[quote=AlienBastard]
When you say alt. history, do you mean alt history in the sense of "What if france won the 7 years war" or something like Kugelstahl /Regicide/Myths and Muskets?Since if it's the latter i'll drop this and just work with you on that setting provided that there's trading companies and very similar elements to what I described here like ancient civilizations lost to time, the existence of humanoid races that while related to humans are clearly different species and strange creatures in strange lands of great value.
[/quote]

The basic concept I devised between some history nerd friends and the PoW crew is a scenario where the Arab world is in a position to colonize the Americas.

This has created a general butterfly effect which reshaped who in Europe was able to sail West. In particular the Spanish naval threat to Britain was neutralized from the get go with a Iberian Caliphate too interested in competing with old rivals in North Africa (and a rather weak neo-Visigothic presence in Northern Iberia). The lack of active Spanish threats to Britain would leave them without the incentive to build a navy so they'll continue their same old song and dance with France or Spain, keeping those two firmly in the position of second or worst place.

Also locked out of Constantinople by the Turks, Venice needs to find a way to recoup their losses so they follow the Arabs to America, along with Genoa and the German Hanseatic League.

When the time comes it'll be explained in further detail because most of what provides for this goes to way, way back. It's on the shelf right now.