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Wait, weren't the Narvhal-thingies meant as an explanation of why the Nids leave trails of ships thousands of lightyears long all across the galaxy? If they warped in. we'd just see in-system swarms.

 Selym wrote:
Wait, weren't the Narvhal-thingies meant as an explanation of why the Nids leave trails of ships thousands of lightyears long all across the galaxy? If they warped in. we'd just see in-system swarms.

...god damnit the man has a point.

I thought that was just representative of their advance.

It seems to me like the Narvhal harnesses the warp to distort space and use the target system's gravity to pull them in. They may be light years away but the gravity is pulling as if they were much closer. It seems to be system-wide gravity focused on the target world rather than just the latter, since they have to use sub-light travel once they are in the system. It certainly isnt friendly to the target world at any rate.

 NinthMusketeer wrote:
It seems to me like the Narvhal harnesses the warp to distort space and use the target system's gravity to pull them in. They may be light years away but the gravity is pulling as if they were much closer. It seems to be system-wide gravity focused on the target world rather than just the latter, since they have to use sub-light travel once they are in the system. It certainly isnt friendly to the target world at any rate.

And since a vacuum disallows terminal velocity (in abstract) the nids could just keep accelerating "downwards".

 Selym wrote:

 NinthMusketeer wrote:
It seems to me like the Narvhal harnesses the warp to distort space and use the target system's gravity to pull them in. They may be light years away but the gravity is pulling as if they were much closer. It seems to be system-wide gravity focused on the target world rather than just the latter, since they have to use sub-light travel once they are in the system. It certainly isnt friendly to the target world at any rate.

And since a vacuum disallows terminal velocity (in abstract) the nids could just keep accelerating "downwards".

I suppose that would also explain how they get across the intergalactic void. If form that distance you could harness the gravity of a galaxy you could produce phenomenal acceleration from afar.

Also, I've got a bit of a headcanon theory that given that the warp is stirred up by the thoughts of mortal creatures, the further and further you get away from the milky way the less and less current there is to carry you along until eventually you're stranded on utterly becalmed seas hundreds of thousands of lightyears from anything. Given that, it's easier to fit the weird gravity-warp thing into my suspension of disbelief.

Actually, it's not better for that. If billions of organisms can create warp currents with their thoughts then the Tyranids can self-propel across the intergalactic void. Strikes me as an elegant solution that.

 Frazzled wrote:
I thought that was just representative of their advance.

I like that a lot. It's as if there's nothing you can physically see at all, but when you start plotting all the isolated instances suddenly the true scale of the invasion comes to light as colossal galaxy-engulfing jaws materialise in front of you.

Nice and chilling

Yep. Back to preferring the 'Narvhals are warp-jump ships' again. Perhaps their warp technology is primitive, or inefficient in some way (or the nature of the warp is as damaging to them as any other un-shielded biological organism so they have to drop out to repair before they're torn apart by the hostile landscape) so they have to rest inbetween jumps in the intergalactic void. Primitive enough to be disrupted by the gravity well of a solar system so they have to drop at the outskirts and make their way in at sub-light speeds.

That sort of fits with the trope that despite all their technological backwardness and seeming barbarity, humans are actually pretty damn good at warp travel. Better than any of the other races. The Eldar have the webway, so have no need for warp travel (plus, it's extra dangerous for them). However, it only leads to select places in the galaxy. The Imperium can travel pretty much anywhere there isn't a warp storm, albeit slower and at more risk. The Tau are taking their first faltering steps into being a proper interstellar player, and are handicapped by Bluntness. The Orks are probably a match, although even more haphazard. So, yeah, mankind. Technologically backwards but still (relative) masters of warp travel

If Tyranids could warp jump they:

A: Wouldn't leave a viable trail pointing to another Galaxy (which they do)

B: Wouldn't need to chase the physically closest planets (which they do), just those they can get at via the warp

C: Would look less cool

 Selym wrote:
If Tyranids could warp jump they:

A: Wouldn't leave a viable trail pointing to another Galaxy (which they do)

B: Wouldn't need to chase the physically closest planets (which they do), just those they can get at via the warp

C: Would look less cool

on the galaxy thing.. the warp is a sea of emotion... and ships passing through it go through its currents to travel at FTL speeds, out side the galaxy without in influence of mortals there will be no currents.

I still don't like the idea of Tyranids using warp travel.. due to their calming effect (due to emotional starvation)

but utilising the Narvhal they could actually travel in a simular fashion to the Tau.. As Tau don't actually warp travel.. but kinda 'bounce' off the warp to achieve their FTL..

Established fluff had them using the warp in some manner. I like that narval idea of them bouncing like the Tau or just going really slowly.