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Lockhart Shrike Since: Sep, 2010
Shrike
#1: Mar 3rd 2011 at 10:56:06 PM

Okay, in a "Never was this Universe" humanity coexists with "magical" creatures. The thing that after their renascence came around we realized the magic "shouldn't work, but happens anyway and still has it's rules." Vampirism is a "virus" (or at least that's what it acts like) that can only effect a small portion of the population. Lycanthropy is similar in its primary form but "true werewolves" have a "poisons" bite that can "half-turn" normal humans for a few hours. Dire wolves never died out, and strange creatures called "ghouls" (which experts boggled as they don't resemble anything else on earth, nor do they have magic) roam the land. Despite these and other threats, humanity not only survives but thrives due to "the Sword of Damocles we call magic" driving us to develop faster and faster. Needless to say this has had a tremendous effect on society. With the rapid development of technology many areas have struggled to keep up. Cities built from stone and timber are finding themselves with Retinal Scanning Displays on government buildings. New fourth generation air craft are providing close air support for first-gen mechas. Gasoline was never the fuel of choice because of slightly faster development of the car and slower development of petroleum. Finn ally, we have the world itself. Let's turn the earth 80 degrees (the axis is still the same in relation to the sun, so we aren't tidal locked) so that the north pole is on N10/E60 and the south pole is on S10/W120. The two most powerful nations in the world now exists around the Arctic Ocean, and on the Antarctic Continent (If anyone has any ideas as to how this would effect weather please let me know.) This means there was never a "New World/Old World." This is where I start to fall apart on the idea. I'm just tossing this out there because I like mental exercise.

edited 3rd Mar '11 10:56:35 PM by Lockhart

Need to know about strange weapons, especially weird guns? I know em, and if i don't I'll find them.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#2: Mar 6th 2011 at 11:30:11 AM

Wait, why turn the Earth eighty degrees? Even if that doesn't kill off just about every race you have in this setting, it still counts as an apocalyptic scenario. What with the fact that the shift would cause all that ice currently in the Arctic and Antarctic to melt and cause massive floods, expose the equator to what would probably be far colder conditions, and drown a large portion of our available landmass. Plus, there's the timeline you want to consider when involving a natural/global disaster of that sort. Basically, if that happened, humans wouldn't have much opportunity to develop the tech you say they have.

On the other hand, if what you mean is that it was always that way, then what they would consider the Arctic and Antarctic would likely be entirely different places than what we consider them to be. They wouldn't just call the "old" Arctic the Arctic ocean if it was always someplace else. Not to mention that tilting the planet like that would have an effect on the night and day cycle. For one, does the sun rise in the north or the south?

Seriously, given all the other details you have at play in this history, that last seems entirely unnecessary and poorly thought out. In fact, it just seems entirely random and not at all in line with the rest of it.

Edit; Uh, I also don't know how much land is actually under the Antarctic, but I'm fairly certain that the Arctic has far more land under the ice; namely, large bits of Canada.

edited 6th Mar '11 11:31:33 AM by AceofSpades

Parakus from not Belgium Since: Jul, 2009
#3: Mar 6th 2011 at 6:04:24 PM

Actually, I think Antarctica actually has far more land than the Arctic. The land that now makes up Antarctica actually was warm at one point (continental drift and all that) and they've actually found dinosaur fossils there. Not sure if that's relevant, just putting it out there.

[DATA EXPUNGED] - I would NEVER do that to a kitten! -Dr. █████
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#4: Mar 6th 2011 at 7:29:31 PM

Okay, I had to look it up after that comment. It would bug me if I didn't. Looks like you're right.

http://nsidc.org/seaice/characteristics/difference.html

I still don't think the whole "tilting the earth eighty degrees" is a good idea, with the apparent density of other things going on.

DasSoviet Since: Feb, 2010
#5: Mar 8th 2011 at 7:58:55 AM

Take a look at this site here for some really interesting and well thought out ideas on how axial tilt would affect Earth's climate, geography, and the like: http://www.worlddreambank.org/T/TILT.HTM

I'll admit I haven't made as much use of it as I thought I would, but maybe you'll find it more useful than I.

Dagobitus Since: Aug, 2010
#6: Mar 10th 2011 at 2:07:09 PM

Axial tilt eventually will lead to ordinary Arctic - Tundra - Temperate - Mediterranean - Tropic climates happenning, but in different places!

Eventually, people will get used to the new climate. The conflict is after it just happened.

The Hero excapes from The Villain's dungeon and stumbles into a tribe of Siberian Shamen Reindeer herders who live in the tropics.

Grandpa: We have a sacred duty to be hospitable. We will feed the stranger and apply blood-moss to his wounds.

Grandson: Tundra morality was fine when we lived in the Tundra. Now we live in the tropics and we should apply tropical morality. Everybody knows that tropical folk eat people.

Magic and Science are equally mighty. Good luck with that trope. Science much bigger than Magic is the standard hard Sci-Fi trope. Magic much igger than Science is the standard Joss Whedon trope. Those tropes are easy. Maintaining the balance is tricky. Good luck! :)

edited 10th Mar '11 2:09:15 PM by Dagobitus

NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#7: Mar 11th 2011 at 7:53:30 AM

Giving the Earth a huge axial tilt would not just make climates switch places (so that what used to be arctic is now tropical and vice versa). What it would do is cause massive seasonal variations. You know how at the poles, the sun never sets in summer and never rises in winter? Think of it like that, except for a good portion of the entire planet.

It would be messy.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
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