The problem with althistory forums that I have experienced(Its actually my personal problem)

As the author of the 'Peerless Air Ministry' TL I can totally understand the OP's problems with a lot of AH writing. I have found writing a plausible time line that is both interesting and historically credible very challenging. In fact I have had complete writers block for over three months, partly due to the fact that so many butterflies are flying (pun intended) from a simple POD that every outline I have written from late 1941 onwards is likely to cause howls of derision as being ASB, despite their inherent logic and grounding in historical context. Keeping to Mark Twain's Maxim, can put severe limits on a writers choices and at times can make a story less believable than one that has real live type 'left field' events. in real history implausible things do happen so having a few such events in an ATL is I think essential for a real feel to the history.
Getting this balance right is the difficult bit IMVHO.
Having the PAN TL held up as an example of a plausible ATL in the forum is very flattering thank you.
 

CalBear

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Many of the threads here meet the "70%+ test". All of them require at least one Point of Departure that is sufficient to change events going forward. that is the only way to get to "Alternate".

You will find many threads where one member or another argues that XYZ isn't possible, often with some justification. However, in many cases you will then find a second poster when explains, with equal justification, that it was very possible had a simple decision have been made earlier (a rather common one is to let the Me-262 fly as a fighter rather than spending well over a year trying to turn it into a tactical bomber, although that generally starts a rather lovely argument over the degree of impact, which is, of course, the whole reason the Board exists, lovely well reasoned debate).

Most of the threads here are more accurate than supposedly 100% historical documentaries that one finds both on TV and on-line.
 
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