Alternate History Thread IV: The Sequel

[North King]

Though if you're specifically thinking of the mandarins who shut down Zheng He, in their defense the voyages were a stupid waste of money and resources .

That really depends on if you regard prestige as a waste, which many rulers would have to disagree with.

 

[Symphony D.]

I wasn't aware Zheng He was considered a merchant (I thought he had a government office of some sort, for no reason in particular).

Just a Fleet Admiral is all.

 

[das]

That really depends on if you regard prestige as a waste, which many rulers would have to disagree with.

I don't see China losing prestige in its immediate region over it, while prestige further afield was pretty much useless inasmuch as the naval operations were untenable in the long term.

 

[silver 2039]

You can hardly fight the northern barbarians with prestige....

 

[North King]

I don't see China losing prestige in its immediate region over it, while prestige further afield was pretty much useless inasmuch as the naval operations were untenable in the long term.

Oh, certainly. It was only useful in the long term and in the Indian Ocean region. But that's not necessarily useless.

You can hardly fight the northern barbarians with prestige....

Yep. I didn't say that was the best use of China's money, merely that the one use wasn't a waste.

 

[das]

It was only useful in the long term and in the Indian Ocean region. But that's not necessarily useless.

I'd like to believe that, but in what way could it be useful if they were unable to continue the voyages for much longer in any case?

 

[North King]

I'd like to believe that, but in what way could it be useful if they were unable to continue the voyages for much longer in any case?

Well, naturally they'd have to continue the voyages. The key would be retaining control of the Indian Ocean trade network, which otherwise passed to the Portuguese, and later the Dutch, British, French, and so on. Of course, they couldn't see it, so the main value for the Emperors was still the prestige factor.

 

[Azale]

So...what do you guys think of this alternate history blog thing?

Not my cup of modding tea (and I'm starting to pick up the pace on my althistory WW2 NES), but it does look kinda interesting. It has a whole page on futuristic technology (with pictures) and while the timeline definately goes off the deep end in a few spots...it still leaves us with a not completely ******** vision of the future and it does peak my curiosity

 

[Symphony D.]

********, with a capital R.

 

[das]

Having re-read the timeline I have to agree.

 

[Masada]

I drew that same conclusion, i just wasnt going to voice it

Some interesting ideas.

I did have a thought about China, does anyone know what China's financial markets were like before Europe industrialised?

 

[Symphony D.]

Some interesting but bad ideas.

I fixed it for you.

 

[Azale]

Yea, the most glaring thing is just...I dunno, a gigantic Russia-China block in the next 100 years is not realistic

Not to mention the military overthrow of the US government.

I just re-read the timeline, I skimmed it before and missed some of the more outlandish things apparently. Japanese fusion accident depopulates the whole island? Whaat?

 

[Masada]

You fixed it correctly.

I'm still struggling to understand why Australia and New Zealand are neutral... actually lets not even bother to understand, doing so would probably cause our brains to dribble out our ears

 

[Symphony D.]

I skimmed it before and missed some of the more outlandish things apparently.

Nice save. Really.

 

[Disenfrancised]

Yep that timeline is stupid, and the blog even more so: random access has him citing the Heartland theory as reason for predicting Russians resurgence...

 

[Disenfrancised]

Its been a while since anyone posted a coloured doodl...I mean guess the PoD map:

Spoiler :

Also what do you guys think of the visual aesthetic here, with minor states not getting their own colour, dominonesque stuff getting darker version of the parent nations colour and striping to indicate partial control/claims? Ideas shamelessly nicked from Alternatehistory.com .

 

[North King]

The darker color is quite confusing. I was wondering why Ireland owned the Americas.

 

[Daftpanzer]

Its been a while since anyone posted a coloured doodl...I mean guess the PoD map:

Very cool, it seems those Anglosaxons are at it again! I guess the differences start around 1300? France doesn't win the 100 years war? Scotland gets owned by Norweigans and the dirty English let it happen? Spain and Portugal united from the start, and never had much interest in the other side of the atlantic? The Quebec territory is an anglo/scottish/norweigan mix? An Uber-Venice forms the backbone of some kind of italian union? And I guess that Croatia/Serbia had some help to hold off the Ottomans?

 

[LightFang]

The darker color is quite confusing. I was wondering why Ireland owned the Americas.

You mean why the Americas owned Ireland...

Yeah, that is rather confusing.