Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Something I just realised is that 40K measurements are based on the Imperial an not the Metric system. This is interesting considering that 40K was created and based in England. Spelling is predominantly English not American in the rulebooks and novels. So why Imperial? E.g. A 6' x 4' battlefield etc. Only 3 countries in the entire world use Imperial.

... Why have I not thought about this before? I've complained so much about 5th's LoS but I never once thought about this. Huh...

It could be because they know that Americans are basically the only ones who won't just suck it up and use the opposite system.

WH40k is also pretty huge in America, and they need to appeal to their most stubborn audience. I personally like the metric system better because base 12 is stupid and we use base 10 for everything but time.

Because it's called the Imperium of Man. Duh.

...

I'm sorry, but you know well that somebody had to bring that lame joke.

Who knows.

And really, we here in the US use Metric for things where it actually matters. We aren't performing chemistry with Imperial measurements that's for darn sure. and we're actually sophisticated enough to use both systems

No reason to convert kitchen appliances or basic household measuring devices over. And even then, most measuring tapes have both Imperial and Metric measurements.

The bases are in metric.. sharing see?

Because the Imperial measurement system is sanctified by the Imperium and the Ad mech as the true way to measure length and distance.

eh because imperial measurements are easier to use with the D6.

Its my understanding that in England it was only recently that they switched over to the metric system, it began in the 60's and lasted until 1980, so the original creators of warhammer who made it in 1983 would have grown up with imperial system and it would have just stuck.

Grey Templar wrote:We aren't performing chemistry with Imperial measurements that's for darn sure. and we're actually sophisticated enough to use both systems

*cough cough*

England doesn't entirely use the metric system. Some things still use imperial.

Here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_Kingdom#Current_usage

Non-metric units, allowed by United Kingdom law[90] for economic, public health, public safety or administrative use from 1 January 2000, are limited to:
the mile, yard, foot and inch for road traffic signs, distance and speed measurement,
the imperial pint for the dispensing of draught beer and cider, and for the sale of milk in returnable containers,
the acre for land registration,[Note 8]
the troy ounce for transaction in precious metals.[62][91][92]

Also, it could be because WHFB and WH40k were created back in the 1980s, when the metric system was still being implemented (with some degree of resistence from the public).

Lord of the rings, which was started in 2001, uses the metric system.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:
England doesn't entirely use the metric system. Distances are still use imperial.

Here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication_in_the_United_Kingdom#Current_usage

Non-metric units, allowed by United Kingdom law[90] for economic, public health, public safety or administrative use from 1 January 2000, are limited to:
the mile, yard, foot and inch for road traffic signs, distance and speed measurement,
the imperial pint for the dispensing of draught beer and cider, and for the sale of milk in returnable containers,
the acre for land registration,[Note 8]
the troy ounce for transaction in precious metals.[62][91][92]

Also, it could be because WHFB and WH40k were created back in the 1980s, when the metric system was still being implemented (with some degree of resistence from the public).

Lord of the rings, which was started in 2001, uses the metric system.

This. GW started with Imperial measurements so they stick with Imperial measurements. Otherwise they'd have to spend time reworking everything to Cm. Besides, 6" movement is much cleaner sounding than "15.24 centimeters".

ClockworkZion wrote:Besides, 6" movement is much cleaner sounding than "15.24 centimeters".

To be fair, if they'd use metric they would probably just round up or down. You don't see "80.46 km/h" roadsigns either, after all.

Not that I think they'd ever make the switch, though. Then again, who can say for sure?

 Lynata wrote:

ClockworkZion wrote:Besides, 6" movement is much cleaner sounding than "15.24 centimeters".

To be fair, if they'd use metric they would probably just round up or down. You don't see "80.46 km/h" roadsigns either, after all.

Not that I think they'd ever make the switch, though. Then again, who can say for sure?

True, but "6" still rolls off the tongue better than "15" or "16" does.

From what I understand, it is because the game was made in the 80's, and this was before england switched over to the metric system. From what I understand all their road signs are still in miles as well. Apparently all their craftsmen such as carpenters etc still use the imperial system as well.

This is America, and England's special relationship, the rest of the world gets to deal with it.

It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

Because it is more simple in terms of tabletop gaming and better for the scale

Even though I only use metric and hate imperial, I think imperial is great for tabletop games like 40K. I'd rather calculate distances with inches than centimeters, which are fairly tiny.

Wouldn't mind if 40K was in metric though.

BFG uses metric. I think it works good for games with smaller increments.

Imperial may not be the best form of measurement, but it has the most in common with the first forms of measurement(body parts).

And really, measurements only need to be standardized to be useful. If everyone on the planet used Imperial instead of Metric things would still work just fine. It would just be a little harder to convert units.

xruslanx wrote:
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.

If you use a 24 hour clock it can strike 13 (aka 1pm).

Is it wrong that I now want to create the Metric Fists chapter?

Because the British designers don't care what measurements are used in the colonies
(and what native languages they use, see all-English supplements and digital products)

 Lynata wrote:

ClockworkZion wrote:Besides, 6" movement is much cleaner sounding than "15.24 centimeters".

To be fair, if they'd use metric they would probably just round up or down. You don't see "80.46 km/h" roadsigns either, after all.

Not that I think they'd ever make the switch, though. Then again, who can say for sure?

nah we just use M/ph signs

Mr Morden wrote:

Lynata wrote:

ClockworkZion wrote:Besides, 6" movement is much cleaner sounding than "15.24 centimeters".

To be fair, if they'd use metric they would probably just round up or down. You don't see "80.46 km/h" roadsigns either, after all.
Not that I think they'd ever make the switch, though. Then again, who can say for sure?

nah we just use M/ph signs

Oh, I wasn't referring to the UK there, but rather any country that would do a switch.

Like my current home, Ireland, did in 2005: http://www.thrifty.ie/aboutmetric.php

The UK mainly uses Imperial. That's coming from a resident and not a Wikipedia article.

If you ask someone their height and weight, they'll likely respond in Imperial and, yes, even if they are only young. Clothes are all measured in Imperial, so you'd buy trousers with a 32 inch waist. Pretty much anything to do with distance is Imperial. Road Signs are all imperial and our speed limits are in miles per hour and on a motorway, you're alerted to a junction by signs 300, 200 and 100 yards away from it. Beer and milk is still sold in pints, and cars tell you how efficient they are using miles to the gallon. And land is measured in acres/hectares.

Metric is starting to creep in in some places, but back when Warhammer was conceived, there was even less metric - it was probably an obvious choice to use inches. And, from a practicality point of view, inches are bigger, so it's a lot easier and quicker to measure.

I think it's becuase imperial works better with dice-decided movements.

Because when Games Workshop started we still had the emperical system in the UK and most people in this country were still more comfortable using that than metric system until the turn of the last century.

Yeah, it's from England, and England doesn't use the metric system.

English people are generally fluent in metric units, but every English person knows their weight in stones and ounces, and drives their cars in miles per hour. If you refer to a gallon in England, people won't just give you a blank stare.

A few metric things have crept into English society, but they're largely the things that have crept into American society as well, like the Litre and the Gram.

Well, and England also uses Celsius, but still, it's a mostly imperial unit country. Hence 40k being played in inches and feet, rather than centimeters and more centimeters.

ClockworkZion wrote:

 Lynata wrote:

True, but "6" still rolls off the tongue better than "15" or "16" does.

That's what she said, bow chicka bow-wow!

Sorry, couldn't help myself...

 Ailaros wrote:
Yeah, it's from England, and England doesn't use the metric system.

English people are generally fluent in metric units, but every English person knows their weight in stones and ounces, and drives their cars in miles per hour. If you refer to a gallon in England, people won't just give you a blank stare.

A few metric things have crept into English society, but they're largely the things that have crept into American society as well, like the Litre and the Gram.

Well, and England also uses Celsius, but still, it's a mostly imperial unit country. Hence 40k being played in inches and feet, rather than centimeters and more centimeters.

It really does depend on what's being measured and how old that person is.

- Temperature is almost always in centigrade/Celsius (thank goodness).
- Smaller weights varies - younger people don't know anything about stones and ounces, older ones are still happy to use it. And to counter your assertion, I haven't got the foggiest idea what my weight is in imperial The exception is pounds as most food is sold by the pound (although quoted as the equivalent weight in grams).
- Larger weights are easier as tons and tonnes are almost the same, you only need to specify which you're using for technical applications.
- Long distances are in miles (speed limits are in MpH), although younger people will be perfectly happy to work in metres and kilometres.
- Petrol is sold in gallons and everyone knows how much a pint is, but younger people can picture a litre much more easily and don't have any idea how a gallon or fl. oz. relates to pints.

I've been brought up using metric, and I'm entirely happy with it. It's worth noting that where imperial measurements are still used in the UK, they're usually 'stand alone' measurements that don't require conversion up or down - for example with miles on roads you don't need to convert them to yards or cables using some crazy multiplier / divisor. The main exceptions are feet / inches (very easy) and stone / pounds / ounces, which is dying out.

It's so weird hearing other countries still using imperial in some things. Come to Australia and the only thing not in metric is typically a pint of beer and old people talking about mass.

On topic.

As other people have said inches was what was used at the time of the game development and D6 being the most common works well in a game that measures in feet and inches. I imagine other companies designing games these days stick with the Imperial measurements because Warhammer 40k being the most popular people are already used to the idea measuring in inches for tabletop games.

Well if your talking about the size of your manhood. Imperial is your friend. So marine players are stuffed.
I still want to see a table thats 4 x 2 cubits