Re: [GZG] Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi!

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----- Original Message ----
From: "emu2020@comcast.net" <emu2020@comcast.net>

Though your comments do show a bit of a pull date (as would mine if I
really went into it), the basic jist rings true through most of the
editions. Trying to apply real world military doctrine to 40K is like
trying to apply real-world phsyics to comic books or the old Flash
Gordon serials. 40K operates on a heavily thematic setting. Weapons are
designed in cumbersome clunky ways that reflect the ritualistic outlook
they have on technology.
 
In 40K machines are spiritual as well astechnical (at least for the
higher orders of humanity). You even have tech prists and machine gods.
This is something you must concede if you are even going to get involved
in the 40K. It is never going to make sense. It's not supposed to. It's
just good fun.
 
The original version was called "Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader" and was
designed as a strange sort of wargame with role-playing elments in that
your troops were customizable and thus a bit of character was added.
 
-Eli
This I agree with. Most space opera type scifi has plenty of real
science holes and the technolgy aspects often don't hold much water. I
have seen discussion threads where people shred the physics behind
Hammers Slammers and other universes.
I think most authors start from a point about what would be a cool story
to tell, and high tech hover tanks is a cool story, as are some of the
tales from the 40k universe.
40K is definately a heavily themed setting sort of a dark gothic almost
scifi haunted house feel as opposed to the clean technology of say 2001.
It's definately not an optimistic vision of the future, If you think a
cross between Blade Runner and the London Blitz that's a start point for
the atmosphere.
The GW models are done in a heroic style, weapons and hands are done in
an exagerrated proportion compared to the much more accurate LOTR
figures GW released. You either like this style, accept it or hate it..
Tech priests isn't an idea unique to 40k IIRC Mechwarrior did something
similar. Heck it's not that different in the real world. The IT gurus
speak their own language only comprehendable by others of their ilk. A
computer breaks down you ring the tech support priest who guides you
through the simple stuff, press the activation rune, check the
connectors pray etc.
If that doesn't work an adept comes round and does something mystic and
mumbles "hard drive NTFS partition collapsed" inserts their tool,
mumbles a quick prayer of all technicians, "Please work or the customer
is going to yell at me".
IT culture has long been outside of te normal world, they have held onto
their own dress code, except it was pony tales, beards and sandels
rather than robes. No more people than ever are pluggingtheselves into
the machine god with phones and music players.
The IT technicial could just as easily tell you computer is possessed of
an evil spirit and it would be just as beliveable to the average
corporate user.
So techpriests isn't as far fetched as it may seem. Heck they even give
up on normal social interaction and prefer to mingle only with their
own kind.
All the above is intended as humour and not as an insult to any hard
working IT gurus out there.