Dear Brigadier
Yes, I have.
From 20,000 CV to Modern. I have made a giant map of the world from 8 1/2 by 11 pages which can be assembled to form a giant map 80" by 44". Or I have it all on computer as well.
I know of about a dozen players who have done the same.
Beware. You are letting yourself in for a LOT of work. However the rewards you get from doing it are astounding. It's Ripping Good Fun!
To help you there are several resources you can fall back on.
First of all there is "The Society of Daisy" a Yahoo based interest group devoted to Humor and whimsy in the Hobby and to designing and developing "Imaginations" as what you are talking about. This is a high volume list which ranges all over the field and has files packed through with imaginations and rules and things for this.
The second is "Saxe N' Violets" which is the newsletter of the above group. This is PRINT (not electronic) fan magazine , quarterly printed, 16 to 20 pages long, no adds, written by the group and myself which contains articles on Imaginations, actual campaigns, archives from the same, rules, campaign systems, humorous articles and background material that you can use to create your Imaginations. The cost is $12 USD per year for four issues, and that covers ONLY printing and posting. This is especially hepful for the ideas and rule systems developed at length, often reprinted entirely, and there are NO poorly rewritten historical accounts. We also publish entire updates of games and entirely new games, and recently had a two-year run of "How to Make Imagi nations." Back issues are $3.00 USD each.
Third, we run a small mini-convention in the Lancaster area in June which is devoted to games, Imagi-Nations and new ideas in war games, called "The Weekend."
Om a general note, and as a piece of advice. Don't straight-jacket yourself into a specific step by step history. The best way to do this is by gradually making up the history in episodic style- like doing a crossword puzzle, a word here a word there and gradually building it all up to a seamless matrix. Remember this is war games and so you can rewrite whatever you want.
The great thing about Imagi-Nations is this.
You are God. You can write history as you wish.
If I might also offer one piece of advice.
THINK!!!! Think long and hard about how you are going to "frame" your "Imagi-Nation." Don't just go out and take your 18th century Prussians and make them the Kingdom of "Brutislava" and your Austrians the Kingdom of "Ost- Labanza."
Determine what the tone is going to be. do you want it "near historical" or do you want something a little more out there.
for example I'm in the Out-there faction. My main Kingdom is the Princessipate of Saxe Burlap und Schleswig Beersteain. This is the kingdom of Princess Katrina (Trina) (Trixie) of a large central European State. It is in point of fact a "burlesque" satire of Austria Hungary and Princess Maria Theresa. The Princess is a 16 year old air-head "Valley Girl" tossed into being the Ruler of a state by the result of a tontine. She's interested in boys, fashion, shoes, shopping, rock music (Actually Mozart which was the "rock music" back then, parties, boys, and boy toys.
Opposed to her is the Kingdom of Bad Zu Wurst, who have the blue meanies that look a lot like Prussians. This is ruled over by a military Genius, Faustus the Grump, who is ably assisted by his brother, Umberto who is also a military genius, but the sibling rivalry between them is showcased in the battle reports which start with minor digs, turn to snide insults and finally inbetween the dispatches arguments as to who mummy loved best.
Oppoesed to her is also the Kingdm of Flounce (France) and The Empire of Gulagia (guess who?) which is ruled from its capital of … wait for it… Gulaggin's Island.
My point is you have to think of where your Imagination is going to go. Mine tends to burlesques of history and satires of the foibles and faults of the great.
So in my Imagi-Nations, anything is possible. I derive all my plots and scenarios, campaigns and battles from the most absurd plots found on the opera and stage, and this allows for things like Saxe Burlap und Schleswig Beerstein having both a regiment of Mongol Cavalry (The Magnolian Cavalry) and American Iroquois Indians (The Mackattack Indians). Also, colonies in the OTHER India, where there are the wars between the Mahabahamarimbarata Confederacy and the Kingdom io Grungipoor.
The Princess siege train is hauled around by Elephants, who when peace breaks out are sent off to the fairs and circuss' of the land to give rides to the little kiddies.
Of course I'm not advocating you go so far as that. A more sane approach of straight historical parallelism might suit you better.
But I'm telling you, you havent' lived till you've seen their eyes pop out of the head when the soberserious side gamrs look at the color of the "Riseundshine Regiment" with the Hammer and Cickle disguised by bouquets of red roses around the portrait of the Princess- and the motto which reads "I'll make my own marks in the world thank you very much" or on the Trunz and Taxis regiment (a real regiment from the German Empire) on a yellow golden banner with the wreath of the center portrait made up of yellow roses, and princess in the portrait with an ornate "Livornio" had and the caption on banner is "The Yellow Rose of Taxis is the only girl for me!"
If you need any help or need anything just contact me at sigurd@eclipse.net
goes to sea with the Terrain Mat.
