The Undeveloped Timeline Repository

[AmericanCataphract]

Hey all, since I'm new I decided to try something new. Have you ever had an idea for a timeline that you haven't been able to get off the ground? Maybe it's just an idea for a POD, maybe you've developed a synopsis of a timeline but have never detailed it or written a story for it. If any of these is the case, then go ahead and post it in here. Let us know what your great idea is, and critique the ideas of others. Who knows, maybe we'll be able to refine one another's ideas and get them developed enough for the Writer's Forum.

I'll go first. Instead of invading western Europe to reconquer the Roman Empire, Justinian I spends his efforts on colonizing Southeastern Europe and the Balkans, enabling the Byzantines to avoid the problems caused by imperial overstretch and deploy Belisarius to force a permanent truce with the Sassanid Persians. Over time, the Danubian plain becomes an increasingly integral part of the Byzantine domain, while leaving the military strong enough to handle the Muslims when they emerge. The truce with the Sassanids becomes an alliance, and trade across Persia to and from China results in a flourishing of science and philosophy. The result is a faster-paced technological development that blunts the edge of a Mongol invasion in the 1240s (cliche, I know, but I couldn't resist). The result of these butterflies is a significantly different Eastern Europe and Near East, and of course a Byzantine Empire that's going strong to the present day. There's more, but I'm not aiming to bore you with the details.

So, fire away!

 

[Puget Sound]

Spain stays Muslim, while everything else goes as OTL.

The draka, and later the British elite, flee to India and cause a huge Anglo-Indian population to exist.

 

[IchBinDieKaiser]

My scenario involves George Washington accepting the offer from his officers to become a King/Dictator. In this timeline Benedict Arnold did not betray the Americans, so he has become a famous General and quite popular, almost equal to Washington. The colonies of Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia ally under George Washington. The other colonies form what would be the United States, but it is instead called the American Republic of New England(ARNE). I'm not quite sure what the colonies under Washington call themselves.

This leads almost immidietly to a war. The new continental Army now headed by Benedict Arnold attacks the Southern Colonies. But the Southern colonies have the superior leadership of Washington, and a larger Army that they don't have to scrape together at the last minute. After about a year the war is over. The land south of the Ohio River and East of the Mississippi is Annexed to Washington.

That is about as far as I am. Hopefully someone can give me ideas of what to add, or what to fix or adjust.

 

[AirshipArmada]

Here is my stone for the soup:

The Mohawks ally with Metacom in King Philip's War. The indians defeat the Puritans. English colonization of America takes place without OTL Puritan influence.

 

[Paladin]

I've got a couple, actually.

One was the oft-mentioned but never done "Irish Empire" scenario, where Ireland manages to A, create small colonies in North America, like the Vikings, and B, manages to unite in the home island and then dominate these colonies. I would still like to write it someday, but fear that I would be cast out for being too noobish.

Another is your standard Byzantine survival TL. I was actually working pretty hard on this one, but I kept getting hung up on butterfiles, and Basileus Giorgios beat me to the punch.

I also have two Future TLs floating around: One where the Islamic republic of Iran is overthrown and replaced by a democratic, nationalist government that eventually recreates the Persian Empire, at least in Central Asia.

The other is the Second Taiping Rebellion, where the swiftly growing Christian minority in China overthrows the current government in a coup, only to replace it with a brutal theocracy, which is eventually toppled by an alliance of nations and peoples led by Tibet.

 

[Nicole]

Here is my stone for the soup:

The Mohawks ally with Metacom in King Philip's War. The indians defeat the Puritans. English colonization of America takes place without OTL Puritan influence.

Oh, I would really like to see this timeline... be interesting to see what happens in OTL Massachusetts, and how the English react...

My "Gothic Empire" timeline, which I actually did start but never got far with, probably deserves to be on this list- essentially the basic idea is that the Goths go from their victory at Adrianople to taking Constantinople.

I also once wanted to write a timeline starting with Akenaten's Aten cult survives his death and becomes the predominant religion in ancient Egypt. There were several ideas that could go from there... but the time period is so far back that there's issues on how the rest of the world is supposed to play out.

 

[Kabraloth]

Pretty much all my timelines end that way. I suck at getting anything done. I usually start threads for them, though, so they're all here.

 

[AmericanCataphract]

I did one a few months back that although I got down to writing (I was very enthusiastic about it) hadnt obviously planned it and I just gave up....

Basically, entitled 'Sun over Berlin' (I might do a Mk II later, after WMA) it involved the British scientist Oliphaunt's plane crashing in the Atlantic while carrying the secret Tube Alloy plans to the Americans (all legit, dont worry). This is the straw that breaks the camels back and Britain has the edge in nuclear technology. My original supposition was that its dropped on Berlin circa 1944 but then again that was found to be unconvincing....probs not the bomb until '47, 51 maybe given the financial state of the UK. Its a good POD I think, but I'll develop what happens more thoroughly....shows one has to actually plan to a certain degree one's TL's.........

I just looked up the Tube Alloys project. Sounds interesting, do you have it written down somewhere I could read?

Here is my stone for the soup:

The Mohawks ally with Metacom in King Philip's War. The indians defeat the Puritans. English colonization of America takes place without OTL Puritan influence.

Wow, that could seriously change the face of U.S. society, especially in the early Republic, to say nothing of the butterflies resulting from the alliance of Wampanoags and Mohawks. It raises the question of what the Iroquois Confederacy would have done as a result of Mohawk involvement, as well.

My scenario involves George Washington accepting the offer from his officers to become a King/Dictator. In this timeline Benedict Arnold did not betray the Americans, so he has become a famous General and quite popular, almost equal to Washington. The colonies of Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia ally under George Washington. The other colonies form what would be the United States, but it is instead called the American Republic of New England(ARNE). I'm not quite sure what the colonies under Washington call themselves.

This leads almost immidietly to a war. The new continental Army now headed by Benedict Arnold attacks the Southern Colonies. But the Southern colonies have the superior leadership of Washington, and a larger Army that they don't have to scrape together at the last minute. After about a year the war is over. The land south of the Ohio River and East of the Mississippi is Annexed to Washington.

That is about as far as I am. Hopefully someone can give me ideas of what to add, or what to fix or adjust.

Interesting concept, especially with regard to alternate westward expansion of the U.S. Would have been a Louisiana purchase in this TL, and if not what do you think the butterflies on Europe and Mexico would have been? I would also be interested in details of the politics of the ARNE.

Oh, I would really like to see this timeline... be interesting to see what happens in OTL Massachusetts, and how the English react...

My "Gothic Empire" timeline, which I actually did start but never got far with, probably deserves to be on this list- essentially the basic idea is that the Goths go from their victory at Adrianople to taking Constantinople.

I also once wanted to write a timeline starting with Akenaten's Aten cult survives his death and becomes the predominant religion in ancient Egypt. There were several ideas that could go from there... but the time period is so far back that there's issues on how the rest of the world is supposed to play out.

The surviving Aten cult is something that never even occurred to me. It's such a different religion compared to the Egyptian tradition that I don't think most people ever consider that it could have survived. But if it had, would the decline in Egyptian power during Akhenaten's reign have continued with his successor?

Would also be interesting to see the effect the new religion has later on when the Sea Peoples arrive, specifically the Peleset. If they are converted, and settle where they did OTL, what might the Hebrews have made of living next to another monotheistic culture? It might be neat to just plot out the first few centuries, see where the butterflies might lead. It's what I did with my Byz timeline. I kind of ran out of steam around the 1400s except for some vague ideas and the concept of a World War, but just plotting it out to that point was fun!

 

[sunsurf]

Is it okay to post links to things? I've had lots of ideas I haven't developed, and which I wish would get more attention.

Earlier Star Trek

Americas colonized by East Asians

Olympics not cancelled in WW I or II

Mary Poppins and Mr. Spock switch places

A larger Andorra

A world map with odd placenames

A very odd world map

This is about somebody else's short story...

And lastly...there were a number of kings, Popes and other rulers who didn't last very long, and it would be interesting to try and make them last 20 years or more and figure out what would have happened...

 

[AmericanCataphract]

Is it okay to post links to things? I've had lots of ideas I haven't developed, and which I wish would get more attention.

Earlier Star Trek

Americas colonized by East Asians

Olympics not cancelled in WW I or II

Mary Poppins and Mr. Spock switch places

A larger Andorra

A world map with odd placenames

A very odd world map

This is about somebody else's short story...

And lastly...there were a number of kings, Popes and other rulers who didn't last very long, and it would be interesting to try and make them last 20 years or more and figure out what would have happened...

Links are great! All of these are good, especially the odd world map and the alternate colonization of the Americas. Glancing over it, I'm wondering if you ever had a go at making a map for it? I love maps of all sorts, and would be very interested in seeing one for that timeline. Maybe post it in the map thread, and that could get some ideas going from everyone.

 

[Riain]

I have a tri/multi-polar world fetish, so I have a few vague TLs to bring this about.

A pre WW1 shakeup of German command, creating a sort of OKW and an Army Group command level on the western front prior to 1914. The fallout would be Germany winning the Race to the Sea and winning WW1.

Another revolves around Britain's performance early in WW2. Much has been done on the Op Compass TL, but I have an idea that without extra resources the British in Malaya hold on considerably longer, and the RN achieves something with it's ships, allowing them to contribute greatly to the checking of Japan in mid 1942.

A third is a change in RN strategy in 1948-9 leading to victory at Suez. A change that leaves the British the best of the rest in the world with extensive clients and alliances and a very different foreign policy as a result.

But alas I look at the detail some TLs go into and can't match it, I prefer broad strategic themes, leaving the ideas open for those with obscure corners of knowledge to pick them apart. Death by 1000 cuts.

 

[Big Tex]

I put this one on the backburner last semester and dropped it in favor of Ameriwank. I really liked the concept and may get back to it one day but it's fallen to the back of the pack

https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=81190&highlight=super+isot

 

[perfectgeneral]

William IV marries someone who provides a male heir rather than Victoria as queen.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=86150
This time line features Palmerston preventing the Crimean War and The new monarch liking the Irish much more than Victoria (aid and development during the Potato Famine).

Palmerston plots effectively against 'Manifest Destiny'

Retaining Hanover weakens Prussia, but also makes GB more accountable on the continent.