Fictional countries

[Gallowglass]

Was just wondering how many of you have made your own fictional countries for gaming, and if you'd care to tell us a little bit about them and/or what inspired you to create them?

(I've put this in the "Pulp" section, but to be honest, it could probably have gone almost anywhere).

[Vanvlak]

Besides Malta (which ia practically fictional...  ) I usually include the 2nd Republic of [wiki]Venice[/wiki] (1848-present). I've never added much detail to it, for the simple reason that I've been a bit overworked recently (i.e. past 5 years) and have had little time to stop and think about it. But it's basically a reinstatement of an independent republic which started in [wiki]1848[/wiki], the year of revolutions, when the Venetians successfully drove out the Austrians and created an independent Republic including the [wiki]Veneto[/wiki], and led by the Council of Ten. It was an ally of the Knights of Malta between 1885 and 1905, and survived the upheavals of both World Wars, siding with the Italians, Britain and France against the Central Powers in WWI and maintaining a policy of neutrality in WWII until it was embroiled in a series of unpleasant events with both Germany and the USSR late in the War. It is evident however that Venice covertly supported Italian partisans as from September 1943, and was instrumental to the survival  of the Squadra K-Forzuti after their first mission.
Surviving WWII in good condition compared to its neighbours, the Republic was instrumental in the rebuilding of Italy, which remains its close ally to date. The Republic refused to NATO or the Warsaw Pact. Although it is currently close to the European Union, it is not a member state. It ranks 14th in GDP, a remarkable achievement considering its size, and an excellent 6th in Quality-of-life index. All is not rosy, however, and the aging population of the capital combined with a gradual exodus to the towns of the Veneto has seen the city in crisis. The current President of the Council, Giuseppe Bonaventura, has put in motion an ambitious plan to defeat the Aqua alta problem and revitalise the city, but his plans are being hindered by the Commedia, a group of masked characters with ambiguous intentions.....

[Arlequín]

I've been toying with the idea myself for a Spanish Civil War type scenario that would allow me to add more unusual troops and vehicles. It is a pretty common artifice in 1930's books and films... 'Duck Soup' springs immediately to mind for some reason, but 'Prisoner of Zenda' is another.

I was thinking along the lines of the 'Republicans' getting more support from Britain and France to offset Soviet influence and Germany taking a more active role. So it would end up being WW2 by proxy, but using equipment of the mid-30's... Vickers Medium Tanks, WW1 Pattern uniforms for the British, as an example.

Depth depends on the type of game you play, or the energy you want to put into it. I used to play 'AK47 Republic' which allows you to flesh out the fluff for your chosen faction for scenarios etc, but some players really add to this, as a google search will show you.

[fastolfrus]

Zenda/Ruritania for VSF (and SYW).
Basically German but without the hindrance of a historical OOB, so if I see an interesting looking unit I can add it in and justify it later.

[Overlord]

Wambango: Taken from the Swahili "Wa-mbango" meaning "warthog people"

For AK47 and Darkest Africa (same country, different centuries)

No real background or specific history, just a place deep in the dark heart of Africa.

[Plynkes]

My 'Great War in Africa' games are set in German Central Africa, which never existed outside of C.S. Forester.

I wanted to do Tanganyika, but fictionalising it allowed me to be lazy enough not to get the details right, and carry on with events that didn't happen historically too. Despite it being an excuse not to bother with correct details, the OOB for the main confrontation ended up being true to Forester. But our battle went the Germans' way. So then Biggles and some Belgians got involved in a second action.

Things have carried on in this vein, with the Cocos Islands becoming the Coconut Islands, which were raided by my version of the Emden, an armed merchantmen turned commerce-raider called the Elke.

[Hammers]

I don't feature a fictional country (yet) but a town. Monimasket is a Scottish east coast village taken from James Robertson's 'The Testament of Gideon Mack', a novel which has lodged itself firmly in my mind. In the fluff I write the town has grown roughly in size with Aberdeen, perhaps larger in some aspects. In some ways it mirrors Arkham, in others Edinburgh, Glasgow or even gentle south English towns like Hastings. So far it sports and asylum, an university, an ugly late 19th century castle (home of the Duke of Nutherland Kennel Club), several ruins of which one is at least from roman times, a shipyard and various experimental navy installations and a common.

[Geudens]

Afriboria is my creation:

http://www.rudi-geudens.be/html/afriboria.htm

http://www.tsoa.be/html/titelblad_uk_afriboria.html

Rudi

[lethallee61]

Certainly - my Darkest Africa setting is all self-created.

Unfortunately, it's so politically incorrect (imagine Benny Hill meets Carry On meets The Goodies), I can't mention any of the names here...

[Arlequín]

Afriboria is my creation:

http://www.rudi-geudens.be/html/afriboria.htm

http://www.tsoa.be/html/titelblad_uk_afriboria.html

Rudi

Rudi that's quite impressive, something for us all to aspire too, well done! 

[flooglestreet]

Ive had an idea much like Jim Hales, but I never really pursued it. I would look into Peter Pigs RFCM Spanish Civil War rules.

[warrenpeace]

Duchy of Potzdorf (or is it Potsdorff???).  The name is from an old movie, a comedy, though I didn't recognize it the first time one of our game group set a Napoleonic scenario there.  We've also fought War of Spanish Succession, 1864, and WW2 battles over Potzdorf.  I should stage a Seven Years War battle over the place.  What's to fight over?  Beer!!!  Potzdorf is fictionally famous in our games as the location of a brewry that produces magnificent dark beer made from smoked barley.  So our battles are always about the beer.  And of course we drink while playing!  Our fictional Potzdorf is located somewhere in West Germany, not out in East Prussia (now in Poland?) where there is, or was, an actual Potsdorff.

I've thrown out the idea of having a series of games showing Potzdorf through the ages from caveman days, when the cavemen discover a primitive beer, up until WW2.  We could use the same map layout, just altering the terrain features through time.  But so far nobody wants to join me in this idea.

[Geudens]

Afriboria is my creation:
http://www.rudi-geudens.be/html/afriboria.htm
http://www.tsoa.be/html/titelblad_uk_afriboria.html
Rudi

Rudi that's quite impressive, something for us all to aspire too, well done! 

Thank you very much.  Unfortunately things in Afriboria are on a halt right now, due to circumstances, but the campaign will rise again.

Rudi

[oxiana]

I've been toying with the idea myself for a Spanish Civil War type scenario that would allow me to add more unusual troops and vehicles. It is a pretty common artifice in 1930's books and films... 'Duck Soup' springs immediately to mind for some reason, but 'Prisoner of Zenda' is another.

Duck Soup, yes! The Marx Brothers' (and possibly civilization's) highest achievement! The film even leaves coded instructions on what minis to collect for gaming:

Groucho: Now that you're Secretary of War, what kind of an army do you think we ought to have?
Chico: Well, I tell you what I think, I think we should have a standing army.
Groucho: Why should we have a standing army?
Chico: Because then we save money on chairs.

[Arlequín]

I've been toying with the idea myself for a Spanish Civil War type scenario that would allow me to add more unusual troops and vehicles. It is a pretty common artifice in 1930's books and films... 'Duck Soup' springs immediately to mind for some reason, but 'Prisoner of Zenda' is another.

Duck Soup, yes! The Marx Brothers' (and possibly civilization's) highest achievement! The film even leaves coded instructions on what minis to collect for gaming:

Groucho: Now that you're Secretary of War, what kind of an army do you think we ought to have?
Chico: Well, I tell you what I think, I think we should have a standing army.
Groucho: Why should we have a standing army?
Chico: Because then we save money on chairs.

I quite liked the war sequence where each shot of Groucho shows him in a totally different uniform than the one before 

"Remember, you're fighting for this woman's honour, which is probably more than she ever did."