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One thing my two best friends and I noticed while reading the codex that, for some reason, we had never caught on to in the previous ones, we may have found a Warcraft reference in the Tau codex!
Think about it. Farsight fought towards the Northern fringe of the empire. He was pretty much stranded, and took up a potentially dangerous weapon in order to save his comrades, he became disenfranchised with the Ethereals, and he went rogue. And, on top of all of that, what's the name of the planet?
Spoiler:
Arthas Moloc.
Arthas Menethil, anyone?
Farsight's badassery level just shot through the roof.
Kepora wrote: One thing my two best friends and I noticed while reading the codex that, for some reason, we had never caught on to in the previous ones, we may have found a Warcraft reference in the Tau codex!
Think about it. Farsight fought towards the Northern fringe of the empire. He was pretty much stranded, and took up a potentially dangerous weapon in order to save his comrades, he became disenfranchised with the Ethereals, and he went rogue. And, on top of all of that, what's the name of the planet?
Spoiler:
Arthas Moloc.
Arthas Menethil, anyone?
Farsight's badassery level just shot through the roof.
Hmmm. No. Arthas Menethil came after. Wc3 was released in 2002.
Tau were released in 2001 Along with Farsight.
From whom are unforgiven we bring the mercy of war.
Moloch was an ancient deity, which was referenced in biblical texts because it was (purportedly-- how accurate this is I'm not sure, given that it was fairly common to demonize other religions, and still is) known to sacrifice children. "Artha", "arthas", "arthash", and other similar derivatives are found in several cultures, such as Artha, a Hindi concept of material prosperity, more fully known as Purusharthas.
And "Menethil", as a name, was a Lord of the Rings ripoff anyway, which if I cared enough about the -craft series of clonegames, I'd probably find its roots as well.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/04/24 07:16:14
The people in the past who convinced themselves to do unspeakable things were no less human than you or I. They made their decisions; the only thing that prevents history from repeating itself is making different ones.
-- Adam Serwer
My blog
2013/04/24 20:40:16
Subject: Re:Warcraft reference in 40k's Tau Empire?
I highly doubt something as recent as a Warcraft reference made its way in. Where GW references do appear, they're older and more mythological in the meaning than they are pop-culture.
Prime examples - Blood Angels characters are mostly named after great historical thinkers, philosophers and the like - with the exception of Mephiston, who is named after a demon.
Dark Angels are mostly biblical characters - and again, Asmodai in particular references demons.
The Grey Knights' Castellan Crowe is likely a play on Mr Crowley (was it polemically sent?)
Still other Imperial warlords are based on great leaders in history:
Lord Solar Macharius - Alexander the Great
Captain Lysander - Lysander the Spartan admiral
WhiteScarNameGoesHere Khan - Genghis Khan
About the only exception I can think of, where a more modern influence has turned up as a reference, is Marbo - and, well, he's too obvious NOT to spot.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/04/24 20:40:29
"Hard pressed on my right. My centre is yielding. Impossible to manoeuvre. Situation excellent. I am attacking." - General Ferdinand Foch
2013/04/25 03:15:25
Subject: Re:Warcraft reference in 40k's Tau Empire?
Super Ready wrote: I highly doubt something as recent as a Warcraft reference made its way in. Where GW references do appear, they're older and more mythological in the meaning than they are pop-culture.
Prime examples - Blood Angels characters are mostly named after great historical thinkers, philosophers and the like - with the exception of Mephiston, who is named after a demon.
Dark Angels are mostly biblical characters - and again, Asmodai in particular references demons.
The Grey Knights' Castellan Crowe is likely a play on Mr Crowley (was it polemically sent?)
Still other Imperial warlords are based on great leaders in history:
Lord Solar Macharius - Alexander the Great
Captain Lysander - Lysander the Spartan admiral
WhiteScarNameGoesHere Khan - Genghis Khan
About the only exception I can think of, where a more modern influence has turned up as a reference, is Marbo - and, well, he's too obvious NOT to spot.
There are others: genestealers are based on the movie Alien, and the original appearance of the Necrons was based on the Terminator.
War is delightful to those who have no experience of it. ~Desiderius Erasmus
Laughing God wrote:Every time I see a WoW fan start this BS I have to post:
So jsut because I play WoW, I don't know the lore or it's BS? I saw things that lines up and I just put two and two together.
MarsNZ wrote:The motive is wrong, Arthas didn't take up Frostmourne to help his friends out, he took it out of selfishness.
Incorrect. He said TO Frostmourne that he'd give any price to save his people. From there, Frostmorune took over and made him cut down his best friend, and such and so forth.
2013/04/26 06:19:21
Subject: Re:Warcraft reference in 40k's Tau Empire?
Laughing God wrote:Every time I see a WoW fan start this BS I have to post:
So jsut because I play WoW, I don't know the lore or it's BS? I saw things that lines up and I just put two and two together.
His point is that Warhammer came before WoW... So no, 40k is not making a wow reference, because Farsight did his thing before Arthas ever existed.
You can't spell 'slaughter' without 'laughter'. By the time they scream... It's too late. DQ:70+S+++G++M+B+I+Pw40k94#-D+A++/areWD106R++T(R)DM+ Check my P&M blarg! - Ke'lshan Tau Fire Caste Contingent: Astartes Hunters
Unlikely...videogames have years-long development cycles, and the plot would've been ironed out fairly early on. The two must have been conceived separately.
...UNLESS someone at GW had insider knowledge from Blizzard in enough time whilst the Tau Codex was being put together (itself a months-long process). All highly unlikely.
"Hard pressed on my right. My centre is yielding. Impossible to manoeuvre. Situation excellent. I am attacking." - General Ferdinand Foch
2013/04/26 12:50:20
Subject: Re:Warcraft reference in 40k's Tau Empire?
Super Ready wrote: Unlikely...videogames have years-long development cycles, and the plot would've been ironed out fairly early on. The two must have been conceived separately.
...UNLESS someone at GW had insider knowledge from Blizzard in enough time whilst the Tau Codex was being put together (itself a months-long process). All highly unlikely.
GW working with blizzard or any information trade between the two is highly unlikely. Given GW's dislike for popularization
From whom are unforgiven we bring the mercy of war.
2013/04/26 16:53:43
Subject: Re:Warcraft reference in 40k's Tau Empire?
Oh, absolutely - as organisations, there'd be NO chance. It would have to have been individuals chatting that happened to know each other, which only makes it even more unlikely.
"Hard pressed on my right. My centre is yielding. Impossible to manoeuvre. Situation excellent. I am attacking." - General Ferdinand Foch
Kepora wrote: One thing my two best friends and I noticed while reading the codex that, for some reason, we had never caught on to in the previous ones, we may have found a Warcraft reference in the Tau codex!
Think about it. Farsight fought towards the Northern fringe of the empire. He was pretty much stranded, and took up a potentially dangerous weapon in order to save his comrades, he became disenfranchised with the Ethereals, and he went rogue. And, on top of all of that, what's the name of the planet?
Spoiler:
Arthas Moloc.
Arthas Menethil, anyone?
Farsight's badassery level just shot through the roof.
Well there is a pop-culture rip off in the new info on Farsight, but it's not WoW.
The quote at the of his bio in the codex is partially ripped from Rutget Hauer's speech in Blade Runner.
"Hard pressed on my right. My centre is yielding. Impossible to manoeuvre. Situation excellent. I am attacking." - General Ferdinand Foch 
Children of Excess 2500pts
Hive Fleet Chimera 3000pts
5000 
By the time they scream... It's too late. 
