Book Review - GURPS Alternate Earths 2

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This is another great GURPS book. A sequel to GURPS Alternate Earths. It introduces six new timelines and lots of other crunchy bits.

NEW WORLDS
Cornwallis
The British keep the French from interfering with the American Revolution. The revolution fails. In the early 19th century Tecumseh forms a confederation that is recognized as a subject nation of the Empire. Changes continue over the decades.

By 1983 the British Empire spans the Cape Colony, St. Louis (this timeline's name for Australia), and large portions of North America, along with scattered islands. They are by far the most powerful nation on Earth. The Russian Empire is doing well for itself as well, having kept Alaska and adding Manchuria and Japan to its territories.

All is not well. Without a successful American Revolution representative government never spread. The various empires and kingdoms spend much time crushing revolutions and their technology is a little behind the OTL in 1983.

Ming-3
The Chinese treasure fleets are never disbanded. The Chinese continue to explore and expand their influence across the seas. Violent encounters with the Portuguese required a demonstration of imperial power. By 1519 one of their fleets arrives in Lisbon, Portugal to deliver an ultimatum.

Growth of the Chinese territory continues. By 1859 well over half the world is controlled by them. All of eastern Asia, all of Australia, eastern and southern Africa, most of Europe (except for Russia), Central America as well as the west coasts of both North and South America.

Midgard
In 860 the Vikings successfully raid Constantinople. The vast wealth and new technologies they gain allow them to continue expanding their culture across the world. Numerous Viking nations are established as they have the resources to expand and develop colonies in Vinland.

The spread of knowledge of the new world allows others to cross the Atlantic. By the early 12th century Moslems settle in what in our world is Cuba. Within a few hundred years they add much of northern South America to a new Caliphate.

The Mongol invasion of Viking lands in 1237 are not as successful as in the OTL. In fact by the late 14th century the Golden Horde is finally destroyed.

By 1412 the world is a much different place than it is here. A very interesting world to adventure in.

Caliph
Technological advancement begins earlier in the Middle-East. By the ninth and tenth centuries the Abbasid caliphs have a scientific revolution. Oil replaces coal as a source of power and technology really begins to advance.

By the 13th century Islam is dominating much of the world. A global war between various states is fought in the early 14th century. All throughout this time technological progress marches on. Before the Spanish discovered the Americas in our timeline this one had a man landing on the moon!

Earth develops its first interstellar colony by 1568 and will contact alien life less than a century after that. By 1683 technology has advanced so far a visitor from our world would believe they had been transported to the far future.

Aeolus
William of Orange fails to take the English throne in 1688. The world continues to be controlled by squabbling monarchs. The concepts of liberty and democracy are never popularized until some writings in 1906.

In 1939 a republican uprising in Austria overthrows the Habsburgs (they flee to take control of Russia) and numerous small republics form. They form the Republican Alliance and are at war with Habsburg Russia. The weird bit is that the Republicans then invent combat aircraft, skipping propeller driven craft and going straight to primitive jets.

Centrum
An even more successful domination of the world by England. By 1902 there is an atomic war and much of the royal family is killed. Succession wars and rebellions send the world into chaos.

After the chaos died down a group called Centrum begins to restore order to the shattered world. With the discover of the ability to travel to alternate worlds they expand their mandate to bring order to other worlds as well.

In 2007 they are involved in what they call the Dimension War with a group calling itself Infinity. This world is a look a the home of the 'bad guys' from the Infinite Worlds setting in GURPS Time Travel. It's nice to have more details on the world they came from.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Another great GURPS supplement. I only wish that there was an Alternate Earths 3 (and 4 and 5 etc.). Some creative worlds with some details for basing a role-playing game around. Each of the Earths has notes on integrating and crossing over other GURPS products to expand and customize the campaigns.

Of course because of my bias in my love of RPGs and having run a GURPS alternate world campaign for three years I have to give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

If you ran an alternate world RPG campaign and used this book in the game please leave some details about it in the comments section. Thanks!

NOTES
GURPS Alternate Earths 2 was published by Steve Jackson Games
Page Count: 128
Authors: Kenneth Hite, Craig Neumeier, and Michael S. Schiffer
Year Published: 1999
ISBN: 1-55634-399-X

Book Review - GURPS Alternate Earths

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This book covers a lot of territory. In addition to the detailed worlds there are notes on developing a campaign based on travel between alternate worlds.

NEW WORLDS

Dixie
An alternate world that diverges in 1856 with William Walker successfully conquering Nicaragua. This eventually leads to events that give the Confederacy victory in the American Civil War.

Reich-5
Axis powers win World War II. Diverged from real history in 1933 with the assassination of FDR. By the 1970s Nazi space exploitation is more advanced than anything we have in 2013. It is a dark nasty world, with the addition of more cybernetics it would make an interesting setting for a cyberpunk campaign.

Roma Aeterna
No exact divergence point is given for this world dominated by the Third Roman Empire. It is now 2631 AUC (AD 1878) and Rome dominates the Known World. I say the Known World because many portions of the globe are still covered by 'barbarian darkness'. Unlike many other alternate histories involving the Roman Empire I've seen this one has the technology of the Empire rather backwards and different. All things considered behind what we had in the real world in 1878. A sidebar on scientific advancement in this world telling of the problems they've had is given.

Shikaku-Mon
One of my favorite alternate histories. The son of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, survives to ascend to the throne. the Habsburgs never gain dominance over Spain. Changes begin to snowball. The Reformation takes a different course and Jesuits are successful in converting much of Japan.

By 2015 the world has four superpowers. The three nuclear powers are The Swedish Empire (controlling all of Scandinavia, the Baltic states, northern Germany, Poland, Greenland, and parts of what would be northern Canada, New England, and other parts of the north-east US). Next is Christian Japan (which controls India, Australia, southeast Asia, much of China, parts of northeast Asia and an enlarged Alaska). The Empire of Brazil is a slightly larger version of the Brazil of our world (and their government recently collapsed making it a large state where anarchy is practiced). The one non-nuclear world power is France. France is a world power not because of territory but because of their exploitation of space. They don't need nukes when their lunar mass drivers can destroy cities just as well.

Ezcalli
Carthage discovered the 'New World' in 508 BC. Over 2,300 years later the Mongol Khaganate dominates most of Eurasia, the Tenochca Empire dominates Central America as well as parts of North and South America. The Songhay Empire controls a chunk of north-west Africa.

Gernsback
This one technically would have diverged with the Big Bang. Science is capable of marvels seen in the old pulp magazines. The more obvious divergence is when Nikola Tesla marries the daughter of J.P. Morgan. By the 1960s the world is rapidly advancing in technology. New inventions are encouraged, the atom isn't feared, and the world appears to be heading towards Utopia. The World Science Council helps guide things along. Mad science and art deco architecture. Loads of fun.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Since I've run alternate Earth campaigns (including one with GURPS using the Shikaku-Mon world as the starting point for a three year campaign) I am a little biased about this book. It has a half-dozen well developed worlds with timelines and notes on cultural differences plus notes on bringing in elements form other GUPRS books into the setting. There are also many other short descriptions of other alternate worlds that follow a similar theme to the ones described here. It is an indispensable resource for an alternate world RPG in any system.

Given the vast utility I received from this book, even glancing at it on a regular basis in the present, I have to give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Perhaps some day I'll have to make a series of posts giving the highlights of that old GURPS Infinite Worlds campaign I ran. Could be interesting, what do you think?

NOTES
GURPS and this Alternate Earths sourcebook are published by Steve Jackson Games.

Page Count: 128
Authors: Kenneth Hite, Craig Neumeier, and Michael S. Schiffer
Year Published: 1999
ISBN: 1-55634-318-3