Re: Eldar tech, was (something I can't remember...)

On Thu, 24 Oct 1996, Aaron P Teske wrote:

> 
> Excerpts from FT: 24-Oct-96 RE: Eldar tech, was (someth.. by
> lojeck@mizar.usc.edu 
> > > Lessee - the crew would be smaller than on normal ships due to the
> > > waystone spirits; on normal ships the FTL drive takes up 25% of
the mass,
> > > but Eldar are known for their lousy on-ship FTL drives anyway -
this could
> > > be because they're smaller, since they obviously have the tech
needed for
> > > better FTL drives!
> >  
> > perhaps you could allow eldar to go without FTL of any kind... since
they
> > could use the webway (reliance apon such would explain why they
didn't
> > develop good on ship ftl)
> 
> Actually, GW states quite specifically in several places that Eldar
> ships have no Warp engines -- they always use the Webway.  "The extent
> of the warp-gate system is a matter of conjecture, but it must be very
> vast to enable the Eldar to move so freely from one place to another."
> (Rogue Trader, p.178)  Anyway, that could solve your mass problems. 
In
> a pretty big way.  

However, there are other (more recent, in the Eldar Codex as well as
Tyranid Assault) references to Eldar ships _using_ FTL drives - because
all systems in the galaxy are not connected to the Webway (or at least
the
Gates have been lost/destroyed). Yriel's pirates seems to have used
FTL/Warp drives to come to the aid of Iyanden during the Tyranid
assault;
and there is a reference (in the Eldar Codex, I think, but I'll dig it
up
ASAP) to FTL travel being more dangerous to Eldar than to Humans (since
the Eldar don't relate to the Astronomicon, and they also attract the
Warp
Powers far easier than Humans). 

So, I envision Eldar FTL travel somewhat like Starfire Warp Points, with

a short-ranged and risky 'normal' FTL capacity too.

Oerjan Ohlson

"Father, what is wrong?"
"My shoes are too tight. But it does not matter, because
 I have forgotten how to dance."
- Londo Mollari