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Take into consideration all of each race's technology, not just weapons and transportation technology, but power creation, civilian tech, and social/political systems.
Keep in mind there is only one right answer.

I find it comical that everyone voted orks. Also no dark eldar? They can reanimate someone by simply having their ashes...

I count Dark Eldar as part of the Eldar race, and only one person voted when you posted that...


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Does anyone mind offering explanations for their choices?

I voted Tyranids, they are the only species in the game to span multiple galaxies, they have the necessary technology and technical skill to travel from one galaxy to another, they have the technology to reproduce at will and only do so when needed, they have overcome individual instinct and live in an interconnected society that has formed a single brain, hive mentality (kind of like a super internet), they are at least a type one civilization utilizing all of the power, geothermal, wind, water, and biological, that a planet has to offer, and they are most likely a type two and three civilization as well, I can almost guarantee they utilize the whole power and energy given off by single suns, and most likely utilize all the power created by at least one of the galaxies they control.

Well I was debating between Tau and Eldar but I put Tau because I think they have the most potential for future progress and have some pretty advanced technologies.
Eldar HAD a fairly advanced society etc until it all fell apart so that is why they didn't make the cut for me.

Necrons have a lot of tech, granted there basically robots but it does lend itself well to survival and ability to basicly outlast any race by seleeping.

Yes they have no civilians, and there ability to replace a fallen necron is as I know impossible. However even a dead there not dead, just chilling waiting to come back again.

I voted Orks. As to why, in the words of Uthan the Perverse, Eldar Philosopher

The Orks are the pinnacle of creation. For them, the great struggle is won. They have evolved a society which knows no stress or angst. Who are we to judge them? We Eldar who have failed, or the Humans, on the road to ruin in their turn? And why? Because we sought answers to questions that an Ork wouldn't even bother to ask! We see a culture that is strong and despise it as crude.

Tau are the only type one race in our galaxy that I know of. They use lattices of power lines to utilize all the power developed by single planets. I read no mention of Eldar ever getting past type zero, or for that matter any other race.

It is true the Necrons are the only race to overcome their own mortality, but since it is at the expense of reproduction, it can hardly be said to be an advancement to their society. They much like humans are stagnant as a result of this pitfall.




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Orks barely have any ability to generate power. They have not even surpassed the most basic technological pitfalls, and as a result represent a type zero civilization. Admittedly they are the only real threat to the inevitable Tyranid consumption of our galaxy, but even if they won, that would not make them advanced, only tenacious.

If by advanced we aren't just talking about technology, I'd have to say Tyranids. Coming from beyond the galaxy they just roll in and adapt their biology to fit the circumstances. If there's a particularly powerful or intelligent beastie formed, it can be reabsorbed and spawned elsewhere.

Happyjew ninjad...

Why can't biology be technology? Bio-tech is a field is it not? And how is a race that has mastered its own DNA to that level not Technologically advanced? The only other race with even basic mastery of DNA is the Eldar and it is used only sparingly by the Dark Eldar only. Humans use DNA manipulation, but require it to be recovered from fallen soldiers because they can't reproduce the tech at all. DNA manipulation is easy, we are so type zero we barely merit mention and we have the ability to manipulate DNA to fit our needs. In many ways most 40k races are barely more advanced than us in any technology that isn't transportation or weapons tech.

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:
Why can't biology be technology?

I could be wrong, but I believe the definition of "technology" is that there's some external tools involved. Growing longer and sharper finger nails to hunt and kill prey for food isn't technology, but sharpening the tip of a stick to make a spear is technology. Bio-tech is technology because we're using external technology to study/improve/fix biology. So what the Tyranids do is not "technology", but it may still be considered "advanced". At least that's my understanding of the word... but now we're just arguing semantics

Dictionary.com says;


tech·nol·o·gy
[tek-nol-uh-jee] Show IPA
noun
1.
the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science.
2.
the terminology of an art, science, etc.; technical nomenclature.
3.
a scientific or industrial process, invention, method, or the like.
4.
the sum of the ways in which social groups provide themselves with the material objects of their civilization.

Tyranid Bio-tech is tech in the same way that growing a wolf over generations into a dog is technology. Technology is any purposeful means by which one manipulates one's self or environment to better suit their needs.

They may be static, but one of the most advanced static races, they built weapons that could hurt gods, even the tyranoids ovoid there very systems.

Well partly dead planets but even they would struggle to bring down a active tomb world.

The eldar are dying, powerful but dieing out, the tau yes potential but they have not even got full warp FTL travel yet.

Humans hand down. The Human race has forgotten more technology than others have . Its just a matter of finding it all! I bet its like it to lost car keys, all in a obvious place they just havent thought to look there yet.

Surely we can not count a species travel tech as the only way to declare them advanced. Again Tau are the only type one species in the galaxy except for the Tyranids. They have mastered the power of whole worlds, utilizing all the energy the planet can provide, and even made designer worlds such as those in the Farsight Enclaves. Tau are a clear second place in my mind to the Tyranids in technology.


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I would argue in many respects current human tech is more advanced than 40k human tech. And in some 20-30 years I expect our level of tech to have so thoroughly surpassed that of Warhammer's Imperium of Man as to render the entire concept a permanent joke in nerd culture.

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:
Dictionary.com says

Like I said, semantics

Only one of these factions can blow up the galaxy by flipping a switch at the Celestial Orrery and ride around with actual reliable time travel.

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:
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I would argue in many respects current human tech is more advanced than 40k human tech. And in some 20-30 years I expect our level of tech to have so thoroughly surpassed that of Warhammer's Imperium of Man as to render the entire concept a permanent joke in nerd culture.

40k is fantasy in space, so yeah, technology has to be hamstrung for the game to exist.

Eldar or Necrons, Tau trade tech with others like the Demiurg which suggests they don't know as much as they make out.

Also, changing worlds is the yardstick now? Try looking up Maiden Worlds.

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:
Surely we can not count a species travel tech as the only way to declare them advanced. Again Tau are the only type one species in the galaxy except for the Tyranids. They have mastered the power of whole worlds, utilizing all the energy the planet can provide, and even made designer worlds such as those in the Farsight Enclaves. Tau are a clear second place in my mind to the Tyranids in technology.


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I would argue in many respects current human tech is more advanced than 40k human tech. And in some 20-30 years I expect our level of tech to have so thoroughly surpassed that of Warhammer's Imperium of Man as to render the entire concept a permanent joke in nerd culture.

Okay I'm going to shut down this argument right now because of one reason.

It all depends on the author.

Some are enamored of WW2/1 in space, others have gigajoule meltaguns (that is for comparison, the equivalent of over a ton of TNT, in a rifle sized weapon), petaton lance batteries, Space Marines who can bench press tanks and dodge bullets like it's the matrix, bolters that go through 8 inches of RHA equivalence, and detonate suns.

There is no consistency, there is no canon hierarchy, there is nothing more than a mish mash of interpretations all of which are perfectly legal and valid. A second grader's fanfiction is as good a source on fluff as anything in a codex.

There is no point in debating 40k vs whatever because 40k is whatever you want it to be and you sir are silly for harping on this and should feel like a silly person and never talk about this again.


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 Ir0njack wrote:
Humans hand down. The Human race has forgotten more technology than others have . Its just a matter of finding it all! I bet its like it to lost car keys, all in a obvious place they just havent thought to look there yet.

Humanity and the Eldar's peak of technological progress are but pale shadows of what the Necrontyr and Old Ones were in their height.

 Kain wrote:

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:
Surely we can not count a species travel tech as the only way to declare them advanced. Again Tau are the only type one species in the galaxy except for the Tyranids. They have mastered the power of whole worlds, utilizing all the energy the planet can provide, and even made designer worlds such as those in the Farsight Enclaves. Tau are a clear second place in my mind to the Tyranids in technology.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I would argue in many respects current human tech is more advanced than 40k human tech. And in some 20-30 years I expect our level of tech to have so thoroughly surpassed that of Warhammer's Imperium of Man as to render the entire concept a permanent joke in nerd culture.

Okay I'm going to shut down this argument right now because of one reason.

It all depends on the author.

Some are enamored of WW2/1 in space, others have gigajoule meltaguns (that is for comparison, the equivalent of over a ton of TNT, in a rifle sized weapon), petaton lance batteries, Space Marines who can bench press tanks and dodge bullets like it's the matrix, bolters that go through 8 inches of RHA equivalence, and detonate suns.

There is no consistency, there is no canon hierarchy, there is nothing more than a mish mash of interpretations all of which are perfectly legal and valid. A second grader's fanfiction is as good a source on fluff as anything in a codex.

There is no point in debating 40k vs whatever because 40k is whatever you want it to be.


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 Ir0njack wrote:
Humans hand down. The Human race has forgotten more technology than others have . Its just a matter of finding it all! I bet its like it to lost car keys, all in a obvious place they just havent thought to look there yet.

Humanity and the Eldar's peak of technological progress are but pale shadows of what the Necrontyr and Old Ones were in their height.

Very true, but then we are having a hypothetical conversation of how we see it aren't we. I am displaying my feelings and interpretations, and many others are displaying theirs. We all are killing time by arguing something that doesn't matter, so with your permission Mr. Policeman, I would like to continue having my good time.


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jhe90 wrote:
They may be static, but one of the most advanced static races, they built weapons that could hurt gods, even the tyranoids ovoid there very systems.

Well partly dead planets but even they would struggle to bring down a active tomb world.

The eldar are dying, powerful but dieing out, the tau yes potential but they have not even got full warp FTL travel yet.

I don't know if Tyranids avoid the Nectrons, or if they simply have no interest in them. Tyranids use and feed on biology, and Necrons are cold metal. What would the Tyranids gain by the destruction of the Necrons except a net loss of resources?

 Happyjew wrote:
I voted Orks. As to why, in the words of Uthan the Perverse, Eldar Philosopher

The Orks are the pinnacle of creation. For them, the great struggle is won. They have evolved a society which knows no stress or angst. Who are we to judge them? We Eldar who have failed, or the Humans, on the road to ruin in their turn? And why? Because we sought answers to questions that an Ork wouldn't even bother to ask! We see a culture that is strong and despise it as crude.

This.

Necrons are pretty solidly in first place, so far as "advanced".

Doesn't stop them from getting crapped on by Marines and Daemons though!

I'm not 100% on current fluff, but are the Orks and Eldar still both the genetic creations of the Old One's?

Necrons by far. Necrons have a huge empire and technology that shouldnt be possible. However, their problem is that they really cant advance much. Their creative minds are all either insane or almost mindless. When a race figures out the tech needed to trump the necrons stuff it will be over for them.

I find it fascinating that power creation and consumption as well as culture and political systems mean nothing to people in terms of what makes a society advanced. I also find it fascinating that the number of Galaxies a species inhabits and rules seems to mean nothing.

So efficiency of power plants and total power output is meaningless.
Size of empire is meaningless.
Art and culture are meaningless.
And diplomatic skill and social structure are meaningless.
Adaptability and ingenuity are meaningless.

What seems to matter to war gamers:
Weapon Tech.
Transportation Tech.


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Sorry folks, I am a Psychologist, and I can't help, but take this opportunity to learn.

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:

 Kain wrote:

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:
Surely we can not count a species travel tech as the only way to declare them advanced. Again Tau are the only type one species in the galaxy except for the Tyranids. They have mastered the power of whole worlds, utilizing all the energy the planet can provide, and even made designer worlds such as those in the Farsight Enclaves. Tau are a clear second place in my mind to the Tyranids in technology.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I would argue in many respects current human tech is more advanced than 40k human tech. And in some 20-30 years I expect our level of tech to have so thoroughly surpassed that of Warhammer's Imperium of Man as to render the entire concept a permanent joke in nerd culture.

Okay I'm going to shut down this argument right now because of one reason.

It all depends on the author.

Some are enamored of WW2/1 in space, others have gigajoule meltaguns (that is for comparison, the equivalent of over a ton of TNT, in a rifle sized weapon), petaton lance batteries, Space Marines who can bench press tanks and dodge bullets like it's the matrix, bolters that go through 8 inches of RHA equivalence, and detonate suns.

There is no consistency, there is no canon hierarchy, there is nothing more than a mish mash of interpretations all of which are perfectly legal and valid. A second grader's fanfiction is as good a source on fluff as anything in a codex.

There is no point in debating 40k vs whatever because 40k is whatever you want it to be.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Ir0njack wrote:
Humans hand down. The Human race has forgotten more technology than others have . Its just a matter of finding it all! I bet its like it to lost car keys, all in a obvious place they just havent thought to look there yet.

Humanity and the Eldar's peak of technological progress are but pale shadows of what the Necrontyr and Old Ones were in their height.

Very true, but then we are having a hypothetical conversation of how we see it aren't we. I am displaying my feelings and interpretations, and many others are displaying theirs. We all are killing time by arguing something that doesn't matter, so with your permission Mr. Policeman, I would like to continue having my good time.

And someone could just as easily say "in my 40k, even basic guardsmen and grots fight like Raiden in metal gear rising, Space Marines are the equivalent of "watch me sneeze out this solar system" Superman, while Titan battles are fought like Gurren Lagann" and you'd really not be able to argue against it.

This would probably work mostly as a tongue in cheek parody of science fiction, but 40k already is a tongue in cheek parody of all science fiction from the day of Vernes up to the late eighties, with some later stuff tacked on as time went along.

Now, there is a game that is heavily 40k influenced and abandons all pretense of seriousness with common handguns having more punch than the dinosaur killing meteor, warships destroying planets by ramming them and not getting so much as a scratch on their paint, psions rewriting reality as casually as I'm writing this post, an immortal God-empress of mankind, Exterminatus being done by drive by shootings from ghetto space vans with rolled down windows, a copy pasta'd expy of the Culture from Iain M Banks books not even being close to top dog, Squirrel super-soldiers, the bastard offspring of the Tyranids and the Reapers running around, Halo's Flood in a can being used as run of the mill biological warfare, and millions of warships being lost every day and nobody giving a damn.

It is called Strike Legion, and it is quite possibly the most insanely over the top fun thing I've had. Seriously, check it out.

 Kain wrote:

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:

 Kain wrote:

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:
Surely we can not count a species travel tech as the only way to declare them advanced. Again Tau are the only type one species in the galaxy except for the Tyranids. They have mastered the power of whole worlds, utilizing all the energy the planet can provide, and even made designer worlds such as those in the Farsight Enclaves. Tau are a clear second place in my mind to the Tyranids in technology.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I would argue in many respects current human tech is more advanced than 40k human tech. And in some 20-30 years I expect our level of tech to have so thoroughly surpassed that of Warhammer's Imperium of Man as to render the entire concept a permanent joke in nerd culture.

Okay I'm going to shut down this argument right now because of one reason.

It all depends on the author.

Some are enamored of WW2/1 in space, others have gigajoule meltaguns (that is for comparison, the equivalent of over a ton of TNT, in a rifle sized weapon), petaton lance batteries, Space Marines who can bench press tanks and dodge bullets like it's the matrix, bolters that go through 8 inches of RHA equivalence, and detonate suns.

There is no consistency, there is no canon hierarchy, there is nothing more than a mish mash of interpretations all of which are perfectly legal and valid. A second grader's fanfiction is as good a source on fluff as anything in a codex.

There is no point in debating 40k vs whatever because 40k is whatever you want it to be.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Ir0njack wrote:
Humans hand down. The Human race has forgotten more technology than others have . Its just a matter of finding it all! I bet its like it to lost car keys, all in a obvious place they just havent thought to look there yet.

Humanity and the Eldar's peak of technological progress are but pale shadows of what the Necrontyr and Old Ones were in their height.

Very true, but then we are having a hypothetical conversation of how we see it aren't we. I am displaying my feelings and interpretations, and many others are displaying theirs. We all are killing time by arguing something that doesn't matter, so with your permission Mr. Policeman, I would like to continue having my good time.

And someone could just as easily say "in my 40k, even basic guardsmen and grots fight like Raiden in metal gear rising, Space Marines are the equivalent of "watch me sneeze out this solar system" Superman, while Titan battles are fought like Gurren Lagann" and you'd really not be able to argue against it.

This would probably work mostly as a tongue in cheek parody of science fiction, but 40k already is a tongue in cheek parody of all science fiction from the day of Vernes up to the late eighties, with some later stuff tacked on as time went along.

Now, there is a game that is heavily 40k influenced and abandons all pretense of seriousness with common handguns having more punch than the dinosaur killing meteor, warships destroying planets by ramming them and not getting so much as a scratch on their paint, psions rewriting reality as casually as I'm writing this post, an immortal God-empress of mankind, Exterminatus being done by drive by shootings from ghetto space vans with rolled down windows, a copy pasta'd expy of the Culture from Iain M Banks books not even being close to top dog, Squirrel super-soldiers, the bastard offspring of the Tyranids and the Reapers running around, Halo's Flood in a can being used as run of the mill biological warfare, and millions of warships being lost every day and nobody giving a damn.

It is called Strike Legion, and it is quite possibly the most insanely over the top fun thing I've had. Seriously, check it out.

It does seem like a fun game, but getting back to the matter at hand, you sir seem to be the only one having trouble with the concept. I am thus writing you off as a shameless troll and moving on.

Good day sir.

 OzTeG8ndPwRfl wrote:
I find it fascinating that power creation and consumption as well as culture and political systems mean nothing to people in terms of what makes a society advanced. I also find it fascinating that the number of Galaxies a species inhabits and rules seems to mean nothing.

So efficiency of power plants and total power output is meaningless.
Size of empire is meaningless.
Art and culture are meaningless.
And diplomatic skill and social structure are meaningless.
Adaptability and ingenuity are meaningless.

What seems to matter to war gamers:
Weapon Tech.
Transportation Tech.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sorry folks, I am a Psychologist, and I can't help, but take this opportunity to learn.

The reason for this is that, in the year 40000, a lot of that really is meaningless. Sure, the size of a states domain matters somewhat but in 40k you can lose entire sectors in months to a bigger dog with better guns. The Imperium is huge but they are constantly losing ground.

Likewise, art and culture is meaningless because the individual is meaningless. Tyranids and Necrons have little to none of either and they are powerful.

Diplomacy... In the grim dark future, there is only war. The best you can hope for is that they just want your land instead of your head.

Adaptability and ingenuity are somewhat important. But I believe this has been addressed.

In my opinion, the tech rank looks something like this:

1. Necrons: yeah, these guys kill gods when they are bored, you can't go further than that. It is questionable if they are even "stagnant" or just simply has nowhere to go with their tech: they achieved everything, there is no place to advance.

2. Eldar: just a step behind the Necrons, mostly using metaphysical (Warp/psychic) stuff so they have the advantage of magic over the 3rd and the 4th.

3. Imperium: just a step behind the Eldar as they use mechancial technology so they must abide some rules the Eldar can break because "Magic, and I ain't explainin' sh*t!". Also, the Imperium has crazy dispersion with its tech and some of its stuff looks pretty low-tech even though it is in fact high-tech so the overall "feel" of their technology can be much lower than their actual tech level.

4. Tyranids: they are actually on the same level as the Imperium, but their biotech is more limited as biology has stricter boundaries than mechanical technology.

5. Chaos: an insane heap of mechanical/bio/metaphysical technology. So they have the ultimate combo, but they are way too crazy to make any use of it other than having it. Guess' the raw potential and the occasional "successful projects" (like the Planet Killer) may give them the edge over the 6th.

6. Tau: shiny and feels really-really advanced but under the surface it is pretty "meh". Their best tech is either hit-or-miss, self-dangerous or eternally condemned to be a one-trick-pony. I don't even know why the Ethereals let the Earth Caste make this mess... They should really get their crap together because they have potential, but they are wasting it on moon-destroying fusion reactors and weapons that kill their users instead of the enemy.

6. Orks: not shiny and feels really-really ramshackle, but under the surface it is really amazing. Their best tech is either hit-or-miss, self-dangerous or eternally condemned to be a one-trick pony. Hey... Wait a minute ... (Yeah, the Orks are actually tied with the Tau on the 6th place).