Map Thread XIX
- Thread starter water123
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The "Irredentist Mexico" map went out of control. I will also say that Equal Earth is so much more aesthetically pleasing than Robinson, I can't look at Huge Russia anymore without wanting to die. As usual, this is fiction and I do not endorse any ideas described herein.
This map is nearing completion (date is 2100), and it's got a lot going on. For now I wanted to focus on the North America part. Basically it's the story I've used before, America fell into a rough political patch in the 2030s (though worsening political polarization had been building for decades), and the most heavily Mexican-settled areas acceded to Mexico, aided by various American political factions.
This however did NOT end America's political troubles. Governments dominated by Leftist and Rightist factions switched back and forth, and palace putsches were just as common as major elections. Finally, the Coasts seceded in the 2060s after the Heartland forced their hand.
Mexico had largely been sitting it out. It had been generally aligned with the Leftist factions in the early 21st century, but after several megacorporations pulled a capital strike (Mexico had continued to have a socialist tinge to its politics) in Los Angeles and cratered the South California economy, relations cooled drastically. After the secessions, it normalized relations with the rump-USA quite rapidly.
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As the year strikes 2100, we should note how odd the rump-USA is. It began as an autocratic ethno-sectarian regime, but it ended up as a multiracial socialist democracy, though it continues to possess its religious and communitarian character. The reason why is that the old political divides simply didn't matter anymore. By 2100, Left and Right had given way to Red and Gray. Basically:
Gray: The "Gray" idea complex refers to neoliberal, technocratic, techno-optimist, secularist, and cosmopolitan views. Think Cyberpunk Tokyo fused with present-day Miami and Manhattan on steroids, and you'll get the look, feel, and ethos of "gray" polities like Japan, New England, and the European Union.
Red: This is much more loosely defined, and most of the world embraces "Red" ideas to varying degrees. Socialist democracy is what they generally converged on. They are more interventionist vis-a-vis the economy, and they will even entertain Luddite policies temporarily if necessary. They are generally religious and communitarian...the far-Left bohemian of eras past isn't something you see anymore. They run the gamut from nationalist (Poland) to cosmopolitan (USA). They can be environmentalist (Kanuri Republic) or not (East African Union).
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Human genetic/biological/cybernetic enhancement is a thing. Complicating matters, it's generally expensive and tends to fray society further between the haves and have-nots. Thus it is a point of political contention, with Gray being generally in favor and Red being against it.
This map is nearing completion (date is 2100), and it's got a lot going on. For now I wanted to focus on the North America part. Basically it's the story I've used before, America fell into a rough political patch in the 2030s (though worsening political polarization had been building for decades), and the most heavily Mexican-settled areas acceded to Mexico, aided by various American political factions.
This however did NOT end America's political troubles. Governments dominated by Leftist and Rightist factions switched back and forth, and palace putsches were just as common as major elections. Finally, the Coasts seceded in the 2060s after the Heartland forced their hand.
Mexico had largely been sitting it out. It had been generally aligned with the Leftist factions in the early 21st century, but after several megacorporations pulled a capital strike (Mexico had continued to have a socialist tinge to its politics) in Los Angeles and cratered the South California economy, relations cooled drastically. After the secessions, it normalized relations with the rump-USA quite rapidly.
---
As the year strikes 2100, we should note how odd the rump-USA is. It began as an autocratic ethno-sectarian regime, but it ended up as a multiracial socialist democracy, though it continues to possess its religious and communitarian character. The reason why is that the old political divides simply didn't matter anymore. By 2100, Left and Right had given way to Red and Gray. Basically:
Gray: The "Gray" idea complex refers to neoliberal, technocratic, techno-optimist, secularist, and cosmopolitan views. Think Cyberpunk Tokyo fused with present-day Miami and Manhattan on steroids, and you'll get the look, feel, and ethos of "gray" polities like Japan, New England, and the European Union.
Red: This is much more loosely defined, and most of the world embraces "Red" ideas to varying degrees. Socialist democracy is what they generally converged on. They are more interventionist vis-a-vis the economy, and they will even entertain Luddite policies temporarily if necessary. They are generally religious and communitarian...the far-Left bohemian of eras past isn't something you see anymore. They run the gamut from nationalist (Poland) to cosmopolitan (USA). They can be environmentalist (Kanuri Republic) or not (East African Union).
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Human genetic/biological/cybernetic enhancement is a thing. Complicating matters, it's generally expensive and tends to fray society further between the haves and have-nots. Thus it is a point of political contention, with Gray being generally in favor and Red being against it.
Yep, the Second Balkan War narrowly missed its occurrence, thanks to the Congress of Budapest.
Like I said, the randomness makes things wonky sometimes and I have to roll with them.
A Century of Randomization, Map II:
The Chinese Warlord Era, 1924
The Chinese Warlord Era, 1924
Potato-based imperialism: the unstoppable rise of Spudulike
Founded in 1974, Spudulike’s unique jacket potato-based and trail-blazing franchise model propelled it from humble beginnings in London to absolute worldwide hegemony in the sphere of convenience restaurants[1].
150 branches had been established across the United Kingdom by 1980, with the first international branch opening in Dublin in 1981. Since then, aided by a decline in world tensions following the collapse of the Combined Syndicates of America and deft international diplomacy by a succession of CEOs, Spudulike plc has transformed from a convenience restaurant chain to an unstoppable international juggernaut: Spudulike restaurants are now operational in all seven continents (following the establishment of an outlet in Antarctica’s Scott Research Base in 2011).
With a market cap of £80bn as of 2019 and the largest private workforce in the world, the future looks rosier than ever for Spudulike. While its position in the forefront of the globalisation and homogenisation of food has attracted worldwide attention and criticism – Spudulike outlets are regularly attacked by armed mobs in Hyderabad, Spudulike’s presence in the Federation of American States has been attacked on the campaign trail by David Duke, and Spudulike plc’s unorthodox and creative use of tax havens and transfer pricing have attracted comment both in the UK and abroad – the rise and rise of Spudulike seems ineluctable, at least for the time being.
[1] TTL's version of the fast food chain.
Founded in 1974, Spudulike’s unique jacket potato-based and trail-blazing franchise model propelled it from humble beginnings in London to absolute worldwide hegemony in the sphere of convenience restaurants[1].
150 branches had been established across the United Kingdom by 1980, with the first international branch opening in Dublin in 1981. Since then, aided by a decline in world tensions following the collapse of the Combined Syndicates of America and deft international diplomacy by a succession of CEOs, Spudulike plc has transformed from a convenience restaurant chain to an unstoppable international juggernaut: Spudulike restaurants are now operational in all seven continents (following the establishment of an outlet in Antarctica’s Scott Research Base in 2011).
With a market cap of £80bn as of 2019 and the largest private workforce in the world, the future looks rosier than ever for Spudulike. While its position in the forefront of the globalisation and homogenisation of food has attracted worldwide attention and criticism – Spudulike outlets are regularly attacked by armed mobs in Hyderabad, Spudulike’s presence in the Federation of American States has been attacked on the campaign trail by David Duke, and Spudulike plc’s unorthodox and creative use of tax havens and transfer pricing have attracted comment both in the UK and abroad – the rise and rise of Spudulike seems ineluctable, at least for the time being.
[1] TTL's version of the fast food chain.
I don't know what "cursed" means, but I will say that my style of mapmaking is about merging a degree of plausibility and realism with punk, absurdism, and trope subversion.
The "Irredentist Mexico" map went out of control. I will also say that Equal Earth is so much more aesthetically pleasing than Robinson, I can't look at Huge Russia anymore without wanting to die. As usual, this is fiction and I do not endorse any ideas described herein.
This map is nearing completion (date is 2100), and it's got a lot going on. For now I wanted to focus on the North America part. Basically it's the story I've used before, America fell into a rough political patch in the 2030s (though worsening political polarization had been building for decades), and the most heavily Mexican-settled areas acceded to Mexico, aided by various American political factions.
This however did NOT end America's political troubles. Governments dominated by Leftist and Rightist factions switched back and forth, and palace putsches were just as common as major elections. Finally, the Coasts seceded in the 2060s after the Heartland forced their hand.
Mexico had largely been sitting it out. It had been generally aligned with the Leftist factions in the early 21st century, but after several megacorporations pulled a capital strike (Mexico had continued to have a socialist tinge to its politics) in Los Angeles and cratered the South California economy, relations cooled drastically. After the secessions, it normalized relations with the rump-USA quite rapidly.
---
As the year strikes 2100, we should note how odd the rump-USA is. It began as an autocratic ethno-sectarian regime, but it ended up as a multiracial socialist democracy, though it continues to possess its religious and communitarian character. The reason why is that the old political divides simply didn't matter anymore. By 2100, Left and Right had given way to Red and Gray. Basically:
Gray: The "Gray" idea complex refers to neoliberal, technocratic, techno-optimist, secularist, and cosmopolitan views. Think Cyberpunk Tokyo fused with present-day Miami and Manhattan on steroids, and you'll get the look, feel, and ethos of "gray" polities like Japan, New England, and the European Union.
Red: This is much more loosely defined, and most of the world embraces "Red" ideas to varying degrees. Socialist democracy is what they generally converged on. They are more interventionist vis-a-vis the economy, and they will even entertain Luddite policies temporarily if necessary. They are generally religious and communitarian...the far-Left bohemian of eras past isn't something you see anymore. They run the gamut from nationalist (Poland) to cosmopolitan (USA). They can be environmentalist (Kanuri Republic) or not (East African Union).
---
Human genetic/biological/cybernetic enhancement is a thing. Complicating matters, it's generally expensive and tends to fray society further between the haves and have-nots. Thus it is a point of political contention, with Gray being generally in favor and Red being against it.
Interesting scenario, what does the green represent? Also good choice of basemap!
I know I'm a bit late on this subject, and it also is a charged discussion subject, but I'll try to give an objective answer/collection of information regarding the subject.
Aztlán in its regular sense means "Land of the Aztecs", it thus is a "generic" country name comparable to the likes of "Fin-land", "Eng-land/Engla-londe", "Scot-land" or "Zhōngguó (Centre-land)".
Due to the connection of the now mostly-extinct Atzec culture/peoples, as well as the rich cultural history of the Aztec Empire/civilization ("Aztlan") the name is also attributed to a mythical place which in general is associated with the Nahuatl/Aztec civilization and Tenochtitlan. As such, the term has also become a popular name within literature in regards to fantasy lands that bear a Tenochtitlan-based culture, magical civilizations in and around Mexico, or aspects of a "Neo-Aztec" Mexico of any kind of genre, often being used as a name that simply indicates "change", similar to how other places are often rebranded to "Germania/Vaterland/Empire", "Gallia/Gaul/Francia/Republic", "Lusitania/Hispania/Hiberia", "Liberion/Freedonia/Columbia", "Britannia*/Albion" , "Yamato/Fuso/Cipangu" or "Maple Syrupia" when someone doesn't feel comfortable using "real world" names.
Notable examples here include the Aztlans of Warday, The Forest of Time, Burning Tower, Aztec and the magic/cyberpunk Shadowrun which is the one I personally always think of when hearing the name Aztlán.
The term is also sometimes used for the formerly Mexican-controlled/inhabited territories that now are part of the United States, in various contexts, with even one that interprets the name in a way that the "mythological/paradise-like" Aztlan are attributed to the formerly Mexican territories that now prosper/have prospered more than the rest of Mexico, and thus is the paradisiacal, the "Aztlan" part of historically Mexican/New-Spanish lands (yes, seriously; I can't pinpoint the person/book where this was mentioned tho, so I made this paragraph smaller.)
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( ! Opinion incoming ! )
Now, I am aware that the term is sometimes/frequently being used by right wing organizations. However, and that's something I always say, just because some idiots use it, that doesn't mean it should automatically "belong" to them. Words like "Germanic/Teutonic", "Yamato", "Germany/Deutschland/France/insert country name here" or "insert Name/Adjective/something something attributed to relevant group" are also often used by left-/right-wing extremists, autocratic regimes or dictatorships to propagate their ideologies, yet we all know they also represent the meanings of "Germanic languages, Germanic tribes, culture, alphabet etc." or "Yamato dynasty, province, legend, people" in a sociohistorical, geographic or even simply a simply "Gratuitous Foreign Language" sense.
SnivyLink over here "merely" posted a map that displays a pre-1848 borders Mexico with lazy subdivisions (or an alleged/apparent "irredentist" Mexico) and the word Aztlan below it. I mean, yes, the map is rather uninformative and, depending on definition, "made sloppy" with some lazy subdivisions (why th would the Oklahoma panhandle be its own state?!), but it doesn't inherently imply a right-wing or any sort of ideology meaning behind it. Heck, even if it was displayed with right wing propaganda fitting the country, then it still most likely merely depicts the Scenario of a fascist/expansionist Mexico bearing the name "Aztlán", and I see nothing wrong with that. We see dozens of "Greater Germanic Reich"/Nazi World scenarios here yet we all know that the people posting these maps aren't secretly plotting a fascist takeover of this discussion board.
It becomes a different case when statements like "My ideal Russia/Germany/Germanic Reich/Europe/Aztlán" appear on the post like it has sometimes happened on the last Map Thread with the 2 or 3 afterwards banned Russian mappers who made maps of ethnically cleansed countries and stated these are their ideal/politically ideal Russias. However, this clearly isn't the case here, as it was a "sloppy map with country name written down below", at least for me.
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Also, for the obligatory map that has to be posted after derailing thread, uhh..... *rumbles through relatively empty box of actually fully finished maps*
Ah, here, have some Nightrise/TLP Indian Federal Union:
And a concept map of East Asia before the Chinese Cessions crisis (Sometimes referred to as the Shandong crisis) :
Acceptable writeup is sadly missing for both maps, currently, but as previously stated in the last Map Thread I'm working on a (re-)introductory map/writeup for the new version of Nightrise, known as "The Lilith Parallax".
Shandong under Danish administration? And also what is SER? I kinda remember this TL including a Großdeutschland/Danubia-Poland, Austriawank sort of thing but can't really remember.
SER is probably short for Serica, the Latin name for China.
edit: nope, nevermind, since SER also rules Indochina. silly me.
Time for some R A D I C A L D E C E N T R A L I Z A T I O N
In our own timeline, the Holy Roman Empire existed merely as an extremely decentralized collection of over hundreds of states with no real unity ever being achieved. Erecond has it's very own equivalent but on a much more fantastic scale.
The Collegiate States
There was a point in Erecond's history, where magic had actually existed for almost a thousand years (before it eventually got thrown into the dustbin of history). The Collegiate States was a very decentralized collective of about a hundred small states (kind of rings a bell to another particular state doesn't it?) that was comprised of governments run by local colleges, which had embraced the mystical force that provided quite the advantages. These colleges taught people locally, while also maintaining legislative, executive, and judicial functions from within their campuses. As of yet, the Collegiate States is not that well fleshed out, but it is definitely canon and existing within this universe despite no form of government being laid down.
In modern times on Erecond, a very decentralized country still exists and is functioning to this day. Sadly there is not much information put on it yet, as it has just recently been introduced into the canon...
In our own timeline, the Holy Roman Empire existed merely as an extremely decentralized collection of over hundreds of states with no real unity ever being achieved. Erecond has it's very own equivalent but on a much more fantastic scale.
The Collegiate States
There was a point in Erecond's history, where magic had actually existed for almost a thousand years (before it eventually got thrown into the dustbin of history). The Collegiate States was a very decentralized collective of about a hundred small states (kind of rings a bell to another particular state doesn't it?) that was comprised of governments run by local colleges, which had embraced the mystical force that provided quite the advantages. These colleges taught people locally, while also maintaining legislative, executive, and judicial functions from within their campuses. As of yet, the Collegiate States is not that well fleshed out, but it is definitely canon and existing within this universe despite no form of government being laid down.
In modern times on Erecond, a very decentralized country still exists and is functioning to this day. Sadly there is not much information put on it yet, as it has just recently been introduced into the canon...
@Valdore Javorsky, do you have a map thread of your own for all your old Nightrise concepts? They're among my favorite maps on the site, but I can never find them, and they seem to have changed a lot over time.
Saint Empire Romain, the nickname given to the somewhat neo/pseudo-frankish theocracy in France which also controls parts of Italy, including Rome.
Correct.
Not really, tbh. But the new introductory map and the following up maps will probably be collected in a thread, and they’re also (hopefully) going to be even better than the stuff I made before.
My only current issue is that I’m procrastinating far too much...
Green is just the color of various countries.
Embossed outlines indicate geopolitically revisionist powers.
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