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[Tack]

I always wonder where Tech-Marines stand re: divided loyalties.
Does Mars know about the Grey Knights?

[Trekkin]

I always wonder where Tech-Marines stand re: divided loyalties.
Does Mars know about the Grey Knights?

Well, they have Techmarines of their own and their own mini-Forge World, Deimos, in orbit over Titan, and while the Grey Knights are known to mind-scrub almost everyone they leave alive, the Mechanicum never deletes anything. Even if they don't know their name, a Grey Knights-shaped void full of Dreadknights and Nemesis force weapons must remain in their logistical records, to say nothing of what their ubiquitous observatories can see literally in their own solar system.

So yes, Mars knows about the Grey Knights in the same putative way it knows about everything "secret": the information is there, even if they haven't bothered to upload an analysis of it into their consensus awareness because they're preoccupied with matters of greater import. As for how Techmarines handle their divided loyalties, I've always assumed they see Mars through the same lens they see the Imperial Cult: a matter for baseline humans not specially marked out by the Emperor for martial greatness. They're technicians, after all, not magi, so Mars has no reason to disabuse them of that view.

Maybe it's just Abnett and McNeill's writing style, but I always got the distinct sense that the Mechanicum has been humoring the Imperium ever since the Treaty of Olympus in order to keep someone else between them and whatever alien/mutant/heretics might otherwise distract from the Quest for Knowledge, and much of the more obviously ludicrous ritual trappings are exclusively for their benefit. Certainly they don't seem to bother with many of them amongst themselves.

[nenjin]

Going back a page or two to the question about an Imperial Guard Commissar overruling the Mechanicus...

In Caves of Ice, Cain threatens to shoot the Mechanicus staff of a facility he's been tasked with defending, because his mandate empowers him to execute anyone who undermines or otherwise hinders His Most Glorious Armies in their duties. So at least Sandy Mitchell thinks they're on firm footing there, and I'd tend to agree. The Mechanicus would just fire back the protection of the Omnissiah's works is the highest priority, and empowers them to blah blah blah.

[nenjin]

Double post

10 Minute Warhammer 40:000 Mechanicus Gameplay video.

Looking kind of cool, some interesting ideas at play for this kind of game. A doom clock built in to the narrative. Your special abilities in battle being powered by nodes essentially on the battle map, rather than just being available to you. No cover system. Upgrading your guys, taking from them organic to augmetic. Factionalism arising out of choices made during random events. The UI is pretty hideous but it is alpha, and the rest of the game looks pretty visually competent. Combat does look a touch flat though, kind of like Shadowrun Returns where on paper it was XCom combat, but in practice it felt wooden and uninteresting. I wonder if that is just a lack of polish and punching up the effects and timing.

[LordBaal]

For some reason the lack of news and updates over Armada 2 has me a little nervous. I know I have way bigger things in my plate right now, but I do hope to play that game someday with my son.

[Grim Portent]

I always wonder where Tech-Marines stand re: divided loyalties.

Depends on the chapter to which the marine belongs. Basically all of them pick chapter over Mars when tested on a combat level, but there are plenty of situations where Mars comes first like not telling people Mechanicus secrets even if it's your Chapter Master or Primarch asking or not letting people make unholy modifications to wargear. If a tech-marine had to pick between his chapter's death or a forge world being destroyed they'd probably pick their chapter dying.

Most chapters view tech-marines as outsiders similar to librarians, and the feeling is reflected in various ways. Some tech-marines resent their brothers for being ignorant and superstitious, some long to be part of the brotherhood the others share, some get along fine despite some quirks.

[LordBaal]

Well, Martellus was pretty rad. And he seemed to share a good teamwork vibe with the rest of the team.

[Andres]

What are lighters called in 40k? (I'm talking about the small item you use to light cigarettes and stuff.) What about matches?

[GiglameshDespair]

Pretty sure I've seen them just called lighters and matches in some book or another.

[Egan_BW]

Microcombiflamers and inflamium rods.

[nenjin]

Started playing Inquisitor Martyr. Thoughts are here.

[Digital Hellhound]

What are lighters called in 40k? (I'm talking about the small item you use to light cigarettes and stuff.) What about matches?

I love this question because coming up with a fancy grimdark scifi term for these is so unnecessary, yet absolutely something 40k would do.

[Trekkin]

I would think they would have neither, on the logic that if they aren't surrounded by the flaming corpses of the Emperor's foes, they have better things to do than smoke.

[Rolan7]

What are lighters called in 40k? (I'm talking about the small item you use to light cigarettes and stuff.) What about matches?

Laspistols, but they might take a second or two.

[Grim Portent]

The renaming of things for 40k is kinda arbitrary and I think a lot of it is references to other stuff, certain I've seen recaf in some other sci-fi franchises. Cigarettes got the treatment but lighters never did, coffee got it but not tea, brandy(?) but not beer, machine guns but not shotguns or grenades.