As we all know, the 40k universe is quite large with plenty of variety. You can find different aliens and humans living different lifestyles, which makes for an expansive range of stories. Unfortunately people seem to fall into writing the same stories over and over again. I can only read so many space marine stories before they blur into the same thing. So what stories would you want to read about?
Two I would like to see are:
Space Marine creation. The story of a kid's metamorphosis from adolescent to mankind's greatest warrior.
Tau. I'd like to see more stories about either Tau or humans living within the Tau empire. I think there's plenty of opportunity here.
I also want to clarify that it doesn't have to be completely unique, just something that isn't used very often.
I would like the Space Marine-creation-thing especially with what can go wrong. That would be extremely interesting to watch. I mean there you can go Fallout on them.
maybe a third person novel following the eventful lifestyle a ork nob (a survivable one) participating in a great waaagh, or has this already been done?
To see the hilariously funny yet brutal ins and outs of ork culture? and what it looks like to be on the ork side of a colossal waaagh? or maybe just to hear about some face eating squig contests in detail
I'd like to see more WH40K detective fiction (Re: Eisenhorn, Ravenor)
I'd like to see an Imperial Guard novel but from the point of view of an ordinary citizen who's world is invaded and watches from the sidelines as his world is crushed between both the invader and the brutality of the 'rescuing' Imperial forces.
I'd like to see a lay priest dealing with all the gak of a hive world using only his faith (and occasionally his purifying flamer).
I'd like to see a tech priest on a forge world deal with all the political rivalry between the various factions of the Mechanicum.
I'm a big time Ork player and fluff writer. I think Orks are tough to write for.
Why? Cause they're the brutal comedy troupe of the 40K ooniverse. It's tough to write for a crew like that and make them engaging enough to make you want to follow/root for them.
Heck, it's hard to make Orks the primary adversaries in a 40K story. Typically they're the appetizer, with the 'real' threat revealed once the Orks are wrecked. The other half of the time Orks are pawns, manipulated by or driven before the predations of a more credible villain (cue demonic laugh).
In most 40K writing you either can't take Orks seriously or they're so brutally savage that you can't identify with them. Or both. Making them protagonists you're interested in following? Please.
It would take real skill to portray Orks characters believably. It would take even more skill to take the cartoony Ork society/ecosystem and make it believable. So naturally I'd like to see a competent writer take a crack at Orks.
I'd give it a shot meself, but I jus ain't got da writin' chops.
Warboss Gorhack wrote: I'm a big time Ork player and fluff writer. I think Orks are tough to write for.
Why? Cause they're the brutal comedy troupe of the 40K ooniverse. It's tough to write for a crew like that and make them engaging enough to make you want to follow/root for them.
Heck, it's hard to make Orks the primary adversaries in a 40K story. Typically they're the appetizer, with the 'real' threat revealed once the Orks are wrecked. The other half of the time Orks are pawns, manipulated by or driven before the predations of a more credible villain (cue demonic laugh).
In most 40K writing you either can't take Orks seriously or they're so brutally savage that you can't identify with them. Or both. Making them protagonists you're interested in following? Please.
It would take real skill to portray Orks characters believably. It would take even more skill to take the cartoony Ork society/ecosystem and make it believable. So naturally I'd like to see a competent writer take a crack at Orks.
I'd give it a shot meself, but I jus ain't got da writin' chops.
My two teef.
I've seen it done well, look into dawn of war 2 retribution. An ork freeboota saves an entire subsector for a good fight and an inquisitors hat. Thoroughly enjoyed dem orks. +1 for THQ on that.
A book about the Iron Warriors as written by ADB. None of this whiny Waah Waah never get any credit stuff from Angel Exterminatus.
I'd like to see the Iron Warriors as bitter but resigned to their fate. Instead of complaining about their role, they bottle it up and do the crappy siege job without question, slowly bottling up all their resentment and bitterness until it finally breaks open. But ironically, their silence on the matter is the reason they kept being taken for Siege duty in the first place, and if they had voiced their discomfort some change might have come.
Beaviz81 wrote: I would like the Space Marine-creation-thing especially with what can go wrong. That would be extremely interesting to watch. I mean there you can go Fallout on them.
I imagine Space Maines lose many friends along the modification process.
I want to see a book from the Necrons point of view. Whether its just awakening and purging their world, harvesting a remote world or fighting tyranids and nuking suns.
Beaviz81 wrote: I would like the Space Marine-creation-thing especially with what can go wrong. That would be extremely interesting to watch. I mean there you can go Fallout on them.
I imagine Space Maines lose many friends along the modification process.
Yeah just ask Ragnar Blackmane. He lost loads of friends That would made for an interesting movie.
EmpNortonII wrote: I want to see a book that doesn't have any characters from the Imperium of Man.
Pretty much this. Xeno fiction. Good xeno fiction, not a book "about" Tau where Tau get curb stomped by marines or guard. The Shadowsun novel made me want to weep.
I remember an interview with Gav Thorpe where he said he had to fight to to write the eldar path books because the thinking was "if its not Space Marine fiction it wont sell".
PrometheusZero wrote: I'd like to see more WH40K detective fiction (Re: Eisenhorn, Ravenor)
I'd like to see an Imperial Guard novel but from the point of view of an ordinary citizen who's world is invaded and watches from the sidelines as his world is crushed between both the invader and the brutality of the 'rescuing' Imperial forces.
I'd like to see a lay priest dealing with all the gak of a hive world using only his faith (and occasionally his purifying flamer).
I'd like to see a tech priest on a forge world deal with all the political rivalry between the various factions of the Mechanicum.
Basically, more stories of the Home Front!
Absolutely this! What are all these people fighting and dying to defend?
A hive city is the perfect setting for detective stories, rebellion, political intrigue. What goes through the mind of a rebellious governor torn between his people the imperium and his own ambition? How does a ministorum priest convert the wild death world population to the imperial faith? What happens when two hive cities go to war with one another?
Some more fluff about the Nids.
Ala Anphelion project. Not just another invasion but the Imperiums or another factions attempt to analyse or study them.
redrooster148 wrote: maybe a third person novel following the eventful lifestyle a ork nob (a survivable one) participating in a great waaagh, or has this already been done?
Already done. See Engine of Mork and the follow-up, Evil Sun Rising.
PrometheusZero wrote:I'd like to see more WH40K detective fiction (Re: Eisenhorn, Ravenor)
I'd like to see an Imperial Guard novel but from the point of view of an ordinary citizen who's world is invaded and watches from the sidelines as his world is crushed between both the invader and the brutality of the 'rescuing' Imperial forces.
I'd like to see a lay priest dealing with all the gak of a hive world using only his faith (and occasionally his purifying flamer).
I'd like to see a tech priest on a forge world deal with all the political rivalry between the various factions of the Mechanicum.
Basically, more stories of the Home Front!
I believe that, in order, your desires have been partially filled by;
Dead Men Walking and Necropolis
Not done
Titanicus and Mechanicum (although for different eras)
Exalted Pariah wrote:I want to see a book from the Necrons point of view. Whether its just awakening and purging their world, harvesting a remote world or fighting tyranids and nuking suns.
Eldar could be fun.
A eldar who goes down the path of outcast, meets dark eldar, corsairs and then maybe returns to craft world with having expwerinced far more buoth good and bad, loyalties, betrayals, wars and all manner of gak in the universe of grimdarkness
jhe90 wrote: Eldar could be fun.
A eldar who goes down the path of outcast, meets dark eldar, corsairs and then maybe returns to craft world with having expwerinced far more buoth good and bad, loyalties, betrayals, wars and all manner of gak in the universe of grimdarkness
I want some bolter porn, you know the type, with bullet gaking bad-asses, triumphing over insurmountable odds, pulling off gak they, by rights, should not be able to. Author hyperbole, crazy grim-dark nuttyness and over the top stuff all over the shop.
One difference though: rather than Astartes, it's about Sororitas.
There is already a book about everything. There is about a 100 Space Marine battle novel all about the same thing: the struggle of an heroic few against all odds and how their sense of brotherhood was both shaken and kept them strong. I think that if we can make more than a 100 different novels on that theme and more, I think we can give a different spin on Path of the Outcast scenario. Hell, in that book, if his would be girlfriend had followed him that story would have been very different. We can still explore eldars and dark eldars a lot more. Just like we can explore a lot more stuff in the univers of 40K. Here are my personnal favorite.
1) A civilian story during a important war.
2) A revolt in a schola progenium.
3) A political thriller on an important planet
4) Deff skwadron tome II
5) A cadian (or other nation/planet) kid in war
6) A good dark eldar novel
7) A serie of novels like Horus Heresy about the Reign of Blood
8) A tau war reporter story
9) A kroot mercenary adventures
10) A cheesy, but very cheesy romance story (no fiction setting is complete with at least one of them)
There is already a book about everything. There is about a 100 Space Marine battle novel all about the same thing: the struggle of an heroic few against all odds and how their sense of brotherhood was both shaken and kept them strong. I think that if we can make more than a 100 different novels on that theme and more, I think we can give a different spin on Path of the Outcast scenario. Hell, in that book, if his would be girlfriend had followed him that story would have been very different. We can still explore eldars and dark eldars a lot more. Just like we can explore a lot more stuff in the univers of 40K. Here are my personnal favorite.
1) A civilian story during a important war.
2) A revolt in a schola progenium.
3) A political thriller on an important planet
4) Deff skwadron tome II
5) A cadian (or other nation/planet) kid in war
6) A good dark eldar novel
7) A serie of novels like Horus Heresy about the Reign of Blood
8) A tau war reporter story
9) A kroot mercenary adventures
10) A cheesy, but very cheesy romance story (no fiction setting is complete with at least one of them)
Fabiorus, manliest of brothers from the Heartbreakers chapter has only one love in his life, the Emperor of Mankind, but could a shapely Inquisitor be changing his mind?
Fabiorus, manliest of brothers from the Heartbreakers chapter has only one love in his life, the Emperor of Mankind, but could a shapely Inquisitor be changing his mind?
It needs to be 20% cheesier. let's give them a time limit and make the inquisitor potentially infatuated with a Sister of Battle. That way he is not shure if he wants to swing both ways.
Give me more detective fiction GW, I beg you!! I so want more info on life in the 40k universe outside the main military structures. Some political novels would be great too.
I would be worried though that few of the current authors could do much outside the heavy military genre. But I am so bored with it. I've loved 40k fiction for 20 years but it's getting tedious which it really shouldn't in an imaginary field of this scope and size.
I haven't read too many of the novels yet, mostly Horus Heresy stuff. I would personally like a story about the conquering of Terra with the Thunder Warriors. Or even before their creation, I am interested to see how the Emperor was viewed by his warriors/subjects at the time, and what(if any) difference there was between the early Thunder Warriors and the later Asartes. Just a noob perspective I guess.
I'd like to see the scouring. I'm dearly hoping the Horus Heresy series doesn't just end with the seige of terra, and that instead we get some attention to the aftermath, the scouring, the cage of iron, the conflict between gulliman and dorn, the second founding...
Mr Nobody wrote: I'd also like to see a series of books like the Horus Heresy about the Age of Apostasy. There must be some good story potential there.
Oh, yes. All the way from Vandire's rise to power through to the founding of the Adepta Sororitas and the martyrdom of the Companions.
Mr Nobody wrote: I'd also like to see a series of books like the Horus Heresy about the Age of Apostasy. There must be some good story potential there.
Oh, yes. All the way from Vandire's rise to power through to the founding of the Adepta Sororitas and the martyrdom of the Companions.
yeah I'd enjoy that too... I'm actually crossing my fingers that after the horus Heresy series GW'll go with that
Nah. Thing is, people haven't noticed somehow, but the Horus Heresy isn't a story. It's a setting, just like 40k. You don't have 'The Horus Heresy series' within the 40k imprint of Black Library, you have the Horus Heresy imprint, to go along with the Warhammer 40,000 imprint and the Warhammer Fantasy imprint.
A three-way 40k battle. For example, Marines on the right side of the table, Orks on the left side of the table, and Tyranids on a third side. The fourth side is an escape route.
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Id like to see more life inside the warp stuff. Some books from the Chaos point of view.
But please alert me if this has been done, because im pretty sure it probably has.
Furyou Miko wrote: Nah. Thing is, people haven't noticed somehow, but the Horus Heresy isn't a story. It's a setting, just like 40k. You don't have 'The Horus Heresy series' within the 40k imprint of Black Library, you have the Horus Heresy imprint, to go along with the Warhammer 40,000 imprint and the Warhammer Fantasy imprint.
..Except it is a story, no different then the Iliad or other epics with great scope. The Primarchs and the Emperor who are all characters, and the Horus Heresy is the story of Horu's corruption and fall from grace, then his attempt to bring down the Emperor and seize the Imperium as his to rule. Only to fail and fall in battle and have his forces utterly shattered to be later rallied by Abaddon several millennia again, and eventually launched on the Imperium once more.
A setting is simply where events take place, which in this case would be the time periods, 30k and 40k. However the Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40k are stories, as they have characters and are not mere backdrops.
More stories following Penal legions, storm troopers and the like. I would also enjoy a good book about Arbites, beside the sole book about said group of Imperial Servants that has been published.
Also we need more rough rider books
I'm into dark stuff, bit this is proably a better and really darik tv-series, like ehm Sparcartus or Rome for example. But how agout one about Vect and his rise?
Mr Nobody wrote: As we all know, the 40k universe is quite large with plenty of variety. You can find different aliens and humans living different lifestyles, which makes for an expansive range of stories. Unfortunately people seem to fall into writing the same stories over and over again. I can only read so many space marine stories before they blur into the same thing. So what stories would you want to read about?
Two I would like to see are:
Space Marine creation. The story of a kid's metamorphosis from adolescent to mankind's greatest warrior.
Tau. I'd like to see more stories about either Tau or humans living within the Tau empire. I think there's plenty of opportunity here.
I also want to clarify that it doesn't have to be completely unique, just something that isn't used very often.
the books with ragnor blackmane go into the process of creating a space marine from start to finish.
Jollydevil wrote: Id like to see more life inside the warp stuff. Some books from the Chaos point of view.
But please alert me if this has been done, because im pretty sure it probably has.
there are a few decent reads about chaos marines out there. there's the nightlords trilogy, the Arhiman books, the word bearers novels and the new Talon of Horus. all are pretty good. (I;'d say talon of Horus and the night lords books are the better of the group)
If I could have any story....I'd want one with perhaps the orks in main focus more, maybe from a poor gretchin's point of view? But if there was ONE ork story I'd want told properly, or expanded with...It's the story from the previous ork codex of dat mean sonofagun who sent his ship into the warp to smack up some demons and ended up in some eternal fight on a demon planet XD Just a full story of that, or those orks somehow being found by someone else going through the warp...It'd be fun!
Furyou Miko wrote: Nah. Thing is, people haven't noticed somehow, but the Horus Heresy isn't a story. It's a setting, just like 40k.
That's not really true. The Horus Heresy is a story set in the 30K timeframe of the 40K setting. The novels repeatedly use the same characters and involve interwoven events. That's the very essence of a story. No, the Horus Heresy is a story, and it's become a very bland, bloated, and uninteresting one at that.
Some of the Black Library stores (mostly their shorts) use the Horus Heresy timeframe as a setting. The handful of offshoot novels that aren't describing events relevant to the greater narrative, but ultmately the books that truly fit this description number very few.
The reason 40K is a setting and not a story is because there is no grander narrative. It has no beginning, middle or end. The Heresy quite certainly has a beginning, middle and end to it, so it has a narrative arc and is thus a story, not a setting. Just because The Black Library has no intention of getting to the end and seems quite content to bloat out the middle doesn't mean it's not a story. Mostly because we already know the story. It's been published dozens of times before.
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Warboss Gorhack wrote:
It would take real skill to portray Orks characters believably. It would take even more skill to take the cartoony Ork society/ecosystem and make it believable.
This is your real sticking point. Orks are hilariously awesome, but the way they are described in the 40K universe makes absolutely no sense. Which is fine when we're just talking about setting them up to crash into a random planet and begin smashing da place up. A novel that truly explores Ork kulture in a way that isn't solely comedic is going to have to explain all the unexplainables about Orkish infrastrukshure, and logistiks (where do they get fuel and raw materials?), and the like.
I honestly don't see too many authors tackling Orks. It's just more work than its worth in the 40K setting. It's literally an culture full of giant, hyper-violent toddlers that (somehow) exist as a spacefaring race despite selecting their leaders through contests of arms rather than by merit.
I'm not saying nobody could do it. I'm just saying that whatever they came up with would have to fundamentally alter the way that Orks are portrayed in the universe.
Mr Nobody wrote:
Space Marine creation. The story of a kid's metamorphosis from adolescent to mankind's greatest warrior.
Some have tried to do this well, all have failed.
And ultimately, how interesting of a story would this be, really? The process of building a Space Marine involves taking a young child, breaking down everything that makes him an individual, and turning him into a remorseless, unquestioning killing machine. How much narrative (okay, so how much believable narrative) are you going to get out of recounting endless hours of military drills, psychoindoctrination, mental conditioning and physical fitness?
I can see this being part of a novel, where an adult Space Marine recalls bits and pieces of his training, but again... given how bad some of the failed attempts have been (the Space Wolf series comes to mind), maybe best to just let some things remain somewhat ambiguous.
As far as what I'd like to see would be more novels set at the "ground level" of 40K. Told from the perspective of the faceless cogs. More horror-style stories about random Administratum or Mechanicum scrubs who stumble onto dark secrets or ancient evils. But these aren't always the easiest stories to write, and probably not the most profitable to publish either. I've really started to like some of John French's style, but I wonder if he'll ever be unleashed to write a full novel that isn't about Space Marines (or Chaos Marines). Space Marines make such terrible protagonists and are a waste of his abilities (or at least seem to be).
The Horus Heresy is as much a setting as 30K and 40K are. The books dont just take place during 30K, they take place during the the time frame of the Horus Heresy.
The reason why GW has so many books out for the series, and still has no end in sight, is because it is a setting. The books dont follow much of a general order, because almost everyone reading them knows the ending. Theyre not meant to tell a story, theyre meant to tell a ton of little stories. The true purpose of the Heresy books is that there are individual stories in the Horus Heresy which contribute to the big picture. Its the same reason that star wars has a million books too.
Stating that something has to have an indefinite ending to be a setting is stating that time frames such as the medieval ages are not a setting (which they certainly are). By your statements it seems like the only settings would be present day.
I'd like to see a Space Marine book that actually properly represents them. Basically, no Superman-strength, no Hulk toughness, no the Flash speed, and NO EMPEROR WORSHIP. It seems like every fething book about Space Marines shows them worshiping him and praying to him and sacrificing gak to him, and it annoys the crap out of me because Space Marines were supposed to be the only ones upholding the Imperial Truth.
Nobody believes the Imperial Truth any more. Nobody. Not the Space Marines, not the High Lords of Terra, and certainly not the Emperor who invented it in the first place... because they have had it irrevocably proven that the Imperial Truth is. a. LIE.
dusara217 wrote: I'd like to see a Space Marine book that actually properly represents them. Basically, no Superman-strength, no Hulk toughness, no the Flash speed, and NO EMPEROR WORSHIP. It seems like every fething book about Space Marines shows them worshiping him and praying to him and sacrificing gak to him, and it annoys the crap out of me because Space Marines were supposed to be the only ones upholding the Imperial Truth.
except some Marines do worship the emperor. it varies from chapter to chapter. and even the ones who don't belive he's a god likely have their own devotions to the man anyway \. also they DO have super human strength and toughness, and are faster then normal humans (Marines have higher initative then imperial guard)
dusara217 wrote: I'd like to see a Space Marine book that actually properly represents them. Basically, no Superman-strength, no Hulk toughness, no the Flash speed, and NO EMPEROR WORSHIP. It seems like every fething book about Space Marines shows them worshiping him and praying to him and sacrificing gak to him, and it annoys the crap out of me because Space Marines were supposed to be the only ones upholding the Imperial Truth.
except some Marines do worship the emperor. it varies from chapter to chapter. and even the ones who don't belive he's a god likely have their own devotions to the man anyway \. also they DO have super human strength and toughness, and are faster then normal humans (Marines have higher initative then imperial guard)
Didn't the Red Corsairs worship him directly and not just see him as a distant father-figure?
Jollydevil wrote: The Horus Heresy is as much a setting as 30K and 40K are. The books dont just take place during 30K, they take place during the the time frame of the Horus Heresy.
The reason why GW has so many books out for the series, and still has no end in sight, is because it is a setting. The books dont follow much of a general order, because almost everyone reading them knows the ending. Theyre not meant to tell a story, theyre meant to tell a ton of little stories. The true purpose of the Heresy books is that there are individual stories in the Horus Heresy which contribute to the big picture. Its the same reason that star wars has a million books too.
Stating that something has to have an indefinite ending to be a setting is stating that time frames such as the medieval ages are not a setting (which they certainly are). By your statements it seems like the only settings would be present day.
Saying the Horus Heresy is a not a story is incorrect. That's all I said. Little stories that add up to a bigger story is still a story. The idea of the "Horus Heresy" as a setting and not a story is false, any way you want to slice it. It may have smaller, branch-off stories, but ultimately because it has a definable beginning and an end, everything is part of the grander Horus Heresy story. Which, of course, is for better and more often now, worse.
And Star Wars has a ton of books for the same reasons the Heresy does, lol. People keep paying for them. That's the "true purpose" of the heresy books. They publish them, people buy them. If anyone was actually worried about the "story" over there at TBL, they've been shouted down a long time ago. That gak's locked in an endless loop of Primarch Fistfight Porn where everyone conveniently Lives to Fight Another Day, recycled hooks like "Ermagerd, Alfa Lesion!"
repackaging and "Shameless Product Placement (with a little bit of "Everyone Conveniently Lives to Fight Another Day sprinkled in).
dusara217 wrote: I'd like to see a Space Marine book that actually properly represents them. Basically, no Superman-strength, no Hulk toughness, no the Flash speed, and NO EMPEROR WORSHIP. It seems like every fething book about Space Marines shows them worshiping him and praying to him and sacrificing gak to him, and it annoys the crap out of me because Space Marines were supposed to be the only ones upholding the Imperial Truth.
except some Marines do worship the emperor. it varies from chapter to chapter. and even the ones who don't belive he's a god likely have their own devotions to the man anyway \. also they DO have super human strength and toughness, and are faster then normal humans (Marines have higher initative then imperial guard)
Yes, SOME. But not all - they are the exception, not the rule. It is explicitly stated in the Codex Space Marines that the Space Marines see the Emperor as a great man, not a God. Also, Space Marines are strong, yes, they are fast, yes, they are tough yes. But they should Not be portrayed as strong enough to penetrate Artificer Armour with a fist, (or else they would charge into battle with nothing but their fists as Bolters and Chainswords are clearly less effective) they should NOT be tough enough to get shot in the bare face and just get ANGREH (they should at least be stunned for a few seconds, if not a few minutes/hours), and they should NOT be able to move so fast that they turn into a blur. The fact of the matter is, if they were that fast, then they would have to be incredibly tough for their bodies not to be severely damaged in the process - too tough to be killed by something so slight as a Bolt. Plus, they would almost never actually get hit in melee combat and would be almost impossible to successfully hit with a bullet and would there would be a Space Marine casualty maybe once every century. These are all examples of HORRIBLE fluff writing, and all that I want to see is BL start commissioning authors that are worth their salt instead of the idiots they currently employ.
Pre-Heresy Iron Warriors with Pert and maybe some illustrations of them in armor and more background.
Possibly for once we'll get to see their siegecraft expertise as LOYALISTS.
I'd love an origin story to the Phoenix Lords, and more xeno fiction in general. GW doesn't do a very good job making non humans look awesome. Outside of Valedor and the DE trilogy anyway
A mini serie about the Fall up to the deah of the first Phoenix Lords would indeed be a great idea.
I would also add an horror/suspense story in which all the characters are civilians of no particular background that predispose them to solve the problem 9something rather simple) in a rational manner. It's like Salem witch hunt in 40K.
A mini serie about the Fall up to the deah of the first Phoenix Lords would indeed be a great idea.
I would also add an horror/suspense story in which all the characters are civilians of no particular background that predispose them to solve the problem 9something rather simple) in a rational manner. It's like Salem witch hunt in 40K.
dusara217 wrote:- too tough to be killed by something so slight as a Bolt.
'as slight as a bolt'?
You do remember that these are armour piercing high-explosive rounds, right? Bolts are fricken powerful as small arms go. It's only because Marines have been presented as the gold standard that people assume bolters are normal and lasguns are naff. Lasguns are supposed to be the standard power level of a firearm in 40k, with bolters and shurikats being shiny and special.
I blame the Tau. The Tau having "even better than super good" guns makes bolters look weedy, when actually, bolters are supposed to be fricken awesome.
dusara217 wrote:- too tough to be killed by something so slight as a Bolt.
'as slight as a bolt'?
You do remember that these are armour piercing high-explosive rounds, right? Bolts are fricken powerful as small arms go. It's only because Marines have been presented as the gold standard that people assume bolters are normal and lasguns are naff. Lasguns are supposed to be the standard power level of a firearm in 40k, with bolters and shurikats being shiny and special.
I blame the Tau. The Tau having "even better than super good" guns makes bolters look weedy, when actually, bolters are supposed to be fricken awesome.
Depending on the rounds, bolters are actually a lot more powerful then even Tau plasma rifles mounted on battlesuits Melta Bolts, Psy Rounds, Metal Storm Bolts, ghost rounds, or the hilariously bs stalker bolt, which is completely silent despite probably being supersonic, and having extreme range. Although it has to be fired from a stalker bolter for maximum effect.
In "Baneblade" the prologue details the creation of a Baneblade in a short bit. From chassis to completion.
But I want a Leman Russ and its attending creators stories told. That or some other vehicle.
Or a full Baneblade assembly from plates of plasteel to toothless chassis to fully functional war machine and every sacred twist of the screw driver inbetween.
Personally I would like to see more stories featuring the Xenos races without too much human involvement.
A story involving some Tau and Eldar interactions could be great, imagine a Tau diplomat wondering around a craftworld or having someone like Ronahn the Eldar Pathfinder from the dawn of war games hanging out with Commander Farsight.
From the human side I would love each of the Primarchs to get a full origins novel detailing their time as children up to the time of their reunion with their Father.
Furyou Miko wrote: Priests of Mars and Titanicus might be what you're looking for, Engine.
already read Titanicus and I liked it.
annoyingly I have the 2 books that come after Preists of Mars (Gods and Lords of Mars). But whenever I manage to go out to a bookstore they don't have priests of mars.
Because they come after Priests I can't bring myself to read them. Its like trying to watch a trio of movies but starting in the middle.
dusara217 wrote:- too tough to be killed by something so slight as a Bolt.
'as slight as a bolt'?
You do remember that these are armour piercing high-explosive rounds, right? Bolts are fricken powerful as small arms go. It's only because Marines have been presented as the gold standard that people assume bolters are normal and lasguns are naff. Lasguns are supposed to be the standard power level of a firearm in 40k, with bolters and shurikats being shiny and special.
I blame the Tau. The Tau having "even better than super good" guns makes bolters look weedy, when actually, bolters are supposed to be fricken awesome.
Engine of War wrote: Or a full Baneblade assembly from plates of plasteel to toothless chassis to fully functional war machine and every sacred twist of the screw driver inbetween.
I don't think you know what you are getting into there That would be the most dreadfull, long and boring read you have ever experienced. Trust me, full technical documentations are not entertaining, and after seeing them oince you will avoid them if you can And since the technical knowledge of many authors is laughable at best it would end up with endless cringe worthy contradictions.
Furyou Miko wrote: Priests of Mars and Titanicus might be what you're looking for, Engine.
already read Titanicus and I liked it.
annoyingly I have the 2 books that come after Preists of Mars (Gods and Lords of Mars). But whenever I manage to go out to a bookstore they don't have priests of mars.
Because they come after Priests I can't bring myself to read them. Its like trying to watch a trio of movies but starting in the middle.
Furyou Miko wrote: Priests of Mars and Titanicus might be what you're looking for, Engine.
already read Titanicus and I liked it.
annoyingly I have the 2 books that come after Preists of Mars (Gods and Lords of Mars). But whenever I manage to go out to a bookstore they don't have priests of mars.
Because they come after Priests I can't bring myself to read them. Its like trying to watch a trio of movies but starting in the middle.
Sadly, Lords and Gods take the brilliant start given in Priests and make a horrible mess all over it.
Superhuman - a book that tells the tale of brother Antonus of the Thunder Dragons who, due to a freak accident involving a rogue psyker, is sucked through time and space and ends up in today's London. There, he has to come to terms with his fate as he realises that the world he is on is both very old and very new to him, and he is unlikely to ever find a way to return. Without a cause and with no allies, he must find a new purpose for himself as a supersoldier in a world that doesn't need one. He is loyal to Chapter and Emperor but here, there is no sign of either. He also faces more immediate problems in a world that simultaneously fears him and wants him for study, and the exotic chemicals and drugs in his armour that keep his body working won't last forever...
He does not face solely adversity, as some look past his intimidating exterior and wonder if there is a human heart(s) beating in his chest. But the citizens of the Imperium were unreliable enough, could these strange people speaking their strange language perhaps be agents of Chaos? Antonus is not malevolent, but none of his psycho-conditioning, hypno-indoctrination and centuries of battle experience had prepared him for this, on the contrary they perhaps only hinder him.
A tale of a war god locked out of his Olympus and the range of problems he faces, from philosophical to practical. A book that could appeal to both existing 40k fans and those who know nothing of it.
Superhuman - a book that tells the tale of brother Antonus of the Thunder Dragons who, due to a freak accident involving a rogue psyker, is sucked through time and space and ends up in today's London. There, he has to come to terms with his fate as he realises that the world he is on is both very old and very new to him, and he is unlikely to ever find a way to return. Without a cause and with no allies, he must find a new purpose for himself as a supersoldier in a world that doesn't need one. He is loyal to Chapter and Emperor but here, there is no sign of either. He also faces more immediate problems in a world that simultaneously fears him and wants him for study, and the exotic chemicals and drugs in his armour that keep his body working won't last forever...
He does not face solely adversity, as some look past his intimidating exterior and wonder if there is a human heart(s) beating in his chest. But the citizens of the Imperium were unreliable enough, could these strange people speaking their strange language perhaps be agents of Chaos? Antonus is not malevolent, but none of his psycho-conditioning, hypno-indoctrination and centuries of battle experience had prepared him for this, on the contrary they perhaps only hinder him.
A tale of a war god locked out of his Olympus and the range of problems he faces, from philosophical to practical. A book that could appeal to both existing 40k fans and those who know nothing of it.
This actually sounds interesting. But.
Imagine if he found the emperor, and gave him the idea for the astartes?
The Emperor is supposed to be hiding down in Turkey right now, yes? Makes sense that he'd make some kind of move if a Marine appears. But I think the story would be better off without him. He'd steal the focus of a book that isn't about him.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Now I feel like writing that book. But I don't know if I could do it justice. I probably couldn't.
Ashiraya wrote: The Emperor is supposed to be hiding down in Turkey right now, yes? Makes sense that he'd make some kind of move if a Marine appears. But I think the story would be better off without him. He'd steal the focus of a book that isn't about him.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Now I feel like writing that book. But I don't know if I could do it justice. I probably couldn't.
Nah, leave that to the experienced writers like Swallow and Thorpe, i'm sure they'll TOTALLY do it justice
I wanna hear a story about a planet. It should start off by introducing us to it. What classification, What climate, what geological anomalies sand out. Why it was colonized, when, and how. Then I want to hear who the current ruler is, what the rulers life is like, and what is the ruling class? Whats their political standing with the Imperium? With it's neighbors? With their trade partners? What type of aliens lurk around the system? Then I want to hear about the society side of things.
Social life? Planet Infrastructure? Culture? Food, Product, Trade? what about archeology? paleontology? what do the people build? what do the people extract from the planet, or nearby asteroids? Any notable individuals?
If there was a book like that for warhammer 40k, i'd be the first to buy it.
LumenPraebeo wrote: I wanna hear a story about a planet. It should start off by introducing us to it. What classification, What climate, what geological anomalies sand out. Why it was colonized, when, and how. Then I want to hear who the current ruler is, what the rulers life is like, and what is the ruling class? Whats their political standing with the Imperium? With it's neighbors? With their trade partners? What type of aliens lurk around the system? Then I want to hear about the society side of things.
Social life? Planet Infrastructure? Culture? Food, Product, Trade? what about archeology? paleontology? what do the people build? what do the people extract from the planet, or nearby asteroids? Any notable individuals?
If there was a book like that for warhammer 40k, i'd be the first to buy it.
If that was done, I would actually buy it instead of downloading it illegally. I'd stop studying the Latin Primer and go to the new overview of the average Imperial world. That would be beautiful, it truly would.
Superhuman - a book that tells the tale of brother Antonus of the Thunder Dragons who, due to a freak accident involving a rogue psyker, is sucked through time and space and ends up in today's London. There, he has to come to terms with his fate as he realises that the world he is on is both very old and very new to him, and he is unlikely to ever find a way to return. Without a cause and with no allies, he must find a new purpose for himself as a supersoldier in a world that doesn't need one. He is loyal to Chapter and Emperor but here, there is no sign of either. He also faces more immediate problems in a world that simultaneously fears him and wants him for study, and the exotic chemicals and drugs in his armour that keep his body working won't last forever...
He does not face solely adversity, as some look past his intimidating exterior and wonder if there is a human heart(s) beating in his chest. But the citizens of the Imperium were unreliable enough, could these strange people speaking their strange language perhaps be agents of Chaos? Antonus is not malevolent, but none of his psycho-conditioning, hypno-indoctrination and centuries of battle experience had prepared him for this, on the contrary they perhaps only hinder him.
A tale of a war god locked out of his Olympus and the range of problems he faces, from philosophical to practical. A book that could appeal to both existing 40k fans and those who know nothing of it.
LumenPraebeo wrote: I wanna hear a story about a planet. It should start off by introducing us to it. What classification, What climate, what geological anomalies sand out. Why it was colonized, when, and how. Then I want to hear who the current ruler is, what the rulers life is like, and what is the ruling class? Whats their political standing with the Imperium? With it's neighbors? With their trade partners? What type of aliens lurk around the system? Then I want to hear about the society side of things.
Social life? Planet Infrastructure? Culture? Food, Product, Trade? what about archeology? paleontology? what do the people build? what do the people extract from the planet, or nearby asteroids? Any notable individuals?
If there was a book like that for warhammer 40k, i'd be the first to buy it.
But more specifically, the logistical sides of things, to get a sense of measurement for the building blocks of civilization on that planet. Import, export, planet mineral make up, how much production, where the product goes. Running costs.
We live in a free society where someone in power doesn't necessarily have to worry about these things, they can be managed by people on the lower chain of command. For something as big as the Imperium, with a regime as totalitarian as theirs, I can't imagine a planetary governor overlooking such details without seriously bad consequences.
You know Imperial Armour already has established that that happens pretty often (heck, even that powerful warbands w/ sorcerers like the Black Legion or the Thousand Sons can get there instantly from the Eye of Terror through the Perdus Rift Anomaly), yet somehow in the Fluff the Tau are always shown as fighting Oks or Imperials :(
I wanna see some Daemons or Nurgle Heretics do something better than fizzling against Farsight and leaving... Say, some Tau technicians and auxiliaries desperately struggling against a major raid/Black Crusade where a planet is under siege, daemons are appearing in the wilds, their hunter cadres are struggling against unpredictable and warp-travelling ennemies and all the while a cult (do Tau even have chaos cults?) or infiltrators are speading Nurgle's contagion or Tzeenche's fire and mutation to the ecosystem and water supply. You could even have Gue'vesa or Kroot there, who try to warn the Tau about the Warp but get dissmissed as superstitious idiots, or a human latent psyker's head spontaneously exploding and everyone being puzzled. Hell, a daemon could have gotten out through his brain discreetly, and be slowly destroying the Tau from within
Watch them blue pansies fight THAT!!!
Pff... They're so proud because they beat a few Orks and Tyranids? I don't care if they win in the end, if it's seen mostly through non-frontline personnel and well written I want to read it. Hell, Tau civilians for once? Discovering some of Chaos? Yeah!
I'd also like to see some books not focused on the military or combat. Like a team of Inquisitorial acolytes in their search to discover the mysterious goings-on in a distant system, intrude and mystery. Something original for a change. Maybe a rouge trader, or a band of space pirates would be cool as well.
Co'tor Shas wrote: I'd also like to see some books not focused on the military or combat. Like a team of Inquisitorial acolytes in their search to discover the mysterious goings-on in a distant system, intrude and mystery. Something original for a change. Maybe a rouge trader, or a band of space pirates would be cool as well.
Everyone's scared to write them since Eisenhorn is held up as one of the greatest Black Library series of all time.
I'd like to read a good book about the life of Maugen-Ra, Phoenix Lord of the Dark Reapers leading his craft world during its time in the Eye of Terror, also one about Eldrad and a tome on Prince Yriel would be nice. A Farsight novel would be great too, and some Gue'vesa. In short, more Xenos, especially Tau and Eldar.
Also, more wild stuff with Rogue Traders and their heretical crews mucking around beyond the Imperium's borders would be great.
What else can we think of:
-More Arbites, perhaps in a police procedural type series in the grim darkness of the distant future
-More Soritas
-More politics
Basically, more of the plain fun stuff that don't sell great
I've realized that there are very few stories that take ace in the terra system. It's the crown jewel of the imperium and you would think you would see more of it in stories.
LumenPraebeo wrote: I wanna hear a story about a planet. It should start off by introducing us to it. What classification, What climate, what geological anomalies sand out. Why it was colonized, when, and how. Then I want to hear who the current ruler is, what the rulers life is like, and what is the ruling class? Whats their political standing with the Imperium? With it's neighbors? With their trade partners? What type of aliens lurk around the system? Then I want to hear about the society side of things.
Social life? Planet Infrastructure? Culture? Food, Product, Trade? what about archeology? paleontology? what do the people build? what do the people extract from the planet, or nearby asteroids? Any notable individuals?
If there was a book like that for warhammer 40k, i'd be the first to buy it.
Does it need an entire book to describe just these things? Forgeworld campaigns usually go into alot of detail of what the world they are fighting on is and so on. I very much enjoyed the background of the IA:3Taros Campaign...
The Terra system is super secure, and a good portion of the Black Library's output is about Space Marines doing manly things, being on guard duty at the most stable post ever ain't overly conducive to action oriented storytelling. It'd be great to see some bits on the High Lords politiking, though.
It'd be great to see some bits on the High Lords politiking, though.
Unfortunately the average fanboy can't survive without having bolterporn every 2 minutes so... good luck with that. Definitely potential in that though.
One of the reasons why I love the Legion of the Damned novel was how it went for about three fourths of the book without any conflict and was largely just Space Marines talking, and brooding before the storm.
And boy, did the storm hit. Rob Sanders really know how to write combat, and how to make it brutal.
Well, spacemarine fiction from the perspective of a chapterserf (conveniently stationed on a strikecruiser/battlebarge) might be interesting if done well.
Or Puretides slow rise to prominence or even the Tau Empire during it's earliest days.
I want more infos on the War of the False Primarch!
It sounds like something really awesome and world-shattering, but all I've heard about it is 2 or 3 lines of vague information about a huge cataclysm in the IA:13 book :(
I'd like to see some more standalone books about various Chaos SM chapters. Maybe similar stuff to the nightlords novellas
Or, maybe some more standalone novels from the Inquisition I.E. Eisnhorn or Ravenor. Except I'd like to see more from Ordo malleus or Hereticus, seems like all the good inqusition novels are from ordo Xeno
Ordo Xenos are more relatably 'good guys' because their mandate is hunting freakish monsters, rather than hunting down humans. You will note, however, that for a Ordo Xenos inquisitor, Ravenor spends a lot of his time hunting down daemon cultists.
Furyou Miko wrote: Ordo Xenos are more relatably 'good guys' because their mandate is hunting freakish monsters, rather than hunting down humans. You will note, however, that for a Ordo Xenos inquisitor, Ravenor spends a lot of his time hunting down daemon cultists.
... but since Tau are the only good faction in 40k, that's not really true. Lots of humans are evil to the core. Tau? Not so much. Since the Ordo Xenos are tasked with destroying the galaxy's only moral species, they're the worst of the Ordo, not the most relatable. Most of us don't want to destroy the only hope for humanity to survive the 41st millenium.
Furyou Miko wrote: Ordo Xenos are more relatably 'good guys' because their mandate is hunting freakish monsters, rather than hunting down humans. You will note, however, that for a Ordo Xenos inquisitor, Ravenor spends a lot of his time hunting down daemon cultists.
... but since Tau are the only good faction in 40k, that's not really true. Lots of humans are evil to the core. Tau? Not so much. Since the Ordo Xenos are tasked with destroying the galaxy's only moral species, they're the worst of the Ordo, not the most relatable. Most of us don't want to destroy the only hope for humanity to survive the 41st millenium.
The feth? The Tau are a non-faction that are so tiny and insignificant they don't even matter in the universe. They can do nothing to combat Chaos, Tyranids, or Necrons, and already can barley even defend themselves from the Imperium.
If you're going to continue to troll, you can at least attempt to do a decent job rather than... this. It's so poor it's insulting.
Furyou Miko wrote: Ordo Xenos are more relatably 'good guys' because their mandate is hunting freakish monsters, rather than hunting down humans. You will note, however, that for a Ordo Xenos inquisitor, Ravenor spends a lot of his time hunting down daemon cultists.
... but since Tau are the only good faction in 40k, that's not really true. Lots of humans are evil to the core. Tau? Not so much. Since the Ordo Xenos are tasked with destroying the galaxy's only moral species, they're the worst of the Ordo, not the most relatable. Most of us don't want to destroy the only hope for humanity to survive the 41st millenium.
Furyou Miko wrote: Ordo Xenos are more relatably 'good guys' because their mandate is hunting freakish monsters, rather than hunting down humans. You will note, however, that for a Ordo Xenos inquisitor, Ravenor spends a lot of his time hunting down daemon cultists.
... but since Tau are the only good faction in 40k, that's not really true. Lots of humans are evil to the core. Tau? Not so much. Since the Ordo Xenos are tasked with destroying the galaxy's only moral species, they're the worst of the Ordo, not the most relatable. Most of us don't want to destroy the only hope for humanity to survive the 41st millenium.
The feth? The Tau are a non-faction that are so tiny and insignificant they don't even matter in the universe. They can do nothing to combat Chaos, Tyranids, or Necrons, and already can barley even defend themselves from the Imperium.
If you're going to continue to troll, you can at least attempt to do a decent job rather than... this. It's so poor it's insulting.
The third sphere expansion took plenty of territory from the Imperium. They'll be able to expand like that until such time as they are the single greatest threat to the Imperium. Necrons and Chaos are mostly at the other end of the galaxy, and the Tau have wiped out one hive fleet. They can do it again.
Necrons are all over the entire galaxy and can traverse it very quickly due to Inertialess Drives. In addition, it's actually fairly likely that they started out somewhere near the Tau Empire, since they started on the other side of the galaxy from the Eldar, who started in the 'galactic northwest' (Tau are in the 'galactic southeast').
And the Third Sphere took 'plenty of territory' by Tau standards. They took what, six planets?
Furyou Miko wrote: Necrons are all over the entire galaxy and can traverse it very quickly due to Inertialess Drives. In addition, it's actually fairly likely that they started out somewhere near the Tau Empire, since they started on the other side of the galaxy from the Eldar, who started in the 'galactic northwest' (Tau are in the 'galactic southeast').
And the Third Sphere took 'plenty of territory' by Tau standards. They took what, six planets?
I would've thought that it was more like 6 stars than six planets. I mean, that's insignificant even for the Tau. GW needs to at least make the Tau a credible threat to the Imperium of Man if they expect the tau to be, in any way, a faction that makes even a little bit of sense.
Furyou Miko wrote: I was assuming one habitable planet per star and only counting habitable planets. ^^;
That's where terraforming comes in handy. You can't honestly believe that a race with more advanced tech per capita than the IoM can't even terraform a planet
Yet it would be fun to see tau having heads crumped by crons, actualy anyone who engages in the most honarble form of combat (ect.any thing that involes hiting realy hard in the face with a stick.).
Destruction of the orks, then return of the orks.
Destruction of the tyranids, then return of the tyranids
The emperor goes back to being what he was before sitting on the Golden Throne.
Furyou Miko wrote: I was assuming one habitable planet per star and only counting habitable planets. ^^;
That's where terraforming comes in handy. You can't honestly believe that a race with more advanced tech per capita than the IoM can't even terraform a planet
Terraforming is mentioned, they even change the entire atmospheres of planets.
Furyou Miko wrote: Necrons are all over the entire galaxy and can traverse it very quickly due to Inertialess Drives. In addition, it's actually fairly likely that they started out somewhere near the Tau Empire, since they started on the other side of the galaxy from the Eldar, who started in the 'galactic northwest' (Tau are in the 'galactic southeast').
And the Third Sphere took 'plenty of territory' by Tau standards. They took what, six planets?
I would've thought that it was more like 6 stars than six planets. I mean, that's insignificant even for the Tau. GW needs to at least make the Tau a credible threat to the Imperium of Man if they expect the tau to be, in any way, a faction that makes even a little bit of sense.
By most estimates, the Tau control about 100 systems. 1/4th of those are from the 3rd Sphere, which is still ongoing. Since all of the Space Marines that fell for Shadowsun's diversion at Zeist have been recalled to fight the 13th Black Crusade, it's safe to assume that she could easily take another 25 systems from the Imperium.
The Tau are a credible threat because 1) the Imperium simply cannot muster the forces to deal with the Tau while they fight off Necrons, Tyranids, Orks, and the 13th Black Crusade, 2) the Imperium is willing to call truces with them any time something goes wrong elsewhere, which give the Tau a chance to play America to the IoM's natives, retaking worlds through diplomacy or implied force like they did after the Damocles Crusade, and 3) the Tau are the only faction in 40k that are still developing technologically. In time, they'll be as advanced as the 'Crons in terms of starship tech, with a birth rate (there is a finite number of Necrons and that number is only going to shrink, especially if the Silent King succeeds in convincing his robot brethren to rust themselves dry fighting the 'Nids) and no long-term, organized opposition (as humanity will forever be too busy with Chaos and Orks to launch a large enough counter-offensive to stop them).
The Tau will never be advanced as the Necrons in terms of starship tech, because their FTL technology has gone down the Warp-based route, which is simply never going to be as good and goes in an entirely different technological direction.
Furyou Miko wrote: The Tau will never be advanced as the Necrons in terms of starship tech, because their FTL technology has gone down the Warp-based route, which is simply never going to be as good and goes in an entirely different technological direction.
... and you know how the Necrons proceeded from a species without space travel to one with the best in the galaxy how? What book chronicles the Necrons as a rising star-faring civilization?
Heck, THAT'S a good idea for a book. Let's have something about the Necrontyr before the war with the Old Ones.
By most estimates, the Tau control about 100 systems. 1/4th of those are from the 3rd Sphere, which is still ongoing. Since all of the Space Marines that fell for Shadowsun's diversion at Zeist have been recalled to fight the 13th Black Crusade, it's safe to assume that she could easily take another 25 systems from the Imperium.
The Tau are a credible threat because 1) the Imperium simply cannot muster the forces to deal with the Tau while they fight off Necrons, Tyranids, Orks, and the 13th Black Crusade, 2) the Imperium is willing to call truces with them any time something goes wrong elsewhere, which give the Tau a chance to play America to the IoM's natives, retaking worlds through diplomacy or implied force like they did after the Damocles Crusade, and 3) the Tau are the only faction in 40k that are still developing technologically. In time, they'll be as advanced as the 'Crons in terms of starship tech, with a birth rate (there is a finite number of Necrons and that number is only going to shrink, especially if the Silent King succeeds in convincing his robot brethren to rust themselves dry fighting the 'Nids) and no long-term, organized opposition (as humanity will forever be too busy with Chaos and Orks to launch a large enough counter-offensive to stop them).
It's manifest destiny all over again.
That is not safe to assume. The Tau may not be able to sustain an offensive that far logistically, the Imperial systems beyond those already taken may be more heavily fortified or better led, the Tau may have already suffered significant casualties, the Tau might not know the extent to which the Imperium has withdrawn their forces and may opt for a more cautious approach among other potential problems.
Those enemies of the Imperium will be a threat to the Tau as well. Depending on the reasons for the Necrons harvesting Ka'mais the Tau could easily end up fighting a Necron dynasty; a faction with far superior technology. Tyranids and Orks will continue to fight the Tau especially if the Tau expand further. Chaos will become more potent as the human and other Warp-sensitive populations within the Tau Empire increase. Necrons are still developing technology. The Imperium does so very slowly but more importantly discovers older, more powerful technology from time to time. Dark Eldar create new technology as well I do believe. I see no reason why the Craftworld Eldar wouldn't either. Various Chaos, xeno and non-Imperial or Chaos humans will do so as well. The Tau might never be able to muster the same technology as the Necrons. Who knows how much they gained from the C'tan? They might go down entirely different roads of technology. They might have a civil war should the Ethereals would to bring the Farsight Enclaves to heel.
Your argument depends on the Tau remaining sheltered yet rapidly expanding and facing few consistent threats despite having come into conflict with every major faction in the galaxy. There's no real reason for that to remain the case as they become more powerful.
Compared to the imperium, it's a great place to live. The tau have this interesting place in 40k. In any other place they would be the bad faction, in 40k they are better than the "main" faction.
Furyou Miko wrote: Necrons are all over the entire galaxy and can traverse it very quickly due to Inertialess Drives. In addition, it's actually fairly likely that they started out somewhere near the Tau Empire, since they started on the other side of the galaxy from the Eldar, who started in the 'galactic northwest' (Tau are in the 'galactic southeast').
And the Third Sphere took 'plenty of territory' by Tau standards. They took what, six planets?
I would've thought that it was more like 6 stars than six planets. I mean, that's insignificant even for the Tau. GW needs to at least make the Tau a credible threat to the Imperium of Man if they expect the tau to be, in any way, a faction that makes even a little bit of sense.
By most estimates, the Tau control about 100 systems. 1/4th of those are from the 3rd Sphere, which is still ongoing. Since all of the Space Marines that fell for Shadowsun's diversion at Zeist have been recalled to fight the 13th Black Crusade, it's safe to assume that she could easily take another 25 systems from the Imperium.
The Tau are a credible threat because 1) the Imperium simply cannot muster the forces to deal with the Tau while they fight off Necrons, Tyranids, Orks, and the 13th Black Crusade, 2) the Imperium is willing to call truces with them any time something goes wrong elsewhere, which give the Tau a chance to play America to the IoM's natives, retaking worlds through diplomacy or implied force like they did after the Damocles Crusade, and 3) the Tau are the only faction in 40k that are still developing technologically. In time, they'll be as advanced as the 'Crons in terms of starship tech, with a birth rate (there is a finite number of Necrons and that number is only going to shrink, especially if the Silent King succeeds in convincing his robot brethren to rust themselves dry fighting the 'Nids) and no long-term, organized opposition (as humanity will forever be too busy with Chaos and Orks to launch a large enough counter-offensive to stop them).
It's manifest destiny all over again.
the Tau could have taken more systems.... or it's possiable some minor ork Waagh stopped them cold and reversed some of their gains. the Tau are bit players on the galatic stage. they play on such an absurdly small scale compared to everyone else it's honestly hard for me to really take them seriously as a faction beyond a "representization of the countless alien civilizations that the IoM has delt with over the millineia. every other army in 40k is galactic in scale...... then you have the Tau whom are a regional power. it's like having a board game dealing with world powers, you've got all these nuclear super powers..... and then you have Canada.
This is not the forum for repeating the same arguments every time the Tau are brought up. If you have ideas on a story about the Tau, I would be glad to hear them.
I for one would be very interested to read about a humans living and fighting under Tau rule. The initial naive hope for something better slowly eroding away as they realize the Tau are as flawed as any other race out their.
Co'tor Shas wrote: Compared to the imperium, it's a great place to live. The tau have this interesting place in 40k. In any other place they would be the bad faction, in 40k they are better than the "main" faction.
That depends very much on your planet. Hive Worlds are actually in minority and most Imperial Worlds (which are in majority) really are not that bad.
Furyou Miko wrote: Necrons are all over the entire galaxy and can traverse it very quickly due to Inertialess Drives. In addition, it's actually fairly likely that they started out somewhere near the Tau Empire, since they started on the other side of the galaxy from the Eldar, who started in the 'galactic northwest' (Tau are in the 'galactic southeast').
And the Third Sphere took 'plenty of territory' by Tau standards. They took what, six planets?
I would've thought that it was more like 6 stars than six planets. I mean, that's insignificant even for the Tau. GW needs to at least make the Tau a credible threat to the Imperium of Man if they expect the tau to be, in any way, a faction that makes even a little bit of sense.
By most estimates, the Tau control about 100 systems. 1/4th of those are from the 3rd Sphere, which is still ongoing. Since all of the Space Marines that fell for Shadowsun's diversion at Zeist have been recalled to fight the 13th Black Crusade, it's safe to assume that she could easily take another 25 systems from the Imperium.
The Tau are a credible threat because 1) the Imperium simply cannot muster the forces to deal with the Tau while they fight off Necrons, Tyranids, Orks, and the 13th Black Crusade, 2) the Imperium is willing to call truces with them any time something goes wrong elsewhere, which give the Tau a chance to play America to the IoM's natives, retaking worlds through diplomacy or implied force like they did after the Damocles Crusade, and 3) the Tau are the only faction in 40k that are still developing technologically. In time, they'll be as advanced as the 'Crons in terms of starship tech, with a birth rate (there is a finite number of Necrons and that number is only going to shrink, especially if the Silent King succeeds in convincing his robot brethren to rust themselves dry fighting the 'Nids) and no long-term, organized opposition (as humanity will forever be too busy with Chaos and Orks to launch a large enough counter-offensive to stop them).
It's manifest destiny all over again.
the Tau could have taken more systems.... or it's possiable some minor ork Waagh stopped them cold and reversed some of their gains. the Tau are bit players on the galatic stage. they play on such an absurdly small scale compared to everyone else it's honestly hard for me to really take them seriously as a faction beyond a "representization of the countless alien civilizations that the IoM has delt with over the millineia. every other army in 40k is galactic in scale...... then you have the Tau whom are a regional power. it's like having a board game dealing with world powers, you've got all these nuclear super powers..... and then you have Canada.
Well, if you think about it, alot of the factions in 40K are tiny comparatively. The Eldar own only a host of Craftworlds, which couldnt number more than a hundred and thats a big estimate, the Dark Eldar own one (albeit huge) city, and the Tau have a small empire. So that leaves the Orks (who will never really be a huge threat), the Necrons, Tyranids and Chaos who can do anything to the Imperium.
Furyou Miko wrote: Necrons are all over the entire galaxy and can traverse it very quickly due to Inertialess Drives. In addition, it's actually fairly likely that they started out somewhere near the Tau Empire, since they started on the other side of the galaxy from the Eldar, who started in the 'galactic northwest' (Tau are in the 'galactic southeast').
And the Third Sphere took 'plenty of territory' by Tau standards. They took what, six planets?
I would've thought that it was more like 6 stars than six planets. I mean, that's insignificant even for the Tau. GW needs to at least make the Tau a credible threat to the Imperium of Man if they expect the tau to be, in any way, a faction that makes even a little bit of sense.
The whole point of the Tau as a faction is that they represent the myriad of irrelevant tiny alien empires scattered throughout the galaxy.
Mr Nobody wrote: This is not the forum for repeating the same arguments every time the Tau are brought up. If you have ideas on a story about the Tau, I would be glad to hear them.
I for one would be very interested to read about a humans living and fighting under Tau rule. The initial naive hope for something better slowly eroding away as they realize the Tau are as flawed as any other race out their.
I'd like the exact reverse. A story about a Water Caste or Ethereal whose hope of co-existing with humanity is eroded by their inevitable corruption from Chaos.
It'd be fluffier. The wisest and oldest of humanity- the God-Emperor himself- was a child and a fool compared to Teddy Roosevelt. In the 40k universe, 3 dimensional characters make more sense when they are aliens, since all of the humans are so damned flat.
Automatically Appended Next Post: YA KNOW WHAT?
feth IT! I'm going to write that story! Even if it only exists here, it needs to exist.
Furyou Miko wrote: Necrons are all over the entire galaxy and can traverse it very quickly due to Inertialess Drives. In addition, it's actually fairly likely that they started out somewhere near the Tau Empire, since they started on the other side of the galaxy from the Eldar, who started in the 'galactic northwest' (Tau are in the 'galactic southeast').
And the Third Sphere took 'plenty of territory' by Tau standards. They took what, six planets?
I would've thought that it was more like 6 stars than six planets. I mean, that's insignificant even for the Tau. GW needs to at least make the Tau a credible threat to the Imperium of Man if they expect the tau to be, in any way, a faction that makes even a little bit of sense.
The whole point of the Tau as a faction is that they represent the myriad of irrelevant tiny alien empires scattered throughout the galaxy.
No. The Tau represent hope for a better tomorrow. The Imperium, in its 10k-long state of decay, has none.
EmpNortonII wrote:... and you know how the Necrons proceeded from a species without space travel to one with the best in the galaxy how? What book chronicles the Necrons as a rising star-faring civilization?
Heck, THAT'S a good idea for a book. Let's have something about the Necrontyr before the war with the Old Ones.
It's standard theory: When two possible forms of a technology exist, once one path has been chosen, it takes a significant amount of energy that is never going to be viable outside red alert emergency situations to go down the other path. For the same reason that we're struggling to switch from Fossil to Renewable energy IRL, the Tau would struggle immensely to switch from Warp-based to Pure Physical FTL technology. That said, a Rise of the Necrontyr novel would be amazing.
EmpNortonII wrote:
I'd like the exact reverse. A story about a Water Caste or Ethereal whose hope of co-existing with humanity is eroded by their inevitable corruption from Chaos.
SEX IT! I'm going to write that story! Even if it only exists here, it needs to exist.
Go for it! And mind your language.
EmpNortonII wrote:
No. The Tau represent hope for a better tomorrow. The Imperium, in its 10k-long state of decay, has none.
Co'tor Shas wrote: Compared to the imperium, it's a great place to live. The tau have this interesting place in 40k. In any other place they would be the bad faction, in 40k they are better than the "main" faction.
That depends very much on your planet. Hive Worlds are actually in minority and most Imperial Worlds (which are in majority) really are not that bad.
Despite their low number they might actualy contain most of mankind's population in 40k. Of course, there are plenty of other worlds where live sucks. Feudal worlds, war worlds, munitorium depots, forgeworlds, the more opressive civilised worlds and quite a few more. Imo the best places in the Imperium are either ruled by Ultramarines or otherwise in the peripherey. The further away from Terra and the imperial seats of power, the better. Of course, peaceful worlds with only a marginal (for 40k) level of supression makes for boring stories.
Co'tor Shas wrote: Compared to the imperium, it's a great place to live. The tau have this interesting place in 40k. In any other place they would be the bad faction, in 40k they are better than the "main" faction.
That depends very much on your planet. Hive Worlds are actually in minority and most Imperial Worlds (which are in majority) really are not that bad.
Despite their low number they might actualy contain most of mankind's population in 40k. Of course, there are plenty of other worlds where live sucks. Feudal worlds, war worlds, munitorium depots, forgeworlds, the more opressive civilised worlds and quite a few more. Imo the best places in the Imperium are either ruled by Ultramarines or otherwise in the peripherey. The further away from Terra and the imperial seats of power, the better. Of course, peaceful worlds with only a marginal (for 40k) level of supression makes for boring stories.
Hey, pleasure planets are great places to live.
The political climate on the majority of planets in the impirium, is going to be at least as bad as the tau, and less accepting. The whole "bad, but not quite as bad" thing is their shtick. A lot of the good come from increased living conditions. Cleaner air, cleaner water, better food, more efficiency.
LumenPraebeo wrote: I wanna hear a story about a planet. It should start off by introducing us to it. What classification, What climate, what geological anomalies sand out. Why it was colonized, when, and how. Then I want to hear who the current ruler is, what the rulers life is like, and what is the ruling class? Whats their political standing with the Imperium? With it's neighbors? With their trade partners? What type of aliens lurk around the system? Then I want to hear about the society side of things.
Social life? Planet Infrastructure? Culture? Food, Product, Trade? what about archeology? paleontology? what do the people build? what do the people extract from the planet, or nearby asteroids? Any notable individuals?
If there was a book like that for warhammer 40k, i'd be the first to buy it.
I give this a vote. I'm surprised at how, relatively few space marine stories are being requested. Given the percentage of marine based stories that are released.
Oh and the agricultural worlds are obviously the best places to live. Imagine farming a planet!! I would need a bigger tractor....
The third sphere expansion took plenty of territory from the Imperium. They'll be able to expand like that until such time as they are the single greatest threat to the Imperium. Necrons and Chaos are mostly at the other end of the galaxy, and the Tau have wiped out one hive fleet. They can do it again.
The imperium's various elite fighting elements out number the entire Tau race many times over. They don't stand a chance at being the "biggest threat to the Imperium" for thousands of years.
The Tau did wipe out a hive-fleet. A miniscule one which had a bad tendency of way over-compensating with evolutions and thereby expending massive amounts of unneeded biomass - I.E. a crippled hive-fleet which any of the other factions would have swatted like a gnat. The Tau were absolutely terrified of the threat which this malformed, super watered down Tyranid menace posed, and had to enlist both the assistance of the Imperium -and- the Dark Eldar in order to overcome the threat which it posed to them.
Jollydevil wrote: Well, if you think about it, alot of the factions in 40K are tiny comparatively. The Eldar own only a host of Craftworlds, which couldnt number more than a hundred and thats a big estimate, the Dark Eldar own one (albeit huge) city, and the Tau have a small empire. So that leaves the Orks (who will never really be a huge threat), the Necrons, Tyranids and Chaos who can do anything to the Imperium.
The Eldar own only a host of craftwords, but are still capable of devastating large swathes of space because they're so high-tech, and are almost impossible to reprimand because they're so elusive.
A single moderately sized Kabal can steal an entire planet's population over the course of a single night. There are innumerable Kabals. They're also almost immune to reprimand.
The Orks are a huge threat when a large waaaaagh comes along. Otherwise yeah, they're just an annoyance.
I think the point is that anyone could wipe the Tau out with nominal effort. If an actual bonafied Hive Fleet decides it wants to eat some blue aliens, they're boned. If Chaos decides to launch a black crusade on them out of the nearby rift, if the Imperium launches an actually supplied crusade, if a large-scale (or even moderate) ork Waaagh rolls through, ect ect. The tau could survive none of these things.
Mr Nobody wrote: Space Marine creation. The story of a kid's metamorphosis from adolescent to mankind's greatest warrior.
Some have tried to do this well, all have failed.
And ultimately, how interesting of a story would this be, really? The process of building a Space Marine involves taking a young child, breaking down everything that makes him an individual, and turning him into a remorseless, unquestioning killing machine. How much narrative (okay, so how much believable narrative) are you going to get out of recounting endless hours of military drills, psychoindoctrination, mental conditioning and physical fitness?
I can see this being part of a novel, where an adult Space Marine recalls bits and pieces of his training, but again... given how bad some of the failed attempts have been (the Space Wolf series comes to mind), maybe best to just let some things remain somewhat ambiguous.
As far as what I'd like to see would be more novels set at the "ground level" of 40K. Told from the perspective of the faceless cogs. More horror-style stories about random Administratum or Mechanicum scrubs who stumble onto dark secrets or ancient evils. But these aren't always the easiest stories to write, and probably not the most profitable to publish either. I've really started to like some of John French's style, but I wonder if he'll ever be unleashed to write a full novel that isn't about Space Marines (or Chaos Marines). Space Marines make such terrible protagonists and are a waste of his abilities (or at least seem to be).
This story has kind of already been done in another scifi universe. Read Halo: The Fall of Reach. It tells about the Master Chief's recruitment, training, indoctrination, and physical augmentation. I think the same thing would work for a Space Marine.
Personally I would like to see a story about Mankind before the Imperium. Perhaps tell about what happened when they first discovered the Warp, or some stories like the first time they contacted the Eldar or Orks or other xenos.
Co'tor Shas wrote: Compared to the imperium, it's a great place to live. The tau have this interesting place in 40k. In any other place they would be the bad faction, in 40k they are better than the "main" faction.
That depends very much on your planet. Hive Worlds are actually in minority and most Imperial Worlds (which are in majority) really are not that bad.
Despite their low number they might actualy contain most of mankind's population in 40k. Of course, there are plenty of other worlds where live sucks. Feudal worlds, war worlds, munitorium depots, forgeworlds, the more opressive civilised worlds and quite a few more. Imo the best places in the Imperium are either ruled by Ultramarines or otherwise in the peripherey. The further away from Terra and the imperial seats of power, the better. Of course, peaceful worlds with only a marginal (for 40k) level of supression makes for boring stories.
Hey, pleasure planets are great places to live.
The political climate on the majority of planets in the impirium, is going to be at least as bad as the tau, and less accepting. The whole "bad, but not quite as bad" thing is their shtick. A lot of the good come from increased living conditions. Cleaner air, cleaner water, better food, more efficiency.
Depends if the pleasure planet means "hump day erry'day", or simply where the Imperium expects its servants to look at waterfalls while training before going on another suicide mission.
I would love a Gue'vessa centered story personally. Humans that join the Tau.
Or a Water Caste grimdark story that shows what goes on behind the scenes to make Tau society tick and the horrible things that must be done to insure loyalty.
Co'tor Shas wrote: Compared to the imperium, it's a great place to live. The tau have this interesting place in 40k. In any other place they would be the bad faction, in 40k they are better than the "main" faction.
That depends very much on your planet. Hive Worlds are actually in minority and most Imperial Worlds (which are in majority) really are not that bad.
Despite their low number they might actualy contain most of mankind's population in 40k. Of course, there are plenty of other worlds where live sucks. Feudal worlds, war worlds, munitorium depots, forgeworlds, the more opressive civilised worlds and quite a few more. Imo the best places in the Imperium are either ruled by Ultramarines or otherwise in the peripherey. The further away from Terra and the imperial seats of power, the better. Of course, peaceful worlds with only a marginal (for 40k) level of supression makes for boring stories.
Hey, pleasure planets are great places to live.
The political climate on the majority of planets in the impirium, is going to be at least as bad as the tau, and less accepting. The whole "bad, but not quite as bad" thing is their shtick. A lot of the good come from increased living conditions. Cleaner air, cleaner water, better food, more efficiency.
Depends if the pleasure planet means "hump day erry'day", or simply where the Imperium expects its servants to look at waterfalls while training before going on another suicide mission.
Hehe, and even the" hump day erry'day" variant might be less pleasing for the poor guys and gals who have the honour of constantly "serving" rich or otherwise important clients.
Although being Bob the radioactive waste disposal guy for the Pleasureworld's revered and ancient plasma reactor might be no less sucky Imo, best place in the imperium is some emperor forsaken and remote agriworld which is at most visited once in a decade by a titheship and has otherwise little to no contact with the rest of the Imperium.
Of course knowing 40k such worlds seem to attract all kinds of daemon/dark eldar/ork/tyranid and chaos invasions on an almost regular basis. Spaceadolf doesn't want his food-erm, pious worshippers to have good things
Co'tor Shas wrote: Compared to the imperium, it's a great place to live. The tau have this interesting place in 40k. In any other place they would be the bad faction, in 40k they are better than the "main" faction.
That depends very much on your planet. Hive Worlds are actually in minority and most Imperial Worlds (which are in majority) really are not that bad.
Despite their low number they might actualy contain most of mankind's population in 40k. Of course, there are plenty of other worlds where live sucks. Feudal worlds, war worlds, munitorium depots, forgeworlds, the more opressive civilised worlds and quite a few more. Imo the best places in the Imperium are either ruled by Ultramarines or otherwise in the peripherey. The further away from Terra and the imperial seats of power, the better. Of course, peaceful worlds with only a marginal (for 40k) level of supression makes for boring stories.
Hey, pleasure planets are great places to live.
The political climate on the majority of planets in the impirium, is going to be at least as bad as the tau, and less accepting. The whole "bad, but not quite as bad" thing is their shtick. A lot of the good come from increased living conditions. Cleaner air, cleaner water, better food, more efficiency.
Depends if the pleasure planet means "hump day erry'day", or simply where the Imperium expects its servants to look at waterfalls while training before going on another suicide mission.
Hehe, and even the" hump day erry'day" variant might be less pleasing for the poor guys and gals who have the honour of constantly "serving" rich or otherwise important clients.
Although being Bob the radioactive waste disposal guy for the Pleasureworld's revered and ancient plasma reactor might be no less sucky Imo, best place in the imperium is some emperor forsaken and remote agriworld which is at most visited once in a decade by a titheship and has otherwise little to no contact with the rest of the Imperium.
Of course knowing 40k such worlds seem to attract all kinds of daemon/dark eldar/ork/tyranid and chaos invasions on an almost regular basis. Spaceadolf doesn't want his food-erm, pious worshippers to have good things
No, the best place to live would be on an Ultramarine controlled Agri World.
Mr Nobody wrote:
Space Marine creation. The story of a kid's metamorphosis from adolescent to mankind's greatest warrior.
Some have tried to do this well, all have failed.
And ultimately, how interesting of a story would this be, really? The process of building a Space Marine involves taking a young child, breaking down everything that makes him an individual, and turning him into a remorseless, unquestioning killing machine. How much narrative (okay, so how much believable narrative) are you going to get out of recounting endless hours of military drills, psychoindoctrination, mental conditioning and physical fitness?
I can see this being part of a novel, where an adult Space Marine recalls bits and pieces of his training, but again... given how bad some of the failed attempts have been (the Space Wolf series comes to mind), maybe best to just let some things remain somewhat ambiguous.
As far as what I'd like to see would be more novels set at the "ground level" of 40K. Told from the perspective of the faceless cogs. More horror-style stories about random Administratum or Mechanicum scrubs who stumble onto dark secrets or ancient evils. But these aren't always the easiest stories to write, and probably not the most profitable to publish either. I've really started to like some of John French's style, but I wonder if he'll ever be unleashed to write a full novel that isn't about Space Marines (or Chaos Marines). Space Marines make such terrible protagonists and are a waste of his abilities (or at least seem to be).
This story has kind of already been done in another scifi universe. Read Halo: The Fall of Reach. It tells about the Master Chief's recruitment, training, indoctrination, and physical augmentation. I think the same thing would work for a Space Marine.
Personally I would like to see a story about Mankind before the Imperium. Perhaps tell about what happened when they first discovered the Warp, or some stories like the first time they contacted the Eldar or Orks or other xenos.
The first book on Ragnar was exactly this. Started with him on a boat trying to kill another dude when a space ship saved him from death and he became a Marine.
Shadowclaimer wrote: I would love a Gue'vessa centered story personally. Humans that join the Tau.
Or a Water Caste grimdark story that shows what goes on behind the scenes to make Tau society tick and the horrible things that must be done to insure loyalty.
Read Damocles anthology, the second story is basically everything you ask for. Also why does everyone assume the Tau do horrible things to ensure loyalty?
Sanctuary 101 would be cool.
More Tau stuff particularly with Aun'shi would be cool although the short story with him and the Dark Eldar was a bit naf sadly.
Would like to get some stuff about Vargard Obyron, Darkstrider or maybe a Solitaire.
Shadowclaimer wrote: I would love a Gue'vessa centered story personally. Humans that join the Tau.
Or a Water Caste grimdark story that shows what goes on behind the scenes to make Tau society tick and the horrible things that must be done to insure loyalty.
Necron focused stories.
Dynastic power struggles and interaction with alien races.
More fantasy like Chaos stories, more adventures in the depths of the warp and less robbing some imperial world.
They could write down what they meant as I read somewhere they are really resistant in showing that to outsiders and usually had a sister not yet having taken her vows usually doing the communication with people outside their order.
Furyou Miko wrote: Necrons are all over the entire galaxy and can traverse it very quickly due to Inertialess Drives. In addition, it's actually fairly likely that they started out somewhere near the Tau Empire, since they started on the other side of the galaxy from the Eldar, who started in the 'galactic northwest' (Tau are in the 'galactic southeast').
And the Third Sphere took 'plenty of territory' by Tau standards. They took what, six planets?
I would've thought that it was more like 6 stars than six planets. I mean, that's insignificant even for the Tau. GW needs to at least make the Tau a credible threat to the Imperium of Man if they expect the tau to be, in any way, a faction that makes even a little bit of sense.
By most estimates, the Tau control about 100 systems. 1/4th of those are from the 3rd Sphere, which is still ongoing. Since all of the Space Marines that fell for Shadowsun's diversion at Zeist have been recalled to fight the 13th Black Crusade, it's safe to assume that she could easily take another 25 systems from the Imperium.
The Tau are a credible threat because 1) the Imperium simply cannot muster the forces to deal with the Tau while they fight off Necrons, Tyranids, Orks, and the 13th Black Crusade, 2) the Imperium is willing to call truces with them any time something goes wrong elsewhere, which give the Tau a chance to play America to the IoM's natives, retaking worlds through diplomacy or implied force like they did after the Damocles Crusade, and 3) the Tau are the only faction in 40k that are still developing technologically. In time, they'll be as advanced as the 'Crons in terms of starship tech, with a birth rate (there is a finite number of Necrons and that number is only going to shrink, especially if the Silent King succeeds in convincing his robot brethren to rust themselves dry fighting the 'Nids) and no long-term, organized opposition (as humanity will forever be too busy with Chaos and Orks to launch a large enough counter-offensive to stop them).
It's manifest destiny all over again.
the Tau could have taken more systems.... or it's possiable some minor ork Waagh stopped them cold and reversed some of their gains. the Tau are bit players on the galatic stage. they play on such an absurdly small scale compared to everyone else it's honestly hard for me to really take them seriously as a faction beyond a "representization of the countless alien civilizations that the IoM has delt with over the millineia. every other army in 40k is galactic in scale...... then you have the Tau whom are a regional power. it's like having a board game dealing with world powers, you've got all these nuclear super powers..... and then you have Canada.
Well, if you think about it, alot of the factions in 40K are tiny comparatively. The Eldar own only a host of Craftworlds, which couldnt number more than a hundred and thats a big estimate, the Dark Eldar own one (albeit huge) city, and the Tau have a small empire. So that leaves the Orks (who will never really be a huge threat), the Necrons, Tyranids and Chaos who can do anything to the Imperium.
By small what I mean is the TGau aren;t a galatic scale threat. Eldar (both types) Orks, chaos Necrons etc are all notable in that they're all over the galaxy. you can literally encounter them anywhere in the galaxy. Tau by their nature have a small home range. this honestly is a rather limiting factor when you think of it. this, combined with the small scale IMHO really make the Tau feel like a bit of an odd fit in 40k regarding the feel of it's factions.
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Jollydevil wrote: Sheesh, there sure is alot of Tau bashing going on. Probably cause theyre so easy to bash. But still.
eh in fairness the Tau fans here kinda invite it with some of their commentary and I think they know that
My short fiction following a Solitaire. 2 chapters written, 2 to go, you might find it interesting. It was certainly fun to write, because if you can do over-the-top when writing Astartes, imagine how epic it can be writing a guy that can literally catch bullets, kill a dozen men inside a second, and is so terrifying even his own allies are scared gakless of him. And then there's the more personal side which I've had fun looking at; he has nothing, no memory, no name, just an age of endless bloodshed. At the end, his soul is forfiet to Slaneesh, but what if he has no life to really lose? SPOILERS!
I would like some stuff about geno-soldiers during the Unification Wars, the building of the original Legions (pre-Primarch), especially the Ith and XXth, Apothecaries trying to deal with Chaos mutations in their Legion's gene-seed and staving off eventual extinction, and SMs RUNNING from Hrud (And They Shall Know No Fear... But Maybe Some Terror of Dying of Old Age).
I also wish they would hire a genetics and planet consultant to hit them over the head with a blunt object every time they describe DNA as protein supercomplexes, hopefully inflicting some rudimentary understanding of science, and if we're really lucky (but this is potato on a scale from 1-10 on likelihood of happening) some common sense and the ability to write the singular of dice.
I want less Alpha Legion stuff where you know EXACTLY who the Alpha Legionnaires are from the get-go. Sure, the protagonists don't, but the reader does, which makes it pretty boring. I want more Serpeant Beneath, where the plot is clever and surprises you.
Arcsquad12 wrote: A book about the Iron Warriors as written by ADB. None of this whiny Waah Waah never get any credit stuff from Angel Exterminatus.
I'd like to see the Iron Warriors as bitter but resigned to their fate. Instead of complaining about their role, they bottle it up and do the crappy siege job without question, slowly bottling up all their resentment and bitterness until it finally breaks open. But ironically, their silence on the matter is the reason they kept being taken for Siege duty in the first place, and if they had voiced their discomfort some change might have come.
Not a bad idea. Never liked Angel Exterminatus much. There was so much whining, whinging and crying it was like someone equipped a bunch of emos with power armour.
Co'tor Shas wrote: I'd also like to see some books not focused on the military or combat. Like a team of Inquisitorial acolytes in their search to discover the mysterious goings-on in a distant system, intrude and mystery. Something original for a change. Maybe a rouge trader, or a band of space pirates would be cool as well.
Damn make-up traders! Stealing our mascara!
PS - Heil spelling!
Wyzilla wrote: One of the reasons why I love the Legion of the Damned novel was how it went for about three fourths of the book without any conflict and was largely just Space Marines talking, and brooding before the storm.
And boy, did the storm hit. Rob Sanders really know how to write combat, and how to make it brutal.
Wyzilla wrote: Yeah, Rob Sanders also has the prestige of writing probably the best Alpha Legion story.
The implosion and harvesting of the Red Consuls was both hilarious and brutal. The Alpha Legion certainly doesn't pull punches in M41.
I presume you mean Crimson Consuls (Long Games at Carcharias)? Not read it, but got it next to me right now. Serpent Beneath is also amazing; I feel like I'm harping on about it now. It's one of the few genuinely good wh40k pieces of fiction.
Co'tor Shas wrote: I'd also like to see some books not focused on the military or combat. Like a team of Inquisitorial acolytes in their search to discover the mysterious goings-on in a distant system, intrude and mystery. Something original for a change. Maybe a rouge trader, or a band of space pirates would be cool as well.
Wyzilla wrote: Yeah, Rob Sanders also has the prestige of writing probably the best Alpha Legion story.
The implosion and harvesting of the Red Consuls was both hilarious and brutal. The Alpha Legion certainly doesn't pull punches in M41.
I presume you mean Crimson Consuls (Long Games at Carcharias)? Not read it, but got it next to me right now. Serpent Beneath is also amazing; I feel like I'm harping on about it now. It's one of the few genuinely good wh40k pieces of fiction.
Expect to get whiplash from how hard the Alpha Legion curbstomps the Crimson Consuls with tactical brilliance.
Shadowclaimer wrote: I would love a Gue'vessa centered story personally. Humans that join the Tau.
I was just about to post this. However, I'd like a Gue'Vesa perspective on fighting other humans. I can imagine it becomes a bit of a moral dilemma, as Gue'Vesa Guardsmen/PDF don't seem to be nearly as eager as their Imperial counterparts.
Wyzilla wrote: Yeah, Rob Sanders also has the prestige of writing probably the best Alpha Legion story.
The implosion and harvesting of the Red Consuls was both hilarious and brutal. The Alpha Legion certainly doesn't pull punches in M41.
I presume you mean Crimson Consuls (Long Games at Carcharias)? Not read it, but got it next to me right now. Serpent Beneath is also amazing; I feel like I'm harping on about it now. It's one of the few genuinely good wh40k pieces of fiction.
Expect to get whiplash from how hard the Alpha Legion curbstomps the Crimson Consuls with tactical brilliance.
Which begs the question... Why do we have Graham McNeill? Can't we just buy Rob Sanders?
Wyzilla wrote: Yeah, Rob Sanders also has the prestige of writing probably the best Alpha Legion story.
The implosion and harvesting of the Red Consuls was both hilarious and brutal. The Alpha Legion certainly doesn't pull punches in M41.
I presume you mean Crimson Consuls (Long Games at Carcharias)? Not read it, but got it next to me right now. Serpent Beneath is also amazing; I feel like I'm harping on about it now. It's one of the few genuinely good wh40k pieces of fiction.
Expect to get whiplash from how hard the Alpha Legion curbstomps the Crimson Consuls with tactical brilliance.
Which begs the question... Why do we have Graham McNeill? Can't we just buy Rob Sanders?
McNeil probably has connections. Although really he should just be thrown out and have his material handed over to Sanders, considering Sanders can write a book series without contradicting his OWN written material. Or remember that people lost a hand.
Im gonna second the call for some kind of Necron-Themed book, where you follow a Lord Subordinate to another Overlord, vying politically for favor, and using his forces to the utmost to ensure he is kept in esteem, in what amounts to an unending game of chess, with no real winner. You have interaction with aliens, technology that would be awesome in scale, interesting settings, and since Necrons are no longer a "0 character" race, you could get some insight of what they think of one another, of the other races, and of the events that brought them, and the galaxy at large to essentially this state of slow erosion into nothingness.
Wyzilla wrote: Yeah, Rob Sanders also has the prestige of writing probably the best Alpha Legion story.
The implosion and harvesting of the Red Consuls was both hilarious and brutal. The Alpha Legion certainly doesn't pull punches in M41.
I presume you mean Crimson Consuls (Long Games at Carcharias)? Not read it, but got it next to me right now. Serpent Beneath is also amazing; I feel like I'm harping on about it now. It's one of the few genuinely good wh40k pieces of fiction.
Expect to get whiplash from how hard the Alpha Legion curbstomps the Crimson Consuls with tactical brilliance.
Which begs the question... Why do we have Graham McNeill? Can't we just buy Rob Sanders?
McNeil probably has connections. Although really he should just be thrown out and have his material handed over to Sanders, considering Sanders can write a book series without contradicting his OWN written material. Or remember that people lost a hand.
How is Sanders in terms of SM consistency? Size, speed, feats etc.
How is Sanders in terms of SM consistency? Size, speed, feats etc.
He's consistent and portrays SMs in less... camp... way. His characters, ironically for being Alpha Legion, feel more real. I've not noticed any inconsistencies.
What disease or xenos ultimately wipes out the wretched Minotaur Chapter?
Let me ruin this for you.
One of the High Lords is knocked off by an assassin that can only be a Space Marine. In a tale of intrigue, one of the Lords figures out the who and why. It is one of their own, a High Lord that has fallen to Chaos, and has insured the continued loyalty of the Minotaurs- a Chapter bred to be the hit men of the High Lords- to his debauched goals. A pariah, he flees Holy Terra, forsaken by his former friends and allies. Without recourse, he turns to his last option, one that is so feared that even to the High Lords, it is a last resort. A Chapter so feared they have been banished from the Imperium they have sworn to defend. The only Chapter of Marines whose loyalty cannot be turned. A force that can go toe to toe with the chosen Chapter of the High Lords. A force as black as the Void and so bloody that Abaddon himself was turned by their sole onslaught.
They are the beast that devours the Void. They are the darkness that will swallow stars. They inspire fear even in those that know no fear. They are... the Carcharodons Astra.
I would love to see a Lamenters book where everyone survives combat in the most brilliant bad@$$ way someone can write, but every other page someone dies in some freak accidental way. As action packed and dramatic as everything is, it borderlines on comedy because everyone takes it stoically. Except for the recruiting and training department, who are in a constant state of borderline panic and organized chaos as they try to maintain the chapter's dwindling numbers.
I'd like to see the story of a human female, her love torn between a Vampiric Blood Angel and a Feral Space Wolf. She eventually chooses the Blood Angel and somehow ends up having his gene-seed-baby and o turning into an angry mini-marine herself.
They should call it something meaningless too, like Twidark or something.
What disease or xenos ultimately wipes out the wretched Minotaur Chapter?
More Dan Abnett-esqe Segmentum Obscurus fiction.
tekno000 wrote: I would love to see a Lamenters book where everyone survives combat in the most brilliant bad@$$ way someone can write, but every other page someone dies in some freak accidental way. As action packed and dramatic as everything is, it borderlines on comedy because everyone takes it stoically. Except for the recruiting and training department, who are in a constant state of borderline panic and organized chaos as they try to maintain the chapter's dwindling numbers.
I'd like to see the Lamenters with a large bulk of the Chapter named, with the gene-seed being taken from named SMs and given to named recruits and then following them as the Chapter is rebuilt. Also watching maybe the erosion of Chapter culture with the new influx of neophytes.
Also, figuring out why they didn't aid in the defence of Baal would be interesting, though that might have been done already.
In general, stories about Minotaurs, Lamenters, Carcharodons and other less-detailed later Founding Chapters would be really cool. The First Founding Chapters get way too much love.
How likely is GW or BL to actually read submissions / proposals for books?
If you're already an established author, they'll read your pitch whenever you send it.
If you're not, it depends entirely on how well you can catch the editor-on-watch's attention, but it might be a waste of time outside a submissions period.
ChazSexington wrote: Also, figuring out why they didn't aid in the defence of Baal would be interesting, though that might have been done already.
I'm fairly certain it's because they're all dead. Or, that's what the codex would have us believe. They're probably just lost. Not Primarch lost. Just, took a wrong turn on a stormy night and had to spend the night at a haunted hotel.
One story I'd like to see is a joint operation between the Ultramarines and the Space Wolves. It'd be a story where it doesn't matter who they're fighting the real story is these two VERY DIFFERNT chapters trying to get along
BrianDavion wrote: One story I'd like to see is a joint operation between the Ultramarines and the Space Wolves. It'd be a story where it doesn't matter who they're fighting the real story is these two VERY DIFFERNT chapters trying to get along
You're kidding right?
If anyone has problems with the Wolves, it would be Dark angels, then Iron Hands, and then Raven Guard.
Ultramarines get on better with them than those other 3.
Shadowclaimer wrote: I would love a Gue'vessa centered story personally. Humans that join the Tau.
Or a Water Caste grimdark story that shows what goes on behind the scenes to make Tau society tick and the horrible things that must be done to insure loyalty.
I'd love to see more "IGHammer" books like the Siege of Vraks. Really Grimdark stuff about regular joes having to endure the hardships of sci-fi combat. But presented like an Osprey historical book.
I'd just like stories with more emotion. More tales of everyday life across all factions and species. From Orwellian tales of love being crushed as the Forge World's gears must always turn to the asceticism of Eldar and possibly Tau, just more about day to day life, be it good or bad.
I'd also really like a set of novels about a newly discovered or rediscovered system or sector with plenty of funky alien races. Somewhere obscure enough that diplomacy is sometimes an option, peace is always on a knife edge, sympathisers on all sides. Like a grimdark Babylon 5.
I'd also like to rewrite the Horus Heresy, but that's wishful thinking. :-P
This thread is a goldmine for 40k based RPGs, kudos to all.
I'd like to read a book about the marines when they were the old beakies, what were they like back then?!
I tried to write my own but it morphed into something wholly different (for one there's women marines, they're not as genetically-not nearly as genetically enhanced, they retire eventually, all sorts)...
-The Beasts Of Annihilation and how they came to be- a whole chapter becoming possessed over night would be interesting to read about
-The Dominion of Fire- seems to have been forgotten but 50,000 khorne berserkers rampaging? yes please -a story following a cultist from joining to eventual fate- its been covered by fan fiction (Rend and Blood Haze are brilliant, over on Deviant art) its a part of the chaos armies that seem to be overlooked and it would be nice to see a human portrayal beyond 'psycho-cannon fodder'
also a story about the Carcharadons and/or Flesh eaters from the perspective of a civilian or PDF as his world is attacked by chaos would be awesome, him or her not knowing which side is better and perhaps the Reign of Blood, looking at Vandire and the Daughters of the Emperor
BrianDavion wrote: One story I'd like to see is a joint operation between the Ultramarines and the Space Wolves. It'd be a story where it doesn't matter who they're fighting the real story is these two VERY DIFFERNT chapters trying to get along
You're kidding right?
If anyone has problems with the Wolves, it would be Dark angels, then Iron Hands, and then Raven Guard.
Ultramarines get on better with them than those other 3.
not kidding at all. I'm not looking for a story dealing with the traditional antagionism because of some silly peice of history story. rather in this case the stress would simply come from doctrinal differances. Honestly it's a matter of how these two chapters relate is, as far as I know, not explored at all. there's no historical rivalry but I imagine when they've had to interact it's been... intreasting.
And since the technical knowledge of many authors is laughable at best it would end up with endless cringe worthy contradictions.
