OpenGeofiction
Hello
I just watched a video on youtube that gave me an idea. We could have a wiki page for alternate countries and scenarios. I already have a few ideas. If we get enough, I’ll make a sandbox page on the wiki to record them. I guess they have to be at least plausible though, to stick with the verisimilitude policy, although I could also create a page for less realistic alternatives.
Let me know what you think!
Yuanls
Discussion
Comment from Thunderbird on 25 May 2016 at 01:55
What do you mean, exactly? How historical events would have played out if some important detail was changed?
Comment from Yuanls on 25 May 2016 at 07:32
@Thunderbird Yes, that’s what I mean.
Comment from Ūdilugbulgidħū on 25 May 2016 at 08:41
Its an interesting thought - if there’s to be verisimilitude, there have to be alternate worlds created by the inhabitants of this world. So those could be ‘alternate’ fictional worlds, based on the world we live in (OGF) or ‘entirely’ fictional, based on a different world (not OGF).
Alternate worlds usually involve either a divergence in some point in time or a difference within the world that leads to a different reality; so, for example, magic and mythical creatures can exist in the alternate world, because the rules are slightly different.
What we believe about the world we live in is a slightly question. But clearly some people will believe things that others don’t. The inhabitants of Orbis Tertius, a micro-nation in Shadze-Ma, believe that this world isn’t the real one - and there is a way to create a ‘true’ reality. They have been working on a map for around the last 50 years - which is what they think the world ‘should’ look like. So far, it looks something like this. But they aren’t very willing to release their ideas (that map was leaked). They are also Tlönists so, like many other inhabitants of Shadze-Ma they have some rather strange beliefs. Who are we to say which are right and which are wrong.
Comment from isleño on 25 May 2016 at 09:06
Echoing Udi’s comment… yes, one creative way to share an alternate history is to present it as a work of fiction that exists within the OGF world. That way the idea can more directly add to the richness of the world, rather than remaining separate from it.
And more generally speaking, anyone wanting to share OGF-related fantasy or other unrealistic ideas is totally welcome to do so, as long as it’s presented as a work of fiction within the OGF world (book, movie, game, legend, myth, poetry, artwork, etc).
For example, a seven-headed ghost living in a cave beneath Khaiwoon would violate verisimilitude. But an ancient fairytale about a seven-headed ghost living in a cave beneath Khaiwoon would be just fine. :-)
Comment from Yuanls on 25 May 2016 at 21:59
I have finished the wiki page [here].(http://opengeofiction.net/wiki/index.php/OGF:Sandbox/Alternate_Countries)
Enjoy!