despite this, the two countries despised each other--the Hungarians wanted different parts of Transylvania than what they got, and the Romanians were adamant that their northwestern border should be on the River Tisza. Consequently, the two countries kept substantial forces on their common border, even as both of their armies were crushed near Stalingrad. One of the reasons that the Hungarian Second Army was so poorly supplied was that huge amounts of arms, ammunition, and other resources were going to the troops dug in in Transylvania (Hungarian First Army). The Romanians used intercepted radio messages from a Hungarian officer (General Gustav Jany) talking about how many of his troops had broke and ran from the Don Front to portray them as cowards and undermine their authority in Transylvania. What if Antonescu's Romania decided to take back Transylvania by force?