I know a little about Orks and their weird group psychic thing where painting their ships red to go fast really makes them faster, and their tech only works because they think it should. But then I guess Orks aren’t even in this game.

I get that it’s a violent, black-vs-grey universe. I think it’s the originator of the term grimdark? The emperor is some immortal Mr House asshole who’s worshipped as a god, which powers some of their tech and protects them from chaos via his psyker shit? And he’s kind of a fascist, but it’s that or bloody chaos?

Rogue traders seem like somewhere between a privateer and a baron, plundering tithes in their castle-ships and acting as an arm of the Imperium in backwater space?

There are more wizards than I expected. Not sure if these mechanicus dudes are pulling “Temples of Syrinx” thing, or they know how the tech works but not why so they worship it? Or if it’s actually machine spirits?

Anything super foundational that I’m missing?

  • wissenisstmacht@lemmy.worldEnglish
    92·
    15 hours ago

    I think reading the opening text on any book fully gives you a good grasp. Often it’s abbreviated to „in the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war“ All the other lines explain quite well, why humanity would be so inhumane in this scenario and why there can be only war. Basically all factions but especially humans live in different flavors of fascism in 40k. Orks might be a bit of an outlier here. Warhammer is a fun tabletop game and has awesome pc games and books. The lore is (or used to be) very critical and satirical on where humankind might end up in a science denying, fascist dystopia (basically the opposite of Star Trek)

    Despite all criticism and satire, Warhammer itself is difficult on misogyny (e.g. only men can be space marines ™ because of genes), toxic masculinity & warrior culture, queer (with some positive exceptions) and trans topics (again, genes and also demons get mixed up here). Sadly the lore wise intergalactic xenophobia and racism also seems to be an open door to neo-nazis who turn the hobby into their racist fantasy. (Something I didn’t grasp but quickly realized looking at some armies of other players on tabletop and them talking).