Alternate History/Parallel Universe Ideas and Discussion Thread.

I've been thinking some more on this.

There are Categories that could come in handy to streamline Creation of Alternate Universes.

1. Natural Events.
This can be anything from The Earths Orbital Path around the Sun, The Polarity of the Magnetic Poles eg North and South flipping, Continental Shapes and Drift, Sea Level, Volcanic Activity, Weather Patterns, Atmospheric Composition, Meterological Activity, Solar Flares, Extinction Events etc.

2. Biological Events.
Evolutionary Paths differentiating from our baseline regarding Flora and Fauna.
This can have interelations to Number 1 Natural Events and vice versa as Plant Composition and development impacts Atmosphwric Composition, Water Filtration, Erosion, Formation of deposits of Oil and Gas, Pollination and Dissemination etc and Enviromental Circumstances drive Evolution down differing paths.
Also Instinctual behaviour, Sapience, Survival Mechanisms vary based on the above.

1 & 2 could also be classified as Organic and Non Organic Natural Events.

3. Willful Divergences/Sapient Choices.
This Category is based on Artificial Divergences caused by Sapient Life.
This can include Effects on the World, Nature and Recorded History of Cultures and Nations.
1 & 2's Categories can overlap with the differentiation of Causation.
Nature and the World can be impacted by Sapient Species.

I like the idea of utilising an old Creative Writing Trick where you have a few bags with words or in this case Time Periods, Biology etc with a lucky dip of sorts to generate semi random divergences.

For the most part I would agree the Human Element is important both to relate to but also as a very rich source of Divergences.

Earth existing and Life being present I agree are also prerequisites but a World without Sapient Life or a World with a differing Dominant Sapient Species would also make good episodes as Worlds which stand apart from the glut of Human Civ based AU's.

Invasion did a nice job of dabbling with an alternate species controlled Earth but as you say Humanoid Biped is not required or even likely potentially.
It's a shame the other Kromagg Eps I hear about defiled a fun idea and good one off episode.

Elephants with a dew evolutionary differences could make an interesting Rival Sapient. Just imagine an Elephant with a Bifurcated Trunk. Two manipulator appendages is interesting.

Equally though you could make an episode revolving around a GM Uplifted Sapient Elephant Sub Species.

A far superior premise to explore Genetic Manipulation than Canons OTL Island of Dr Moreau rip off I'm sure you would agree?

I see where you are coming from. Still... Puppets ala Farscape and CGI are both cheaper and capable of more than back in the 90's so even TV or Web Mini Serial type programmes could in theory pull it off.

Planet of the Apes huh?
A valid concern. If it's a homage though as opposed to a blatant rip like Dr Moreau or the Species rip off eps?

Have to be so careful not to get into lazy copy territory and instead dabble and play with ideas that share themes or better yet place a new spin or flavour on things.

A new Species whether Evolutionary or Artificially formed like said Elephant would maybe have differing drives, psychological outlooks and Social Structures which could have an impact on Architecture, Urban Planning, Resource Management and Logistics etc.

Of course their Size and Shape would more obviously do the same.

Humans are more Omnivourous with a Carnivourous slant whereas Elephants potentially Ombivourous would have a Herbivourous slant which would hint at more developed Agriculture, More Spaced out Towns and Cities and potentially more developed Canal Networks.

I have to say though... The humble Crow itself may make another interesting candidate for Alt Evolution or Tweaking given how smart they are.

Another interesting option is the Larger Striped Pacific Octopus which interestingly has uncommon Paired Mating Practices and Social Development unlike most other Octopus Species who are more geared to Isolation and even indulge in Cannibalism of their Mate.

Check out this Link

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 … 151220.htm

An interesting look at an Octopus based Sapient Evolution is explored in this Link

http://www.alternatehistory.com/discuss … t=octopans

It is in the format of a Story/Timeline. It's not based on the Larger Pacific Striped Octopus but it is a fun read anyway.

That's some nice idea Cyrokin!

I have a couple to add so let me know if you like?

Not fully my ideas now but inspired by so to say.

Me and a Friend have been on a Fallout kick lately and got to discussing the Vaults and Vault Tec's/Enclave hidden Social Experiments within a closed enviroment.

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Vault 

We chatted and thought.... What if we took the Vault Experiments and expanded on them so that rather than a Microcosm of semi controlled conditions with Control Vaults and Test Vaults..... We make a Parralell World based upon them and ramped up to eleven.

An example would be: A World where Conflict Resolution, Government Policy etc is decided by Gambling.

The basis being that it is the only Impartial Method that rose to prominence in their Culture.

This example is based on Vault 21.

A list of Vaults.

http://www.falloutfacts.com/vaults/all- … ments.html

For me, the idea is localized travel through reality.  To give a concrete analogy, if you walk to the house next door to yours, the area is obviously going to look similar to your home (your "world").  If you keep walking down the street, the differences start to increase, but it's still familiar.  Once you travel a few miles, you could be in the middle of nowhere where there is no one and nothing.

With the timer, I believe it's limited power amounts to something like walking from your home.  However, keep in mind that because of the necessary countdown trick, the timer would be "walking" you in an expanding or shrinking circle (The Helix Spiral).  Without going in a straight line, it would take much, much longer to gain ground away from home.

As for the catalyst that splinters reality into alternate earths, I believe it's a human conceit that we effect this solely through free will.  You can force your decisions if you are determined about something; but what if it's something you didn't care much about?

Alternate reality theory looks at electron spin and how it's direction affects reality.  For example, if enough electrons spin a different way from our reality, an impulse in your brain may shift.  Think about all the choices you make in a day regarding things that weren't really important to you.  What made you feel like wearing the red shirt instead of the blue?  If you chose the red, maybe it caught someone's attention causing them to interact with you and opening a new decision tree.  If you chose the blue, maybe you escaped that person's notice and that decision tree is closed.

I believe reality splinters based on the decisions we didn't make; it breaks when we don't care.

So, actual ideas...

Something akin to "The Weaker Sex" except played seriously.  A world where the women are dominant physically; bigger, stronger, faster like the men are on our world.

A world where the atmosphere is intoxicating to some of the Sliders.  Rembrandt has to keep things together when Quinn, Wade, the professor are "drunk" because of the air.

A world entirely populated by androids, where the organic population died out long ago.

A world where there was recently a biological war and one side released a germ that killed all the adults, only children remain.  Once the kids come of age they die, and the Sliders catch it as well!

A world where the Greek Gods were real.  Except they weren't Gods at all, just people who invented advanced technology and used it to keep the rest of the population as their worshipers/slaves.  And their descendants have kept up the practice.

A world that rotates much faster than ours, causing the Sliders to age rapidly.

A world where the Roman Empire never fell, and now uses modern technology to stream gladiatorial battles and the like.

A world where some renegade Kromaggs don't kill humans, they use them as entertainment by forcing them to fight to the death while the Maggs wager on the results.

A world where there has been an ecological disaster and the few remaining humans live underground in a controlled environment.  Unfortunately, the computer that runs everything is failing and they've lost the capability to repair it.  Easy job for Quinn, if only there was enough time.  The locals, however, won't allow him to leave until he's fixed it.

It's closer to Spock's Brain, actually.  The notion of them taking Quinn's brain seemed a little much, however.

Some of them are older than that.  Any of them could be given a Sliders spin.

I noticed a little influence from the show "The Tribe" too.