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.

Right now, the Tau are still backwater cavemen, the Tyranids haven't started moving towards our galaxy, and the Necrons are slumbering in their tombs.

The Eldar and Ork are presumably active. The Eldar are definitely superior to Mankind, they have space travel while we're still living on our homeworld.

As for the Orks, I'm not so sure.

What do you think? Will we make first contact with the Eldar anytime soon?

Depends on if theres a Webgate near us really.....
Rest of the Galacrtic distances make contact improbable using standard Eldar propulsion.

 Ratius wrote:
Depends on if theres a Webgate near us really.....
Rest of the Galacrtic distances make contact improbable using standard Eldar propulsion.

Surely the Eldar are already aware of Mankind's existence?

Quite possibly but at our current tach level, we'd be little more than a backwater race to them.

And even if they do, that does not mean there is a webgate near Earth. Craftworlds move relatively slowly in normal travel so they likely would never reach us.

 Ratius wrote:
Quite possibly but at our current tach level, we'd be little more than a backwater race to them.

And even if they do, that does not mean there is a webgate near Earth. Craftworlds move relatively slowly in normal travel so they likely would never reach us.

There is though. It is in Tibet. It is under China's control

The Grays

 Ratius wrote:
Quite possibly but at our current tach level, we'd be little more than a backwater race to them.

And even if they do, that does not mean there is a webgate near Earth. Craftworlds move relatively slowly in normal travel so they likely would never reach us.

The Fall doesn't happen for another 28,000 years or so. I don't think they are supposed to have craftworlds at this point.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Scratch that. Re-read the background. Craftworlds as far as the eye can see even before the fall

usmcmidn wrote:
The Grays

Are you saying that grays are eldar?

the golden throne is a webway portal I think so maybe we will have contact with eldar soon or maybe they have life a prime- directive policy.

The eldar think we are monkey people, they wouldn't even bother to say hi.

I guess the webway portal on earth is from the War in Heaven against the necrons, and the eldar have forgotten about it.

My theory is that any alien races that have managed to collectively work in harmony to produce the technology to travel to Earth are probably watching us and thinking "What the feth are they doing?" The reason aliens aren't likely to make their presence known to us is because they know that if we're willing to murder thousands upon millions of each other over the tiniest differences, we'd likely genocide a race that was technologically superior to us - or as we humans would say, "a threat".

Riiiight, because the bureaucracies of Earth are really stupid enough to believe that they could exterminate a technologically superior and numerically superior force with all the odds stacked against us.

 Sturmtruppen wrote:
My theory is that any alien races that have managed to collectively work in harmony to produce the technology to travel to Earth are probably watching us and thinking "What the feth are they doing?" The reason aliens aren't likely to make their presence known to us is because they know that if we're willing to murder thousands upon millions of each other over the tiniest differences, we'd likely genocide a race that was technologically superior to us - or as we humans would say, "a threat".

FEAR THE DEATH BREATHERS!!! We consume poison for fun, destroy our tastebuds because it is enjoyable, our sports are violent, we are built to be Slasher Killers!! Oh and most humans default reaction to a threat is to beat it to death with the nearest weapon, whether this means shooting it or using your toaster as a flail.

Ya aliens are probably looking at earth going "Hells the no!! I aint setting foot on that planet, they'll probably eat us or something!"

 dusara217 wrote:
Riiiight, because the bureaucracies of Earth are really stupid enough to believe that they could exterminate a technologically superior and numerically superior force with all the odds stacked against us.

I think you overestimate their intelligence good sir.

dude, the Tau aren't even cavemen yet, hell, they aren't even the base building blocks of life yet. we're in Millennia 2, if I'm not mistaken, and as such, tau are 30+ Millennia out. Orks are doin' their thing, as are Eldar and all of the other ancient races that were/are wiped out by the great crusade. If I'm not wrong, aren't the Eldar still a massive empire?

Yep, the Eldar are the dominant race in the galaxy right now.

 Sturmtruppen wrote:
My theory is that any alien races that have managed to collectively work in harmony to produce the technology to travel to Earth are probably watching us and thinking "What the feth are they doing?" The reason aliens aren't likely to make their presence known to us is because they know that if we're willing to murder thousands upon millions of each other over the tiniest differences, we'd likely genocide a race that was technologically superior to us - or as we humans would say, "a threat".

I doubt they would know we exist, given the number of theoretically habitable planets in the galaxy. Our "footprint" of radio waves in this galaxy is a pinprick, as seen here:


They've likely got their own issues to deal with instead of watching us kill each other.

 Flanker wrote:

 Sturmtruppen wrote:
My theory is that any alien races that have managed to collectively work in harmony to produce the technology to travel to Earth are probably watching us and thinking "What the feth are they doing?" The reason aliens aren't likely to make their presence known to us is because they know that if we're willing to murder thousands upon millions of each other over the tiniest differences, we'd likely genocide a race that was technologically superior to us - or as we humans would say, "a threat".

I doubt they would know we exist, given the number of theoretically habitable planets in the galaxy. Our "footprint" of radio waves in this galaxy is a pinprick, as seen here:


They've likely got their own issues to deal with instead of watching us kill each other.

Like killing each other?

Odds are good that the Tyranids are already on their way, and as such all but the very (very) furthest flung vanguard organisms are currently sleeping.

 dusara217 wrote:
Riiiight, because the bureaucracies of Earth are really stupid enough to believe that they could exterminate a technologically superior and numerically superior force with all the odds stacked against us.

The Republican Party still exists in the US so, yeah, actually, I think they would think that.

As for the 40K races?

Orks are still Orks.
Eldar be Eldarin'.
Dark Eldar don't exist yet.
Tau are still animals.
Tyranids might be entering the edge of the galaxy.
Necrons are still asleep (mostly).
Squats don't exist yet.
Nor do Ogryns.
There's a whole lot more minor Xeno Empires out in the stars that have another 28,000 years to exist before they get Great Crusaded.

 Flanker wrote:

I doubt they would know we exist, given the number of theoretically habitable planets in the galaxy. Our "footprint" of radio waves in this galaxy is a pinprick, as seen here:

Clearly we need to expand our radio wave output.
So everyone can hear us yell.

According to older fluff humanity first encountered aliens in the "great exodus" (colonization of the galaxy) early in the dark age of technology. The first race encountered were Orks, and that first encounter ended in violence. As a result mankinds impression of aliens was rather suspicious.

Eldar are probably the dominant race at this time. Necrons are sleeping. I imagine the orks are marooned on some VAT tube world the old ones made. The other various races are fairly immature or introverted when it comes to galactic presence.

On the side, I do laugh a little - that the masses insist on the fiction that the galaxy is full of habitable worlds. I'm all for the idea of a frontier, and exploration but it is silly when looking at just the improbability of those variables required to sustain life.
Of course 'terra forming' is the band aid, but that's sort of marginalizing the big big variables to alter especially since many seem to be without sustained artificial augmentation to the atmosphere. /shrug

Maximus Bitch wrote:

 Ratius wrote:
Depends on if theres a Webgate near us really.....
Rest of the Galacrtic distances make contact improbable using standard Eldar propulsion.

Surely the Eldar are already aware of Mankind's existence?

It's in the background that they had visited while humanity was still evolving. Then that that was the reason for the mon'kiegh name. iirc

 kveldulf wrote:
Eldar are probably the dominant race at this time. Necrons are sleeping. I imagine the orks are marooned on some VAT tube world the old ones made. The other various races are fairly immature or introverted when it comes to galactic presence.

On the side, I do laugh a little - that the masses insist on the fiction that the galaxy is full of habitable worlds. I'm all for the idea of a frontier, and exploration but it is silly when looking at just the improbability of those variables required to sustain life.
Of course 'terra forming' is the band aid, but that's sort of marginalizing the big big variables to alter especially since many seem to be without sustained artificial augmentation to the atmosphere. /shrug

Something you need to realise about 40k: The "galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man" contains roughly one million worlds.

Compared to the number of worlds in the milky way? That's practically nothing at all. That's a statistical blip. Less than one percent of one percent of the planets in the 40k galaxy are inhabited.

Not to mention taking into account the number of those planets that aren't human-habitable but are home to non-humans. Necrons primarily inhabit dead or at the very least inhospitable worlds. Eldar don't live on planets at all*. Orks, who claim the most planets, can survive on worlds whose gravity or atmosphere make them uninhabitable to humans - heck, an Ork population could act as terraformers since they breed their own ecosystem - one that is not reliant on piddling things like a high-oxygen atmosphere or an existing biosphere.


All that taken into account, the Eldar are not the 'dominant race in the galaxy'. The Eldar Empire is the size of the Eye of Terror, with a few outlying colonies that form what are now called Exodite Worlds.

The dominant race in the galaxy is, as it has been since the end of the War in Heaven, the Orks. Of all the races in the galaxy, they are the most adaptable to hostile environments, the most expansionist, and the fastest-breeding.

Edit: * OK, Exodites, but you get the point.

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 kveldulf wrote:
Eldar are probably the dominant race at this time. Necrons are sleeping. I imagine the orks are marooned on some VAT tube world the old ones made. The other various races are fairly immature or introverted when it comes to galactic presence.

On the side, I do laugh a little - that the masses insist on the fiction that the galaxy is full of habitable worlds. I'm all for the idea of a frontier, and exploration but it is silly when looking at just the improbability of those variables required to sustain life.
Of course 'terra forming' is the band aid, but that's sort of marginalizing the big big variables to alter especially since many seem to be without sustained artificial augmentation to the atmosphere. /shrug

Something you need to realise about 40k: The "galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man" contains roughly one million worlds.

Compared to the number of worlds in the milky way? That's practically nothing at all. That's a statistical blip. Less than one percent of one percent of the planets in the 40k galaxy are inhabited.

Not to mention taking into account the number of those planets that aren't human-habitable but are home to non-humans. Necrons primarily inhabit dead or at the very least inhospitable worlds. Eldar don't live on planets at all. Orks, who claim the most planets, can survive on worlds whose gravity or atmosphere make them uninhabitable to humans - heck, an Ork population could act as terraformers since they breed their own ecosystem - one that is not reliant on piddling things like a high-oxygen atmosphere or an existing biosphere.


All that taken into account, the Eldar are not the 'dominant race in the galaxy'. The Eldar Empire is the size of the Eye of Terror, with a few outlying colonies that form what are now called Exodite Worlds.

The dominant race in the galaxy is, as it has been since the end of the War in Heaven, the Orks. Of all the races in the galaxy, they are the most adaptable to hostile environments, the most expansionist, and the fastest-breeding.

Hilariously, the Orks are also far too mellow to ever bother arguing about it with the more "enlightened" races. A good Ork would much rather spend his time hitting something. Or eating something. Or hitting and then eating something. Maybe on a special day, eating something and then hitting it afterwards...

So, all the unexplained phenomenon astronomers are seeing and wondering about?
Eldar did it!

Ogryn and Squats are abhumans, and won't appear until Mankind has inhabited planets with odd characteristics, for quite some time after that.

If Orks are fungoid-based (fluff dependant), they could easily convert the atmosphere, but very gradually. Not sure why that would happen though.

But, the Emperor is around already, IIRC my RT timelines:
http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Emperor_of_Mankind
"... the Emperor was born on Earth during prehistoric times, somewhere in ancient central Anatolia (modern Turkey) in the 8th Millennium B.C"

 n0t_u wrote:

Maximus Bitch wrote:

 Ratius wrote:
Depends on if theres a Webgate near us really.....
Rest of the Galacrtic distances make contact improbable using standard Eldar propulsion.

Surely the Eldar are already aware of Mankind's existence?

It's in the background that they had visited while humanity was still evolving. Then that that was the reason for the mon'kiegh name. iirc

Mon-keigh is just any other species that the Eldar deem as inferior. Human, Ork, Kroot, Tau, etc, all would likely be regarded as Mon-keigh.
The original Mon-keigh were misshapen cannibalistic beasts that invaded and subjugated the Eldar for many years, before they were wiped out by the hero Elronhir.

 dusara217 wrote:
Riiiight, because the bureaucracies of Earth are really stupid enough to believe that they could exterminate a technologically superior and numerically superior force with all the odds stacked against us.

Well the aliens might not outnumber us - we humans have an instinctive drive to reproduce which is further backed up by social expectations. As for the stupidity point, the fear of a threat we don't understand, and the instinct to either neutralise or flee the threat is one we all possess - and fleeing isn't really an option when we're confined to one planet and the threat isn't.

 Furyou Miko wrote:

 kveldulf wrote:
Eldar are probably the dominant race at this time. Necrons are sleeping. I imagine the orks are marooned on some VAT tube world the old ones made. The other various races are fairly immature or introverted when it comes to galactic presence.

On the side, I do laugh a little - that the masses insist on the fiction that the galaxy is full of habitable worlds. I'm all for the idea of a frontier, and exploration but it is silly when looking at just the improbability of those variables required to sustain life.
Of course 'terra forming' is the band aid, but that's sort of marginalizing the big big variables to alter especially since many seem to be without sustained artificial augmentation to the atmosphere. /shrug

Something you need to realise about 40k: The "galaxy-spanning Imperium of Man" contains roughly one million worlds.

Compared to the number of worlds in the milky way? That's practically nothing at all. That's a statistical blip. Less than one percent of one percent of the planets in the 40k galaxy are inhabited.

Not to mention taking into account the number of those planets that aren't human-habitable but are home to non-humans. Necrons primarily inhabit dead or at the very least inhospitable worlds. Eldar don't live on planets at all*. Orks, who claim the most planets, can survive on worlds whose gravity or atmosphere make them uninhabitable to humans - heck, an Ork population could act as terraformers since they breed their own ecosystem - one that is not reliant on piddling things like a high-oxygen atmosphere or an existing biosphere.


All that taken into account, the Eldar are not the 'dominant race in the galaxy'. The Eldar Empire is the size of the Eye of Terror, with a few outlying colonies that form what are now called Exodite Worlds.

The dominant race in the galaxy is, as it has been since the end of the War in Heaven, the Orks. Of all the races in the galaxy, they are the most adaptable to hostile environments, the most expansionist, and the fastest-breeding.

Edit: * OK, Exodites, but you get the point.

Depends on the source, other numbers for the total of Imperial planets has gone into the billions. Although that's still incredibly tiny.

 Wyzilla wrote:

Depends on the source, other numbers for the total of Imperial planets has gone into the billions. Although that's still incredibly tiny.

What source?

One million space marines, one planet per space marine, that's the traditional numeration for the Imperium.