Er, yes, it's something that SHOULD happen in 40k. Advancing the plot doesn't mean the end of the series, or the big stalemate that's going on. GW just needs to find some more fluff writers who aren't brain-damaged.
Nope.
No advancing past 41st Millenium, unless they retcon Golden Throne failing, Tyranids coming in HUEG numbers, Necrons popping up EVERYWHERE, that Ork Warboss gathering orks to make WAAAAAGHH starting at one end of Galaxy and ending on other, Failbaddon actually winning and other threats to Imperium and everything else. Because if we advanced the plot with current fluff, it means end of the series. No exceptions. Golden Throne fails, Emperor either dies and Imperium is no more (GG, they just lost most played faction), Emperor ressurects and Imperium quickly mops up factions such as (Dark)Eldar, Tau, physically walls off Eye Of Terror, Maelstorm and other Warp buttholes in Galaxy (as he is apparently capable of doing that), starts fighting off Tyranids. GG, you just lost rest of factions. Hell, they might not even finish off any race for good, just make them lose (because, someone is going to lose), but even then PEOPLE WILL RAEG. Why? Because all their carefully created theories about grimmer, darker future of 40k got invalidated, their armies lose so badly that people star to question their fighting abilities on tabletop, and they may have to remove some parts of factions which also may cause RAEG.
The main problem of Wh40k is not the status quo or anything else except 40.000. That's right, the date is main problem. You can make stories back and forth without actually advancing the story line, but thanks to GW establishing that that world freezes one second before it's 42nd Millenium you can't add more.
But they can't even move the date, because someone back then had the brilliant idea of naming it Warhammer 40k. D:
Tau are supposed to be ripping the shit out of the border planets, Tyranids are supposed to be headed for Terra, and the galaxy looks like it's about to get it's shit kicked in.
Sorry, but Tau are straight between Tyranids and Terra. In another couple years they will cease to exist.
There apparently has been some things that happen in the 42nd Millennium that have been mentioned. Though in the end for me I don't like to stick too closely to official lore. Or rather, what Games Workshop publishes is more of a guideline then hard facts. Of course, if you're playing with others you need to get their agreement for any possible rule changes or the like.
That wiki is bad when it comes to accuracy, and you should feel bad. And this isin't even list of what "happened", it's list of what's "going to happen". All of this means Imperium is dead with serveral other factions.
Here you have what actually can be sourced.And it's either Caiphas Cain (which doesn't tell us what really happens, except that Imperium still exist, apparently) and one piece from C.S Goto (and everything he made is at least questionable canonically). Also some random Medusa V but I have no idea where that's from.
If they did advance the storyline, what could happen? Perhaps the Eldar find a new craftworld that was thought destroyed that has a wealth of new technology, adding several new types of weapons and vehicles to their army list.
Ynnead. Though I wouldn't have anything against some new additions of weapons and vehicles as long as everyone gets something new and it's not retarded or basically new version of something old without any purpose or new looks.
Perhaps the Tau, with many new planets and alien races joining them, become much more of a mix of different races beyond Kroot, Vespid and guardsmen.
They get nommed, as I mentioned.
Rather than waiting for GW to come up with something, the rules could be written as part of a campaign. The Tau gain units of Hrud through their diplomatic actions, giving them a close combat assault unit that applies penalties to nearby enemy units for every turn they're near them (Hrud have an aging aura).
S3,T2,A3,I5,W2, +5 armour save, Cloaked in Shadows: Reroll hits, Aging Aura: Every turn, enemy units within base contact lose 1 point of I, T and S until the end of that combat.
>Hrud
>Diplomatic actions
Hahahahhahahahahhahahahhahahahahahaha.
If anything, Hrud are going to get their own army list (or even a Codex, who knows) because we lack Space Skaven and they're Space Skaven.
Well, the plot is static so you can run campaigns that cover possible important battles. Defence of Mars, Terra or where ever else. X-Com tabletop style. That guardsmen who successfully kills a chaos marine? Next battle you could paint up a sergeant to represent his promotion, give him a name and his own squad to command. If later he's killed, paint his name onto the battalion banner with a kill count.
.
Proper way of thinking. Expand your dudes instead of bragging GW to advance the storyline and make your dudes unuseable.
I mean, come on, you have whole galaxy and ten thousand years to work in, and if that's not enough, you can advance the storyline on local (or even global) scale if you really want to.
Nothing is stopping you.
EDIT:
Also, don't take me wrong. I would enjoy more time too, but I know GW too well. I mean, COME ON, THEY ARE THE GUYS WHO CREATED AGE OF SIGMAR, THEY CAN'T BE TRUSTED TO DO ANYTHING ANYMORE.