Alternate Future of the World (AFoW) by LV is a YouTube series that was completed in 2016. It was originally released as a series of episodes, but when it ended, all of the episodes were bundled together as Alternate Future of the World: The Movie – which can be found HERE
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It documents an alternate future starting around the time when it was made, in which NATO engages in a cold war with an economic alliance known as BRICS for global dominance. Smaller nations form defensive alliances to avoid being caught in the crosshairs. It presents this storyline in the format of a mapping video, where countries talk with each other people (even if they aren’t completely anthropomorphic), sort of formatted like an online chat room.
This web series contains examples of:
- The Alliance:
- Both NATO and BRICS see themselves as this, and each other as The Empire.
- The African Union (followed by the Union of Free Nations) fits this trope more accurately, being dounded in resistance to NATO and BRICS expansion.
- Ambiguous Time Period: Unlike many other mapping videos, LV never displays the date in the corner. These events could be taking place over the span of centuries or just 20 Minutes into the Future.
- Artifact Name:
- NATO plays this straight – it stands for “North Atlantic Treaty Organization”, even though it grows to have man allies in the global south and in the Pacific.
- Lampshaded by Borneo:
Borneo: “So you call yourselves the North Atlantic Treaty Organization? Then what are you doing in the Indian Ocean? I can fix that." - Defied with BRICS – their name originally stood for "Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa". But then Egypt joined, so at China’s suggestion they changed their name to "Bilateral Rational Industrialized Confederation of States".India (to China): "I get the feeling you just said random words there, but I actually quite like that"
- NATO plays this straight – it stands for “North Atlantic Treaty Organization”, even though it grows to have man allies in the global south and in the Pacific.
- Art Shift:
- The first art shift is early on in the series, making the ocean darker and the map more detailed.
- It happens a second time for when World War III breaks out.
- Artistic License – Military / Politics: The series frequently shows countries getting away scot-free with blatant acts of aggression that, in the real world, would immediately get an international response. Not to mention that some wars are waged that said country would realistically not afford to win.
- Bookends: “Americana” by Kevin MacLeod plays in the background during both the beginning and end.
- Dark Horse Victory: neither NATO or BRICS ends up ruling the world in the end, but Free States teaming up with the Afro-Asian Union.
- David Versus Goliath: The African Union is somehow able to win a sea war against NATO – Justified Trope as Italy tried to take on the Union themselves.
- Defcon 5: The clatter episodes have a DEFCON meter in the corner, which actually gets how DEFCON works right.
- Enemy Mine:
- The Union of Free Nations is the result of nations getting tired of both NATO and BRICS, which causes said two factions to team up on the new alliance, sparking World War III.
- During said World War III, NATO gangs up on the United States after they launch missiles at major cities.
- Grey-and-Gray Morality: For most of the series the major factions aren’t entirely good or evil. They all wage wars of aggression, but most of the time it’s to contain the other, equally aggressive factions. Subverted in the end, where there are clear good and bad guys.
- Middle Eastern Coalition: The Arab League is one of the minor alliances.
- Nations as People: Being a mapping series, this is default. While not physically depicted, countries are depicted as talking and having emotions as a people.
- Pun: Near the beginning of the series:United States: "BRICS? Are they trying to cement their dominance on the world stage?"
United Kingdom: "If you make one more pun I’ll hit you with a BRIC…" - Space Cold War: Between NATO and BRICS for most of the series.
- Take a Third Option: When faced with NATO and BRICS, many countries decided to join alternate alliances, including:
- The African Union
- The Arab League
- The Union of Free Nations
- World War III: The series ends with the Third World War as the Final Battle, in which the Free Nations and Afro-Asian Union fight NATO and BRICS.
