Warhammer 40K: Starting with the Rogue Trader

I asked the AI ​​a few questions and found them quite interesting The contradictions in the Warhammer 40K universe you pointed out are precisely the design basis for the "Grimdark" aesthetic that is the core of this IP. It is not a technical setting loophole, but a deliberately constructed allegory of the degradation of civilization. The following analyzes the origins of this "weird feeling" from several dimensions: --- ### **1. The virtual image of "interstellar civilization": technological lock-in and civilization degradation** 1. **The Curse of Super-Light Navigation** The imperial spaceship relies on the **subspace engine** to tear reality apart and enter the realm of chaos. The success rate of navigation is less than 50%, the flow of time is disordered (a hundred years may have passed outside after sailing for a few days), and a mutated human being like a "navigator" is required to observe the subspace storm with the third eye. The Tau Empire's even more backward **Gravity Engine** speed is only 1/5 of the Empire, and will tear apart reality and cause disaster. **Result**: Colonization is not expansion but escape, and the fleet is like crawling in a minefield. 2. **Communication Collapse and Information Cage** - Interstellar communication relies on psykers sending astrological messages, but the Tyranids' "subspace shadows" will block the signal, and the psykers' heads may explode; - The Mechanicus monopolizes the right to interpret technology, treating maintenance manuals as **taboo scriptures**, and burning incense and praying is required to replace parts. **Consequences**: A hundred years after the planet fell, the empire received a distress signal, and countering the rebellion turned into archeology. 3. **Double desperate situation of energy and food** - 90% of the world of the empire has been reduced to **hive planet** (Trantor-style steel hell), photosynthesis has failed, and corpse starch (Corpse Starch) is the main source of protein; - Battleship fuel is fossil slurry refined by **slaves**, and the engine efficiency is low, resulting in slow sailing. --- ### **2. The logic of "Medieval War": technological degradation and desperate tactics** 1. **Why do battleships look like bumper cars? ** - The Imperial Navy's tactical manual originated from the sailing battleships of the 18th century AD, emphasizing broadside shooting and gang-hopping; - The ship is heavily armored but has poor maneuverability. **Lance salvos require several hours to recharge**, and the hit rate is comparable to blindfolded dart throwing. 2. **Why is a ground battle more like a battle? ** | **Army** | Equipment Level | Tactical Thoughts | **Equivalent Historical Period** | |----------------|-----------------------|------------------------|------------------| | Astra Militarum Infantry | Laser Gun + Canvas Uniform | Human Sea Charge | World War I Trench Warfare | | Space Marines | Power Armor + Chainsword | Knight-style Decapitation Assault | Medieval Knights | | Tau Empire Fire Warriors | Hover Tanks + Drones | Multi-arms coordination | 21st century information warfare | **Root cause**: The technology of the Human Empire is locked by the Mechanicus, while the Tau Empire, as a new civilization, has technological advantages. 3. **Spies and Mutations: The Inevitability of a Desperate Society** - **Gene Stealers** have extremely high infiltration efficiency. Because the hive city civilians consume corpse starch containing mutated genes every day, their bodies are alienated but unable to resist; - **Paralysis of the censorship mechanism**: There are only 1-3 inquisitors on a planet, but they need to monitor tens of billions of people. --- ### **3. The essence of design: the carrier of Gothic despair aesthetics** 1. **The philosophical metaphor of "retrograde the future"** The essence of Warhammer 40K is the **Space Opera Version of the Middle Ages**: Space Marines are the Knights, the Primarchs are the fallen angels, Chaos is the demons of hell, and the Empire is the clerical despotism. The more advanced the technology, the more decadent the society becomes - this is a satire of technological soteriology. 2. **Why do players buy it? Dark Romanticism** - **Aesthetic Conflict**: Gothic cathedral-style battleships, chain swords slashing Zerg, knights and mechas coexist; - **Tragic Tension**: Humanity's twisted struggle on the edge of extinction, the epic sense of loyalty and betrayal. 3. **The key to setting self-consistency: the law of entropy increase** The universe is sliding towards heat death, and the evil god of subspace feeds on the despair of intelligent creatures. **The more technology develops, the more powerful Chaos becomes** - Therefore, the empire must actively lock down technology, otherwise all human beings will mutate. --- ### Summary: A universe that refuses progress The "strangeness" of Warhammer 40K stems from the fact that it is essentially the tombstone of human civilization in the dark forest: - **Technologically speaking**, it is a **cursed interstellar civilization** - subspace is like a poisonous miasma, locking the laws of physics; - **Socially**, it is a **steampunk medieval** - technology belongs to the church, and civilians are like ants; - **Aesthetically**, it is **Gothic despair art** - looking for a sense of dark sublimity between blood and church spires. > "In the universe of Warhammer 40K, progress is heresy, hope is poison, and only eternal war is true piety." - This is exactly the space scar that GW Studio has carefully crafted for you and refuses to heal.

This subject matter is very good. I hope the author will continue to work hard. I also hope that the army can change the name of the protagonist. The creator is too heretical. It would be best to change it to commander.

Eunuch automatically reincarnated as Istamanzo

Are you bothered by the fact that the four evil gods are all multiverse-level and have restarted the universe? Which marketing account seems to be rushing to show off this? What's the point of boasting about something that can't even handle the Milky Way? When it comes to the system, it means that the system was created by Tzeentch, so does Tzeentch deserve it? If Tzeentch had this ability, he would have killed the other three families long ago. Why didn't he kill them? Why didn't the author of GW who can create a system write it? Answer me?

The four hawkers in subspace are starting to brag again. Good guys, they can directly affect the real universe without even having to physically exist. The four hawkers themselves don't know that they are so awesome. If they were so awesome, the real universe has long since disappeared.

Does he know how to use technology with those idiots in subspace? ? The Wabanxian technology that is so popular was stolen. You ask them to develop technology? ? ? You don't have this ability, you know? Tzeentch, who claims to have all the technology in the universe, is also said to be nothing. He is nothing outside of the subspace.

The writing is too exaggerated and has a light and airy feeling, and I feel like the author is a cloud.

As long as it's Warhammer, I'll help out

Why do you want me to read this book when it has more than 60,000 words? It's so uncomfortable.

After reading it for a while, I feel that the author is still conservative in the setting of StarCraft 2. If I really set the settings for my brother's rail rifle, it would be no problem to send the Terminator into the sky.

Gotta help out. The Queen of Blades stepped forward, a primarch worthy of any other. Even the emperor may not be able to touch it.

The protagonist is now in a state where he can purify his spiritual energy and will not be polluted by the incense of faith. This is exactly the scapegoat (crossed out) that the witchcraft bacon dreams of, the "prince" who will inherit his golden throne! ! !

After reading a few comments, this is a bragging contest. The Milky Way is infinitely large and the real universe is infinite. The four vendors are just playing and can destroy the real universe casually

I feel like the author is about to fail. In the Warhammer worldview, you must deal with the human race. What if you deal with the Tyranids and Protoss? What else can you write about in the subsequent plot?

Have you ever been a rogue? You just write it all out, taking it for granted.

Before Chapter 118, the protagonist looked like a liberal person, but after Chapter 118, he made a U-turn and became heretical. I couldn't stand it any longer, so I left.

The most suitable power armor for ordinary people, I think, is the power armor in Starship Troopers Invasion and Traitor of Mars. If it is not limited by the energy of the armor, then it will be perfect. For example, if you get Stark's Ark Reactor or Doctor Octopus's artificial sun, it will be awesome. If you combine the individual energy cannon with the energy reactor, it will be like the Predator. It's an automatic energy cannon when placed on the shoulder support, and it's an individual hand cannon when held in the hand. I digress and get back on track. Speaking of individual armor, the Star Wars one is like a plastic toy. It will die if you hit it. It has no super fast running and no auxiliary flying and jumping. What is an ordinary soldier in the Warhammer world? A Kruger leather coat, and then a gas mask, which is the equipment of World War I. After thinking about it, the power armor in Traitors of Mars is friendly to ordinary people, and physical weapons are removed. That thing is too difficult for logistics. A full-energy reactor can directly power the armor. How about installing the reactor directly into the weapon, such as the Predator hand cannon, or the nuclear battery of the Terminator 800 series. The laser guns used by the Terminator all have built-in nuclear batteries. In this way, as long as the weapons of ordinary power armor soldiers can kill Space Marines, then in large-scale operations involving tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands. The Space Marines, who numbered only a few hundred or a few thousand, became cannon fodder in battle. In reality, it corresponds. Special forces in the real army. Regular warfare is all cannon fodder. You can also play a decapitation capture the flag spy ambush. As for the mechas in Warhammer, you can go to a world with psychic Zaku and use the principle of brain waves. Of course, the protagonist who has been to many worlds can directly intercept the brain nerve signals instead of cutting off his limbs to create the kind of super mecha that ordinary people can drive. There are wired phones and wireless phones. What's the difference? Cable telephone. Can't be any. Signal jammer interference. And wireless phones. It may be interfered by various electronic warfare weapons. The spiritual Zaku is wired, while mechas like Unicorn or Kshatrim are. It collects the driver's brainwave signals. Purple Pig's floating rose disruptor doesn't lock the unicorn, and it's not like the director said the protagonist can't die here. The unicorn is gone. There is also the control of Kshatrim's floating cannon being snatched away by the unicorn. Let's talk about reality. The drones of Russia and Ukraine have been used since both sides used drone jammers. They actually installed fiber optics on the drones. Both backward and advanced, the shortcoming of Zaku's spiritual power is that it cuts off his hands and feet. But the protagonist has been to so many technological worlds. I believe that the protagonist can solve the problem of equipment that can extract brain signals without cutting off limbs, such as helmets or gloves. Brain signals can be extracted simply by touching the skin.        ，（），？ But I think Doctor Octopus's artificial sun is more durable and has greater output.

Why don't the protagonist cultivate the fields properly? Why are you out wandering again? There is still so much time left. With the equipment of the Doom Slayer, it can be said that it is already semi-invincible. What should you write next? Can't you slowly develop good technology?

When will we change the title of Creator? This title is too embarrassing.

I started to brag about the Four Vendors again. Earlier I wrote that Doom was pinned to the ground by Khorne and beaten, and now I wrote that Angron came to find Doom for a duel? ? ? ? ? Are you sure you won't be torn apart by your hands upon meeting? ? ? ? Don't talk to me about Khorne's blessings. I've pinned you to the ground and hit you with a rubbish blessing. How can you still fight with me? ? ? ? Blessing is so awesome, why don't Khorne bless the universe? ? ? Not invincible? ? ? ?

The more races the author engages in interstellar technology, the faster the book will collapse.

It turned out to be a eunuch. The writing was really good at the beginning.

What's going on? There hasn't been an update for a few days. If it doesn't work, I'm going to stop watching it.

Eunuchs are not allowed in the House

The plot started to fall apart after the golden man appeared, and it felt weird.