Modern Imagi-nations and such like

[Red Orc]

Hola chaps & chapesses, looking around for info on an imaginary country in Africa, I remembered about the Flags of the World website and its 'Fictional Flags' section, which I'd investigated looking for a flag for Ruritania. Having then spent about four days checking out all the flags, I now have a folder on my desktop with about 70 flags in it and the beginings of a gazeteer of Imaginations including Zengaro (from 'Dogs of War'), Sangala (from '24'), Buranda (from 'Yes Minister'), Khemed & San Theodoro (from 'Tintin') and Nambutu & San Monique (from various 'James Bond' films).

Are you using these countries in your own games? There are really too many to list, but the question I suppose is 'do you use fictional geography or nations in your games, and if so, which?' For those of you who are, do you stick the background as written (Buranda Crisis in 1980, General Alcazar overthrowing General Tapioca in 1976, etc) or do you play about with it? And, if you want to elaborate on any of the events in 'your' version of Matobo, Maguadora or Salouf, please, be my guest!

[Rob_bresnen]

My Force on Force campaign is set in the fictional civil war torn West African country of Zugando. It is an Imagi-nation roughly based on Sudan and Congo, and roughly geographically where Uganda is.

As Civil War has spiralled out of control and into genocide, a coalition of African Union, US and UK forces have been sent in to try to keep the peace. UK and US special forces are currently trying to neutralise the rebels chain of command, while Nigerian, Zugandan and UK troops try to protects the coastal cities from rebel attacks. 

It gives me an excuse to paint a lot of African militia, and some nice Special Forces too. It's set roughly about 2000, but the details are a bit hazy, so no one gan pick me up on historic accuracy 

[Rob_bresnen]

Don't forget Equatorial Kundu, from the TV series the West Wing.

[Red Orc]

Sorry Rob, can't resist this -

... West African country of Zugando... roughly geographically where Uganda is... Nigerian, Zugandan and UK troops try to protects the coastal cities ...

Roughly where Uganda is, except it's on the coast, in West Africa, you mean? 

I'm prioritising countries with a flag already drawn on the FOTW site, but I have been cross-referencing that with the list of fictional countries on wiki (obviously, I extended it outside of Africa after a bit). I am aware of Equatorial Kundu, it's West Wing's version of Equatorial Guinea. But, as I'm a Brit, and of 'a certain age', I'm sticking with Buranda from 'Yes Minister' for an analogue of Equatorial Guinea (anyway, Buranda has a flag here - http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/FLAGS/fic%5Eyesm.html , unlike equatorial Kundu) - http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/images/f/fic%5Eyesm0!.jpg is a screen-grab from the episode where the Buranda Crisis erupts, and it seems to be where Equatorial Guinea is (and apparently it was known in the 'Yes Minister' history as 'British Equatorial Africa'). In my parallel Africa, Equatorial Kundu is going to be next door, where Gabon is.

[Hildred Castaigne]

Currently? No.
But watch this space.

For the past AGES I've just been messing around with projects or planning but never following up.
But over the next few months the Plastic Soldier Company has a lot of US kit on the way in 15mm.
I love the 1950s, I love US equipment, I hate Commies... so why not Latin America...!?

Who knows, I might finally have something useful to contribute to the forum...  

[Rob_bresnen]

Sorry Rob, can't resist this -

Roughly where Uganda is, except it's on the coast, in West Africa, you mean? 

Sorry- I meant Sierra Leone 

I'm prioritising countries with a flag already drawn on the FOTW site, but I have been cross-referencing that with the list of fictional countries on wiki (obviously, I extended it outside of Africa after a bit). I am aware of Equatorial Kundu, it's West Wing's version of Equatorial Guinea. But, as I'm a Brit, and of 'a certain age', I'm sticking with Buranda from 'Yes Minister' for an analogue of Equatorial Guinea (anyway, Buranda has a flag here - http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/FLAGS/fic%5Eyesm.html , unlike equatorial Kundu) - http://www.crwflags.com/FOTW/images/f/fic%5Eyesm0!.jpg is a screen-grab from the episode where the Buranda Crisis erupts, and it seems to be where Equatorial Guinea is (and apparently it was known in the 'Yes Minister' history as 'British Equatorial Africa'). In my parallel Africa, Equatorial Kundu is going to be next door, where Gabon is.

Perhaps Buranda changed it's name to Equatorial Kundu- many nations have changes their names in the post colonial period.

[FramFramson]

Don't forget Borduria and Syldavia!

[Red Orc]

Sorry- I meant Sierra Leone  ...

Ah, well that's definitely in West Africa and on the coast then. My faith in your imaginary geography is restored!

Perhaps Buranda changed it's name to Equatorial Kundu- many nations have changes their names in the post colonial period.

I did think of that, obviously Burkina Faso and Democratic Republic of Congo have both changed from their first post-colonial names and there may be others in Africa, but as I only have about 17 African imaginations with flags, and there are at a guess 50 or so countries in Africa, if I want to fill up the whole map (which I'm not sure I do) I either need to assign one flag per 3 countries (eg, 'Matobo' = Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, or whatever); or fill up some of the 33 or so gaps with 'other' countries (like Equatorial Kundu) that border the 'main' countries (ie, ones with flags). Two tier system really: existing flag = grand, I'm detailing your country (except Babar's Kingdom); no flag = I might get round to it if there's something interesting (TV show or film that I've seen, book I've read, author whose other work I'm using somewhere) about it. Anything by Evelyn Waugh is in (I'm already using things based on his stuff for VSF and VBCW), 'The Wild Geese' is in, but any other sources for flagless imaginations from the wiki list have to make the grade. And I never watched 'the West Wing'.

Don't forget Borduria and Syldavia!

Haven't gotten round to Europe yet, not for the 20th-21st centuries (done some work on 19th-early20th centuries connected to Ruritania), so not sure where Borduria (Hungary?) and Syldavia (Serbia?) would fit in. But, having started the African research I realised that stuff I have relating to Bolivia could just as easily take place in San Theodoros, Sao Rico or Nuevo Rico (the fact that the original setting is Bolivia is pretty unimportant, really I just need a South American country with a jungle). I know that logically, Sao Rico, Neuvo Rico and San Theodoros (logically at least) must be in Central America rather than South (the Mayan-style ruins rather point that way at least) but Herge always refers to them as 'South America'. Can't help thinking however that 'South America' here might be a substitute for 'Latin America'... anyway, I'm trying to shoe-horn in as much of Tintin's geography as I can!

[Red Orc]

Sorry, strange double-post going on.

[Hildred Castaigne]

I did think of that, obviously Burkina Faso and Democratic Republic of Congo have both changed from their first post-colonial names and there may be others in Africa

It is a tricky business changing names!
Everybody's heard of Burma, but who knows Myanmar?

[v_lazy_dragon]

I tend to fictionalise actual countries, rather than running with pre-exisitng fictional countries (I had 'Not-Rhodesia', a 'not-Congo' and a 'Not-Biafra/Nigeria'.) The only real exception to that as been for my 40mm Modern Eastern European stuff, where I have adopted the setting and factions from the Arma 2 computer game (Chernarus - they even did a print out 'tourst map' which is availablefrom their web store if you want a littl bit of the setting to take with you )

[SBRPearce]

I played a series of "Revolucione!" games in a friend's Imagi-Nation. He called it Guemanga, and the capitol city was Carto Verde

[Cherno]

Bongolesia is very popular over at TMP, especially for AK47 games.

[Rob_bresnen]

My fictitious African nation is called Congaline. Why is it African imagi-nations attract puns like jam attracts wasps?

In Transformers the cartoon there was a fictional rogue terrorist state in the middle east and- I kid you not- it was called Carbomba. Wrong on so many levels- but in a kids TV show...

[Arlequín]

I've been slowly resurrecting the Isla de Hispañola, with its twin nations Bulonga and Agresora. It originally began in the Caribbean, but has somehow ended up in the Indian Ocean in its current incarnation. I'm sort of stuck in the sixties and seventies, so the countries are very low-tech in terms of equipment. I tend to go overboard on background, so I have a history, climate and geography for them, but not much on the present at the moment.

You can have a lot of fun with names and events... the dutch mercenary Hertz van Rentle immediately springs to mind, but sometimes it's hard to top what goes on for real with some countries there. There's a coup and tanks are on the streets... it must be Friday...   


Sent by iphone from the office of His Excellency President for Life Field Marshal Godsgift Chilembi, VC, DSO, MC and bar, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Sea and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Bulonga in Particular. The all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wake.