Welcome to Gaia! ::

an alternate universe would allow for certain things that an alternate future could never allow for. Perhaps instead of turning to the dark side, Anakin slew the Emperor then and there...and there would be no debate on mace surviving or not!

In any case, it would allow for more than just an alternate future...mmm...possibilities.

That's fine..as long as the company came to power within the past 50 some years instead of having been around centuries....or if you do have it be centuries, I'm changing the age and race of the character I posted to being a draethos and older than the company. He's supposed to be an oldbie who's sitting on the porch going 'I remember when there was no company...'

Alternate Universe sounds better simply because of the fact that you're able to be a bit freer with storylines (whether it's past or future). As for the technicalities, those could be made up along the way, just make sure you have the foundation setup before you move.

If you think about it, aren't all roleplays alternate reality? Just something to ponder. Anyways, it might make things a bit more open, and therefore easier to work with, but you should make sure that it's not too confusing for members who are just showing up.

Alternate universe it is, then. Sorry to change it up like this.

I'd say, most likely, it's the same planets, species, and the like, but at some point history's changed. Think of it like this: Some uppity player used a resourcefull tactic on the GM to do something amazing to derail the campaign, and we deal with the changes....err...okay, maybe not the BEST example, but yeah....heh heh heh
Anyhow, as for the history type stuff, we'd first have to figure out what sparked the deviation from the original plot...once we have that, the history issue would possibly write itself.

How about history deviates from the point where obi wan said 'screw it' and left anakin to burn at the volcano...let's say qui gon came in ghost form and slapped obi wan into forgiving anakin, then lectured anakin as obi wan carried him into the space ship that padme was in. Then, padme would survive the pregnancy, Anakin comes back to the light, and obi wan and a cybernetic limbed Anakin kick the Empire's a**, take some names, and re-establish the rebublic 20 years early.

Then, 10 years in (20 years before the RP) the consortium pops up. Anakin and Obi wan say 'nevermind, we're leaving' and get the hell off of coruscant. Them, along with yoda and cannon characters dissapear into obscurity. They might be alive, they might be dead, the public don't care. The main jedi temple remains on coruscant, Yoda is still there teaching. Since he wasn't exiled, he managed to get proper medical treatment for that hip problem, and is still in pretty okay shape. Yoda would be the head of the jedi faction. Mace windu would have somehow survived his being tossed out a window...and he would be on the council...with a shiney new hand.

how about this for a setting? there would be a minor jedi enclave with the majority of the jedi records and what not (copies of data, and the origional artifacts) somewhere in the galaxy, only known to jedi council members, and maybe a master or two. The Sith could 'come back' due to Exar Kun permanently possessing an idiot who was on yavin 4. And that pretty much covers everything....Bail Organa could be the senator who helps start the citizens front. And (Grand moff) Tarkin could be the leader of the consortium.

I made this all up on the spot! go me!