What makes 40K your fave sci-fi/space fantasy setting?

[Master Commander Ajax]

"In Warcraft it's made so there are no bad guys. In Warhammer there are no good guys. They're all bad...”

~ Kieron Gillen

Edited October 26, 2019 by Master Commander Ajax

[b1soul]

In Warcraft, the Burning Legion are pretty "bad", and in 40K, Ultramarine could be viewed as a shining beacon of rationalism or even good

 

...though I see where he's coming from.

[RikuEru]

Also, comparing it to Warcraft and other Franchises:

 

Whatever big bad you come up with from other universes would just be a "Send in the Marines/Deatwatch/Wraith Constructs/etc. OR Exterminatus" type issue for every 40k-Faction.

 

Death Star? "The Imperial Navy has started an Attack run of heroic martyrdom. Their turrets are getting obliterated as we speak. If we insert enough Imperial Soldiers, it will be ours in about 4 hours, Lord Commander."

 

Meanwhile Orks would go nuts, ram every little ship they had into it and start building the ultimate Space Hulk out of it, before they had fully cleared it. Some Mekk would probably add "Dem Triangle Ships" (= SW Imperial Star destroyers and the like) as spikes to it.

 

The scale is ridiculous in comparison.

But to everyone in the universe it's 'Just another thursday" - and to us aswell!

Clone Trooper numbers in Star Wars Episdoe 2? Cute.

Space Battles in any Series or Movie I can think of? Cute.

(Honorable Mention to the Perry Rhodan Series tho - Some pretty cool battles in those, but they design ships from the Bridge down to the latrines and every maintenance shaft, so they sometimes get lost in the details)

 

Even something like the Kobayashi Maru Test.

"Helmsman, take course right into the middle of the fleet.

Overload reactors on my command.

Comms, pass my orders to the refugee ship and tell them to do the same - or die like traitorous cowards.

It was an honor serving with you fine men and women for the past 2 and a half years.

Glory to the Emperor!"

[Claws and Effect]

There are no "good guys" and "bad guys". Every faction does some pretty horrifying things just to ensure their own survival. But at the same time, every faction is the "good guys" and everyone else is wrong....from their own point of view of course. I really enjoy the murky morality of the whole thing. Like, even if you see a given faction do some awful things it is presented in such a way that you really have to struggle to honestly say there wasn't a good reason to do it.

 

I've always loved sci fi and fantasy in equal measure, and the 40k setting is the best blend of the two I've ever run across.