Have you ever wondered how the world would ACTUALLY change in 80 years? Look back 80 years from today as examples. Countries we hear about every day, like Israel and Iran, were both declared in this time period. In my lifetime alone, we saw the largest single nation on Earth shatter into a half-dozen smaller republics. After that, another country, far smaller, got drawn into a civil war which created splinter nations of only a few hundred thousand people. Other countries were considered property of a monarch, including my own. We have the fall of the Soviet Union, the rise of Japan as an economic superpower, and seen the transfer of power from kings and military juntas to democracies across the world. We have witnessed the greatest nations disintegrate and the rise of superpowers from the brink of collapse.

As NeuroSpasta's rules chugs along in playtesting, I have returned to working on its setting. I realized to make a sensible timeframe, I need to explain everything, at least for my own personal records. In aid in that, I have started writing a brief history of every country of consequence over the next 80 years. From the creation of the republic of Palestine to a reunification of Korea, I've left no stone unturned. I imagine this may take a while. I understand some choices may seem bizarre, others may appear blatantly controversial. Some countries won't be mentioned as they are not expected to change (like France...seriously, what would you expect). However, I do go into minute details if they affect the overlying geopolitical landscape. I understand readers may not be interested in the goings-on between Bangladesh and India or why Lebanon regained the title of "Paris of the Middle East". No one asks what goes on in Ghana in today's news. I hope, by creating this rich tapestry of political conflict, it will serve to inspire adventures with some credence to them.

I am currently still debating if I should divide the United States or not. I sunk half of the Netherlands and shattered the economy of Kuwait. You may think that's cruel, but this afternoon, I wiped out Maldives.

Nuff said...