After skimming through the Tau thread i realized again that i really like the Tau but they just don't fit into the 40k universe. Besides the whole new noble dark shtick that condenses everything into "Roboter Gulliman and the Imps vs. Chaos" is really shit.
So lets remove Humans and Chaos from the equation.
I throw some ideas into the mix and then Veeky Forums can decide if it is interested in contributing.
>Eldar are the oldest race. They used to be the top dog controlling the galactic core. Their empire encountered wild orcs and fought them for millennia. They severely underestimated the Orcs and for the most time continued being the degenerate hedonists we know from standard 40k. The Orcs on the other hand thrived due to the constant warfare. They mastered technology and slowly changed from wild orcs to your standard 40k orcs.
At some point the Orcs started overpowering the Eldar. Despite the fact that the Eldar now were fully committed to the war effort. A massive WAAAAAAAGH crashed into the central worlds of the Eldar Empire and decapitated it.
>Craftworlds were a massive project to ensure the continued existence of the Eldar once the Runeseers realized that the Eldar would loose.
>Nowadays the Eldar are politically fractured. Craftworlds and remaining planets and small clusters seldom work together. Basically everyone is following their own little plan how the Eldar will return to their former glory.
>Other option: The Eldar empire is a thriving and expansionist empire.
>Orcs control the galactic core. Being orcs they started vicious infighting once the central eldar worlds were conquered. So they were unable to completely destroy the eldar. Other than that they are your 40k orcs.
Caleb Myers
So basically your proposing that we remove humanity entirely from the setting for the sake of giving the Tau more of the spotlight yeah? Make things a bit friendlier to them? Maybe have them take a similar role to mankind during the Great Crusade, only instead of going out and reclaiming worlds they are just expanding and discovering them as they push out and colonize? Something like that?
Adrian Baker
>eldar losing to Orks Dropped
Liam Martinez
Eh, the Krork did succeed where the Eldar had failed in the war in heaven. I can see precedence.
Julian Gonzalez
i thought the tau made interesting foils to everyone else, bright and shiny, with half the joke being that they would be straight bad guys in a normal setting
making them too grimdark would make them just like everyone else and make them blend instead of stand out like they should
Sebastian Wright
>The Tau are an expanding race like in 40k. Other than there they aren't small and insignificant. Instead they had the room to grow unopposed so that they govern a vast empire.
>Some Kroot work for the Eldar others are trying to maintain whats left of their Realm. A WAAAAGH was taking a heavy toll on the Kroot and only the appearance of the Tau gave them enough breathing space to repel the Orcs. Due to this some Kroot are pushing for integration while others are hellbent on maintaining their independence.
Thats no bad idea. But its not solely about the Tau. I think the grimdark shtick is pretty much covered by pre Rowboat Girlyman version.
I would like to give the so called "NPC" factions more spotlight. At this point i am open to everyone contributing.
>Orcs >race that flourishes in war
In basically everything else the Eldar are the superior race but in War ?
Also:
>Other option: The Eldar empire is a thriving and expansionist empire.
Based on this do you have another idea.
True. I don't want the Tau becoming Humanity 2.0
Oh and also everyone is free to chip in their own ideas for a faction in a universe without Chaos or Humans.
Adam Taylor
>Vespids were the first serious enemy the Tau encountered. They had their own cluster of systems and were bitter enemies of the Tau. A long and hard fought war ensued. Both sides often came close to loosing but in the end the Tau came out on top. It was a close call and if some little things would have gone different the Vespids would rule the territory that is now the Tau Empire.
Instead of genocide the Tau opted for integration (most of the Vespid race was gone before they capitulated though) and over time they became a reliable member of the Tau coalition.
Jose Russell
>Tyranids:
>I honestly lack ideas here. Maybe a last ditch Eldar bio weapon ?
>Regardless of what the background finally is i would say instead of being giant locusts they transform planets and are dependent on them to maintain their species (makes them more of a player and less of an Npc stellaris tier catastrophe).
>Necrons: Wew that ones hard. Maybe the left behind tomb guards of an ascended species (humans?) ?
Levi Reed
>kroot create a large trade empire, becoming one of the universes most diverse factions >they are a mercenary faction who will help out anybody for the right price but you of course are able to play a pure kroot army >of course this empire isn't purely kroot and is covered in mercenaries of all different xeno races so you can make your own "my guys" race
Eli King
Tau were released 15.5 years ago, in October 2001. Rogue trader was released in 1987, 30 years ago. 2nd edition was 24 years ago.
Tau have been around for half of the game's life. Grogs still argue they don't fit, because ~reasons~ Get
Over
It
Nathan Morgan
Necrons are pretty simple I figure, back when the Eldar were still powerful some race rebelled against their authority. Made metal men to fight them. The Eldar wiped the race out but the self replecating metal men persist here and there, secretly building themselves up, hidden under planet surfaces, until their numbers are sufficient and they emerge to continue in their mission of fucking over the eldar.
Nathaniel Wood
I kind of want to keep the old lore of necrons being an old as fuck race who once wared with the eldar Maybe the necrons in this timeline are the old ones or a race the old ones made to combat the eldar?
Christian Garcia
Nice i really like that.
1) It underlines the point that there is no single and monolithic empire instead there are several power players.
2) Kroot trade routes looted by Eldar corsairs who are desperate to plunder the resources needed to keep their craftworld going.
3) An empire based on trade allows for contacts even between mortal enemies.
4) Diverse mercenary "my guys" faction is a great idea.
Combining your two ideas:
Maybe the Eldar are the upstarts the Necrontyr were in the original timeline.
They were unhappy with their place in the grand plan of the Old Ones and started a successful rebellion.
The Necron are whats left of the armies of the Old Ones. With their masters gone and the Eldar Empire fallen they are rebuilding their strength to avenge their masters/reconquer the worlds they were created to protect.
Not sure if that is a good idea though.
Carson Anderson
>True. I don't want the Tau becoming Humanity 2.0
Tau were always humanity 2.0. They fit the place of humanity in most scifi stories: Young, bold, ready to take on the galaxy and completely overmatched save for a few heroes.
Daniel Phillips
Let me rephrase that:
>True. I don't want the Tau becoming 40k Humanity 2.0
Cameron Rivera
>ready to take on the galaxy and completely overmatched save for a few heroes
Thats something that ought to be changed.
Carson Roberts
Maybe I'm just high, but I feel like there is something wrong with their heads. Does anyone else see that?
Jack Phillips
Yeah they are somewhat disproportionate.
Landon Fisher
>Tyranids:
>Maybe only geanstealer cults exists. They were created as a bio weapon against the orcs but quickly started doing their own thing after breaking the eldars control.
What could be their endgoal ?
Evan Sanders
>Tau don't fit in the setting But that's wrong you fucking retard
