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For now. Remember that they are collectivists who follow the Greater Good. If they decide your species are a hindrance, they may decide to be rid of them, and it is implied that they are not against using more...direct methods of control to ensure compliance.

The T'au are already learning that their idealism doesn't hold up in the cruelty of the setting. I don't know how long it will take for them to crack, but when they do, it won't be pretty.

True, but at the same time their more inclusive nature has allowed them greater expansion than most other races. In fact its probably the only thing that can allow them to expand fast enough as a faction to be able to weather the storm of the greater galactic threats.


But still whilst they might control you, chances are its better than most other races. Chaos will twist you; Eldar will play with you; Orks will farm you for war; Humans will obliterate you; Necrons will also obliterate you; Tyranids will eat you and your world and your sun and your moon



Votaan might be another one to consider as potentially more peaceful as galactic rulers?

I suppose. They are largely isolationists and are more interested in trade. I'd rather them than the T'au in the long run.
Yeah, if you piss them off they'll wreck you, but the same could be said of all powers.

Trading requires others to be alive to trade with.

I figure Votaan are one of the few who are newer and don't seem bent on galactic domination right now like the other races almost all are (or in the case of Eldar lamenting their loss of galactic domination with a millennia long depression)

The T'au don't need to rule the galaxy and honestly, I don't think the empire has any intention of doing so.

Spreading the T'au'va doesn't require direct domination and there are many Xenos races the T'au ally with that haven't joined the empire.

A strong empire with multiple allied powers aligned with their ideology is more likely what the T'au are looking for, or failing that client states with T'au advisors.

 Gert wrote:
The T'au don't need to rule the galaxy and honestly, I don't think the empire has any intention of doing so.

Spreading the T'au'va doesn't require direct domination and there are many Xenos races the T'au ally with that haven't joined the empire.

A strong empire with multiple allied powers aligned with their ideology is more likely what the T'au are looking for, or failing that client states with T'au advisors.

I think Tau would want to be the biggest fish in the sea though. So even if they might not conquer every race, they would still want to be the singular most powerful force there is. Of course with allies they will likely try many other paths other than conquest to ensure Tau supremacy.

I think that's a core difference between them and a force like the Votaan. Tau still want to rule, they are just not hell bent on genocide of other races like the Imperium is.

Again though, being the biggest fish doesn't mean having the biggest directly controlled empire.
By having various client states and allies the T'au can effectively control more space without worrying about falling into the same traps as the Imperium.
Maybe it's just cos I'm a big Stellaris nerd and having allies and puppets in that can often be way better than one single lump of power.

Surely Stellaris has also taught you how unreliable allies can be if they feel they've got enough power.

(or in the AI's case even if it hasn't)

I do take your point and yes I agree Tau don't have to iron-boot dominate every other faction or crush them like the Imperium would. I just think that after all the nasty scary things they've seen, Tau wouldn't want to be vulnerable to other allied factions. Of course they can do that through military, diplomatic, genetic, economic and other superior aspects.