Alternate History is becoming popular...

GBW

...but apparently mostly with video game designers. I've noticed a trend in which more and more video games are being based in 'alternate histories' or 'alternate realities'. Much as person newly discovering alternate history, the PODs seem to be mostly in the first half of the 20th Century with most of them involving World War II.

Does that mean that the next great trend will be games set in 'Confederates win the ACW' timelines? :confused:

....or have those faux documentaries taken over that one?
 

Michael B

GBW said:
...but apparently mostly with video game designers. I've noticed a trend in which more and more video games are being based in 'alternate histories' or 'alternate realities'. Much as person newly discovering alternate history, the PODs seem to be mostly in the first half of the 20th Century with most of them involving World War II.

Does that mean that the next great trend will be games set in 'Confederates win the ACW' timelines? :confused:

....or have those faux documentaries taken over that one?
Click to expand...
The problem with going just that far back is the changes in history that ripple forward from it. A designer only has so much time to sell the game in and more changes he has had to make, the harder it is for him to sell the scenario. In addition WW2 has a world wide appeal. ACW scenarios are more likely to appeal to americans than Europeans and Asians

So whilst the next great trend might be 'Confederates win the ACW' timelines, I would not expect them to sell quite so well.
 

NapoleonXIV

Banned
GBW said:
...but apparently mostly with video game designers. I've noticed a trend in which more and more video games are being based in 'alternate histories' or 'alternate realities'. Much as person newly discovering alternate history, the PODs seem to be mostly in the first half of the 20th Century with most of them involving World War II.

Does that mean that the next great trend will be games set in 'Confederates win the ACW' timelines? :confused:

....or have those faux documentaries taken over that one?
Click to expand...

Can you give some examples? beyond that one where the USA is breaking up I can't think of any WWII types. (and that's modern come to think, yes?). Course, since my knowledge of VG is what I glean from obsessing on Morgan Webb....

Although I remember one where the Battle of Gettysburg could be played any way you wanted, and isn't there a recent one where you can refight both the Mexican-American and the ACW too?

Alternate History in general seems an absolute natural for VG to me. All the Sid Meier games, EU etc, Rome Total War, all AH, yes?
 

Lokit

NapoleonXIV said:
Can you give some examples? beyond that one where the USA is breaking up I can't think of any WWII types. (and that's modern come to think, yes?). Course, since my knowledge of VG is what I glean from obsessing on Morgan Webb....

Although I remember one where the Battle of Gettysburg could be played any way you wanted, and isn't there a recent one where you can refight both the Mexican-American and the ACW too?

Alternate History in general seems an absolute natural for VG to me. All the Sid Meier games, EU etc, Rome Total War, all AH, yes?
Click to expand...

Resistance: Fall of man comes to mind. But it is heavily ASB.
 

HueyLong

Banned
Iron Storm was fairly ASB, but had a cool premise and a fairly cool progression of technology.
 

TyrannusZero

GBW said:
...but apparently mostly with video game designers. I've noticed a trend in which more and more video games are being based in 'alternate histories' or 'alternate realities'. Much as person newly discovering alternate history, the PODs seem to be mostly in the first half of the 20th Century with most of them involving World War II.

Does that mean that the next great trend will be games set in 'Confederates win the ACW' timelines? :confused:

....or have those faux documentaries taken over that one?
Click to expand...

They milked every other part of World War II to the History Channel Hitler-obsession degree so they needed a new idea. I guess AH and aliens in World War II was all they could come up with.
 

GBW

I'll try to make a list of some alternate history games:

Freedom Fighters
Iron Storm
Red Alert Series
Crimson Skies
Resistance: Fall of Man
War Front: Turning Point
Fall of Liberty
Ring of Red

Any others?
 

HelloLegend

Banned
GBW said:
...but apparently mostly with video game designers. I've noticed a trend in which more and more video games are being based in 'alternate histories' or 'alternate realities'. Much as person newly discovering alternate history, the PODs seem to be mostly in the first half of the 20th Century with most of them involving World War II.

Does that mean that the next great trend will be games set in 'Confederates win the ACW' timelines? :confused:

....or have those faux documentaries taken over that one?
Click to expand...

Have you seen Confederate States of America DVD mockumentary directed by Spike Lee?
 

Adam

GBW said:
I'll try to make a list of some alternate history games:

Freedom Fighters
Iron Storm
Red Alert Series
Crimson Skies
Resistance: Fall of Man
War Front: Turning Point
Fall of Liberty
Ring of Red

Any others?
Click to expand...

Bungie's Marathon?;)
 

Ivan Druzhkov

HueyLong said:
Iron Storm was fairly ASB, but had a cool premise and a fairly cool progression of technology.
Click to expand...
Ah, Iron Storm. I just love that game. Sure it’s a little buggy, and the character models could use a face-lift, but the environments are just so wonderful. Everything’s armor-plated or sheer concrete or water-damaged wood, and there’s nary a single element of lightness or human comfort anywhere. Pretty much sums up WWI in a package, doesn’t it?

As for games having a WWII vibe, there’s also an older naval combat sim entitled Enigma: Rising Tide. IIRC, the Germans win WWI and take over all of Europe, including Britain. The game takes place during the 1930s, and focuses on a naval cold war between the USN, the Kreigsmarine, and an alliance of the IJN and the “free” RN. Freedom Fighters also has a POD that takes place in WWII, though the action is entirely in 2003.

I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised that there’s so much focus on the early 20th century: most of the background is within the general knowledge of the gaming audience, and anything with an earlier POD would probably look so strange that the designers could probably just repackage the thing as straight fantasy and sell it just as well. Besides, the years from 1900-1950 were pretty damned interesting, so why not use ideas from there?
 

drakkon

Every time you play a game of Rome: Total War, or any of the TotalWar games, you are, in effect, creating an alternate history.

Same thing with Hearts of Iron. I like playing as Brazil, giving myself a Facist government, and conquering all of latin America.
 
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