Timeline Contest 2 Discussion

Welcome to Timeline Contest Two.

First off, let me once more congratulate our winner of Timeline Contest One, Jasen777!

And what Jasen777 doesn't know, is that as winner of Timeline Contest One, he gets to choose the POD for Timeline Contest Two!

Now then, everyone feel free to let Jasen777 know here your ideas for a POD, but it will be Jasen's decision as our winner.

As to rules....

I think that we ought to set weekly milestones for posting sections of the timeline. For example, in retrospect I would have recommended posting a decade's worth of events every, say, Monday until we were up to the present. That would have been six weeks of posts.

The idea there would be that that would keep people interested and give them smaller deadlines, rather than being overwhelmed by a large timeline due at the end of a distant date.

I also think that we should loosen up the format a bit. People should be allowed to post their weekly update in whatever format they see fit, so long as it covers the timeperiod set for the timeline (a decade, a century, whatever makes sense for the POD).

Maps, flags, and other visuals are optional, of course.

So first, we need Jasen777 to choose our POD.....

Sweet! That's actually the prize I would have asked for.

I definitely have a few ideas, but I wouldn't mind hearing general suggestions (such as time period and region) from people who want to participate.

To counter the first contest it will be a non-American and Pre-1900 POD.

No one interested in throwing out a few ideas for Jasen? If not, I guess it's up to you, Jasen, to come up with the idea for this one on your own.

Argentina and Chile go to war in 1979, that way I don't have to write a new TL.

Please, do a POD in which Saladin never lives! I made a thread about it and I got really interesting responses!

My Ideas: (favorites in bold )
-What if Saladin had never been born?.
-What if Richard III hadn't died at Bosworth Field.?
-What if The Western armies had won the battle of Sekigahara?
-What if Charles V hadn't inherit the Spanish Throne?
-What if Napoleon had died at Aspern-Essling instead of Jean Lannes?
-What if the Ottomans had taken Vienna during the first Siege?
-What if Hitler had been in the Navy instead of the Army?
-What if the Baltic States and Finland had supported the Whites, thus leading to and end of the USSR?
-What if the Meiji Emperor had not lived?
-What if Don Juan of Austria had been allowed to be King of Tunisia?
-What if Paraguay had won the War of 1865-1870?
-What if the Revolutionary Armies of France had invaded Ireland?

I have more

Pick something from this list.

NO! mine is better!

4 and 9 are in both lists,
5, 11, 14, 19 and 21 aren't too original.

How about something about Austria unifying Germany, or Paul's march on India of 1801, or a successful Indian mutiny...

I say go with something really, really early... like, Assyrian early

Prussia Manages to succesfully fight off Napolean?
First Paris Commune is succesful?
Babylon survives?
Russia conquers Istanbul?

My propositions:
- Russia is never unified (rather long and research-intensive TL)
- UK and US fight a war late XIX century (shorter but creativity-intensive TL)
- Teutonic Order stays in Hungary (my favourite)

So...which will it be?

Thanks for the suggestions (although I don't think everyone got my request for "general" advice). That being said I've decided to go with my own idea.


Here's the POD I want: In 1505, Martin Luther doesn't become a monk and goes on to have an ordinary and historically unremarkable career as a lawyer. (If the lighting story is true, it can be as simple as Luther being delayed a few minutes).

I know this, or similar, is a classic WI, but I couldn't find any timelines on the site that had this as the POD. I think this is a good pick because it'll allow for some pretty different (but realistic) timelines.

Catholic wank! YES!

In your face, bloody filthy lutherans!

And by no means need to be - although it could.

maverick said:

Catholic wank! YES!

In your face, bloody filthy lutherans!

Click to expand...

Oh its on!
Lutheranism FOREVER!

Hmm... without Luther, the reformation goes to other more radical comrades, maybe even towards the complete destrution of the catholic church, and the overthrow of it and other leaders temporeral authority with everything from minor doctrinal quibs to full blown heresy fluorishing...in its absence...

Jasen777 said:

Thanks for the suggestions (although I don't think everyone got my request for "general" advice). That being said I've decided to go with my own idea.


Here's the POD I want: In 1505, Martin Luther doesn't become a monk and goes on to have an ordinary and historically unremarkable career as a lawyer. (If the lighting story is true, it can be as simple as Luther being delayed a few minutes).

I know this, or similar, is a classic WI, but I couldn't find any timelines on the site that had this as the POD. I think this is a good pick because it'll allow for some pretty different (but realistic) timelines.

Click to expand...

Hokay, Luther the Lawyer, 1505. When do we start?

When Glen says to...

Assuming there's any interest.

Jasen777 said:

When Glen says to...

Assuming there's any interest.

Click to expand...

I think we ought to get Jasen's project off the runway. Who wants to take a crack at developing timelines with this POD? Best one wins.

Jasen777 said:

Thanks for the suggestions (although I don't think everyone got my request for "general" advice). That being said I've decided to go with my own idea.


Here's the POD I want: In 1505, Martin Luther doesn't become a monk and goes on to have an ordinary and historically unremarkable career as a lawyer. (If the lighting story is true, it can be as simple as Luther being delayed a few minutes).

I know this, or similar, is a classic WI, but I couldn't find any timelines on the site that had this as the POD. I think this is a good pick because it'll allow for some pretty different (but realistic) timelines.

Click to expand...

Glen said:

I think we ought to get Jasen's project off the runway. Who wants to take a crack at developing timelines with this POD? Best one wins.

Click to expand...

I'll give it a try. I don't recall the first timeline contest, so I'm not entirely clear on what's expected.

The Bald Imposter said:

I'll give it a try. I don't recall the first timeline contest, so I'm not entirely clear on what's expected.

Click to expand...

Well, since it's been a while, and to encourage participation, lets be more free-form. Form a timeline from the POD Jasen provided to the 'present' (may be either the present date or the present level of technology, just to make it fun). You choose the format. Post it as you are able on a separate thread with the label TLC2: before the title so we can find it. Let's post them in the before 1900 section for maximum exposure.