Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-25618639-20150105042011/@comment-2.127.13.127-20160209115022

Just to be clear before I start, I'm 36 and a lifelong 40k fan, playing and collecting since the early days of RT.

So, having established that, I'm now going to say something heretical; 40k is silly. It is, it really is. That doesn't mean I don't love it, I really do, but I keep things in perspective. Although 40k is enjoyable, addictive and provides an escape for many of us from reality, if you are looking for meaningful intellectual content from the fluff you are barking up the wrong tree. Its designed to appeal to hormonal teenage fantasies and grown men (like me) who probably should find something better to do but figure they're doing no harm and spending no ones money but their own so, what the hey.

That is where 1d4chan comes in for me, it acknowledgres that inherent silliness and runs with it, affectionately. Yes, as with any wiki type setup the quality of the input varies, but it acknowledges a fundamental truth that many in the fan base miss, darkness is not synonymous with profundity. In reverse humour is not necessarily the same as banality. The background is basically a mismatch of sci fi tropes given a pseudo gothic veneer and scaled up so everything is absurdly epic in scale. There's nothing wrong with that, it's fun, but the scale and in universe darkness does not alter the fact that it breaks no new ground, carries no underlying moral or philosophical message and exists solely to be enjoyed as a pastime when real world responsibilities allow.

Suggestion, go to 1d4chan and look more closely at the content of the site and you'd be surprised. With a wit and intelligence that outmatches many much more mainstream official and/or fan media it actually provides some of the best analysis of the setting out there. It actually asks questions and provokes a little thought without simply pushing a product or echoing material that does. Historically humour has been used this way in many more serious settings, political satire is an incredible force for good in the world and whilst no one would genuinely compare 1d4chan with political activism the principle holds. Making people laugh, if done right, also makes them think.

Are the tau really space communists, how closely does the Imperium mirror the catholic church, how viable is a stable galaxy wide empire given historical precedents and current understanding of evolutionary psychology?

These are the kind of questions that their wiki material asks, utilising actual real world paralells, satire and a healthy disregard for any missapprehension that GW is anything other than a profit making company acting in its own best interests (as opposed to, for instance, a passionate cooperative of like minded creative people working towards any artistic or even just non fiscal vision). Non of it really matters of course, except that it allows people who want a little more cerebral "bang for their buck|" from the hobby the chance to do so in a way that also entertains.

No, only very superficially and unlikely in the extreme, by the way, in case anyone wanted my two cents worth.