A double whammy, so to speak.

[DGNT]

Well, the race for the next EI plotline (here: http://alternatehistory.com/discussi...582#post857582 ) is neck in neck between a 'Years of Rice and Salt'-style non-European dominated history and Russia winning the Crimean War.

So, nows your chance of a lifetime[/noexaggerationatall]
What were looking for here is general discussion of the following scenarios:

1. Europe which had its population mostly wiped out in the 1300's, depending on the time period we start in (between 1600-1940), Europe will either be mostly empty, with many a few smaller states with populations ranging from 100-200,000 or so. The American states (Inca, Aztecs, etc.) will be reaching a level where they have either 'discovered' Europe or are colonising it (with initial technological aid from China, perhaps?), and perhaps we can throw in a few African/Asian powers.
On a side note, Im not sure if the population of 'European' Russia should be wiped out as well, considering how spread out the cities are in the Russian states, and their better practices regarding sewage (IE: not just throwing it into the streets <_<).
It would be interesting to see a Russia 'uncorrupted' by European influences, though.

2. Fairly obvious, yes? Russia would be more powerful, and larger. I imagine a lot of the UK's fleet would be tied up in the Aegean to keep the Ruskies in the Black Sea. Since Russia suffered a lot of casualties in the war anyway, they would most likely be modernizing, although perhaps with more success than they had historically.

If anybody feels like it, a rough 1300-1940/1855-1940) timeline would be great. Maybe not likely, but much appreciated

[DGNT]

So...just to get things started.

What are peoples opinions on the native American ability to develop technology? Ive gotten a few opinions on it, and most are rather widely spaced.
Most of them say that, without some kind of Chinese invervention, the Americas would take forever to get out of their 'stone age' (term used loosely :P), while WITH it, they could advance farily rapidly to a European-esque level of technology, catching up (by various estimates) between 1600-1800 (IE: They have 1600's equivalent technology in 1600, or 1800's equivalent technology in 1800).
A few people are saying that they would never catch up due to cultural issues.

Also, estimates of Plauge/other disease casualties post-contact in the Americas would be appreciated. Ive heard that nearly %90 of the south/Central America natives were wiped out by European disease, but I also understand that those dastardly Europeans were also purposfully spreading disease amoung them.

[WhatIsAUserName]

I highly doubt that France would undergo another revolution in just, what, three years after the Second Empire was established? I mean, yes, they've switched governments a lot of times, but another one so soon? Rather implausible.

Another thing I doubt is that the Russians would be able to successfully capture Constantinople and the Bosporus Straits. I think that the Royal Navy, and the husks of the Ottoman one, would be strong enough to deter them from that.

[DGNT]

As I noted in the topic under the EI forums, I basically pulled those POD's out of my ass. Aside from a 'Please give me a TL' topic, this is also a 'Lets make this work' topic :P

[Blackbeard]

The Native Americans? They could develop gunpowder and the like by some priest exploding his ceremonial powders, but it will have to be the Maya or possibly the Inca (the Inca would be better, as they were closer to tribes with knowledge of bronze working, which could eventually turn to iron working) to exploit it, the Aztec were not scientifically focused as they were. The Maya could also be good in that if the Aztec took over it would in all probability a merging of the two cultures, which could lead to an advanced empire, and perhaps influenced by the Inca too through trade, which could mean this Meso-American Empire, so to speak, could move North into actual North America, and eventually become seafaring, trade with the Polynesians (enslavement?) comes next, then the Chinese! On the other hand, the Inca could get more advanced gun technology, as they had easier access to iron, and they could create guns similar to that of OTL European ones (Conquistador gun style). A stray Chinese trader an viola, Incan junks travel through the Pacific and on to Asia, trading with the Polynesians (enslavement?) and Chinese, and possibly reaching Australia and/or East Africa.
So which do you pick,
A) The vast North American empire that trades over the Northern Pacific
B)The seafaring empire based out of South America that trades all over the Pacific and has colonies in Australia and/or East Africa

[DGNT]

I was actually considering a sort of spoof-1421 deal, where China refocuses its trade with America after Europe becomes unable to supply it with the stuff they want.
I understand China liked silver, something which the Americans had plenty of.

[Blackbeard]

Problem is most of it is in a fine area between the range of the Cohuilatecans and the Aztecs. Would the Chinese make it that far inland?
Wait, I just had a vision, I don't know how it would come to fruition but
A Chinese Aztec puppet state