Maelstrom
Try Carthage. They really don't get the attention they should have and are often antagonized, even though they were initially more successful and technologically superior to the Romans.
I write pretty good fanfiction, sometimes.
Try blending cultures as well. Just remember to keep them distinct from each other so no one will accuse you of not doing the research.
Micromastophile
Intended to, I need at least two to do that though.
...and any current or past civilizations consist entirely of one culture? Just poke a pencil at a map and/or timeline.
Tokyo meets Venice meets stereotypical Victorian attire!
England meets the Roma meets traditional clothing reminiscent of Southeast Asia!
Sparta is always fun. Perhaps a bit more used than you're asking for, but definitely one of the more interesting ancient cultures. You don't even have to include the whole warrior/miltary thing if you don't want to either. Focus on how they handled wealth and social classes.
Dreamkeepers Prelude, check it out!
I'd suggest China, but I'm already doing that so...
...actually, there are plenty of East Asian countries that it might be interesting to make counterparts of, as pretty much everyone does China or Japan. Tibet in its imperial stages (although it has the drawback of many of its names being The Unpronounceable in English), Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc etc. Sub-Saharan Africa's also a very much underused place for inspiration.
A chub from the Grant Corporation
Jamaica Meets Sparta.
Swords are for wimps
and if you want a political arrangement that is check-and-balanced into impotence, take look at the Polish Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the conflict between the Sejm, the crown and the individual magnates
What about the Etruscans or the Hittites? They're obscure enough. Or the Iriquois or Huron. Didn't they have a confederation
The terrible downside to multiple identities: multiple tax returns
Rock On
The Babylonians had kickass beards and step pyramids. The Ottoman Empire. The Germanic tribes.
[[tvtropes.org/pmwiki/lb_i.php?lb_id=12919183980B30760200 Liveblog of]] John Carter Of Mars
Try cultures that are often ignored or presented badly.
Eastern europeans and the ancient equivalent of russia, for instance. Ancient africa also is pretty much uncharted water. And the good works of fiction deficting pre-columbine civilazations can be counted with one hand, so there's lot of space in there.
Another vote for Eastern Europe, there's some interesting stuff over there, Biskupin
being a case in point.
edited 6th Dec '10 1:06:55 PM by Weaver
Given that Rome, The Empire, The Republic and The Federation are so overdone, what are some good (preferablly obscure or at least underused) cultures and or government set ups to base things around?
I alreddy decided to base something off Book of Judges era Isreal, a loose military alliance that picks a Badass to command when needed (In this world, such badass are commonish, slightly rarer than a pro-athlete today).