warhammer 40k question

[white_rabbit]

Its probably very unlikely, but there was a hook for "new" types of Titan imprinted/designed with other types of animal, new alien creatures discovered as the Imperium expanded.

This was very early stuff, and hasn't been repeated to my knowledge. Warhounds were a certain type of packhunting mammal

Things like Cybermastiffs are certainly still using imprints, Kal Jericho's Mastiff Wotan is essentially a well trained police dog with greater than average intelligence made out of steel.

Gun-servitors in the form of doggies with back mounted gun systems exist as well, cybernetic Hawks with taser claws, as well as fully organic cyber versions.


Titan AI's, Warlords in particular are still described as stubborn and aggressive, but older titans often have remnants of the previous Princeps floating around the system, and these contribute to the whole.

the Titan graphic novel has the best example of this, with Maccabee hanging around until he suicides to cause some Nids psychic feedback trauma.

[Bullshitting]Might Vaul the the Omnissiah?[/Bullshitting]

If the Omnissiah actually does exist as a seperate entity to the Emperor or the Dragon, its possible that Vaul might have represented the Eldar aspect of such a being, bearing in mind Xenologies hints that "gods" is a fairly broad term in 40k, with C'tan, the various Old One races, artificially created beings etc all being included.

[NecronLord]

Do we have to treat this story as canonical?

Yes.

[[R_H]]

How machiney does a machine have to be in order to be considered to have a spirit? Can it be as simple as three gears, a power source and a button?

Considered to have a spirit by it's operators? Something as "simple" as a lasgun, or a radio.

[Peptuck]

I vageuly recall White Rabbit and a few others mentioning on different occasions that some soures ( I can't think of specific ones) indicate that many vehicles that have some computerized element to them (IE Titans, some Land Raiders, etc.) have computers that have animal mind "imprints" on them after a fashion (behavioural patterns, etc.)

There's a reference to this in Battle of the Archaeosaurs (page 723 of the Let the galaxy burn omnibus):

The Lex et Annihilato roared. Warlord Titans had the imprinted mental nature of the grizzly bear, a powerful bad-tempered animal native to Terra, and this sometimes made them difficult to handle.

Do we have to treat this story as canonical? The thing has giant dinosaurs smashing titans and controlled via neural acupuncture by tribesmen .

This is 40k. That sort of things fits right in with everything else.

[andrewgpaul]

The earliest reference to Titan's neural imprint was in Whit Dwarf #133, I think, in an article adding new weapons to Adeptus Titanicus. Warhounds had an imprint of a hunting dog, and Warlords that of a grizzly bear. In contrast, Knight suits (one-man 'mini-titans', comparable in size to a large tank) used a scan of the owner's own personality as it's base imprint (the imprint is what takes care of the simple things, like staying balanced, walking, etc). Prospective knights would spend a night in 'contemplation' before their new machine, adding their imprint to the existing imprints of previous pilots. Somewhere along the way (was it the Titan comic?), this idea got pinched for Titans, too.

[Siege]

This is 40k. That sort of things fits right in with everything else.

Be fair: As far as WH40K goes Battle of the archaeosaurs is pretty atrocious. It's easily among the worst stories in that omnibus if you ask me. Luckily the planet in question got exterminatus'ed so we don't have to worry about idiotic super-dinosaurs anymore .

[Shroom Man 777]

Wait, it's in Let the Galaxy Burn? Oh mang, I've gotta read it! I knew I DLed that thing for a reason. I got bored by the Space Marine "RARGH! KILL!" stuff, but with motherfucking archeosauruses[/url].... maaaang!

Warhammer 40,000 is friggin' awesome!

[[R_H]]

Dinosaurs smashing Titans? You've got to be kidding me. Mechs with Void shields and starship grade weapons getting smashed by dinosaurs. Heresy, plain and simple.

[Connor MacLeod]

Considering what the Tyranids can do, why is it so shockign that giant space dinosaurs might threaten titans? For all we know they're Godzilla like magic space Dinosaurs. The control mechanism would suggest telepathy or some psychic influence.

I should also note that this ranks right up there with AT-STs vs Rancors in "Courtship of Priness Leia" but a whole lot less cool.

[Connor MacLeod]

The idea I was getting at with the neural imprints is that it seems that Imperium computers seem to go a slightly "different" approach than merely machines or machine intelligences. While they seem to behave like an AI for all intents and purposes despite not being such (or not constructed in such a way.) A computer that is at least parttly bio-mechanical, or simulates a biological/organic element, though with greatly amplified/accelerated abilities (which we know they can do.) I'm reminded of alot of the terminology used for their cogitators and such ("kilo brains", etc.) as much as their intuitive nature (esp. if you consider some of the potential uses )

Then again they may also have human/organic components augmented by mechanical shit as well... given the recent Dark heresy stuff on Servitors, at least. Or maybe they do both. It wouldnt surprise me if they rig up some brain/servitor to operate machines at significantly faster rates and call it a computer (or something like that.)

In any case, Vaccuum tube stuff could simply represent the local technology, rather than "Imperium StandarD" tech. Its certainly not unprecedented in 40K

[Connor MacLeod]

Considered to have a spirit by it's operators? Something as "simple" as a lasgun, or a radio.

Though there's no way to tell whether it has a legit machine spirit or not. (though this being 40K, an actual "possessed" lasgun would not be surprising in the least either.) Or, given what was said before, what "form" of machine spirit it might be, either.

[Lancer]

Considering what the Tyranids can do, why is it so shockign that giant space dinosaurs might threaten titans? For all we know they're Godzilla like magic space Dinosaurs. The control mechanism would suggest telepathy or some psychic influence.

I should also note that this ranks right up there with AT-STs vs Rancors in "Courtship of Priness Leia" but a whole lot less cool.

They actually are Godzilla-like magic space dinosaurs.

They've even got bio-plasma breath weapons and adamantium hides.