ork psychic field,can it be a bad thing?

[blackcherry]

Yep. Now whilst there is an ork psychic field of some sort (which seems to power up wierd boys and generate crusades of orks). However the Anzion theory is pretty much an in universe explanation of a techpriest trying to explain technology he can't understand and that he believes Orks are incapable of.

From a god view we know this isn't true.

[Sir_Turalyon]

Another part of explanation of Anzion's theory is different standards of durability. STC equipment is designed to last, be used and abused by simpleton colonists and keep working, potentially for generations of users. Ork weapons are designed to give spectacular effects, fall apart quickly and bring the kustomer back to the mek, to have the bitz that have fallen off replaced for extra price (Waagh da Orkz). The guns Anzion was examining might be non-functional, or he migh have broken them without even noticing while examining.

[Col. Tartleton]

Orks do have a psychic Waaagh field though, so it's probably partially true, but it's not overt.

You know how sometimes if something isn't working you try it a dozen times with no results but you hit it a few times and it works? Datz Da Waaaagh!

Not unlike how Techpriests are generally plugged into the system, chanting the instruction manual in high speed binary which sounds like dial up internet and could drive the uninitiated to the brink of madness... Anoint with a little holy unguent (petroleum grease), invoke the correct diagnostic procedures, and make a few repairs and she'll be as good as new.

40k technology is anything but.

[Nkari]

Its just like comparing the Soviet AK74 to the M16..

Get a little sand in the M16 and it will fail, load it with AK74 ammo and it wont fire.

Bury a AL74 for a year in sand, load it with NATO ammo, and it will fire.


Its all about design philosohy, the US wants dead acurate weapons, the soviets wanted more dakka.. (since the AK47 and 74 is more innacurate than the M16 on full auto )

[Lockjaw]

Believe that if you want, but I'll stick to my guns with the theory that Anzion was a bigoted fool who thought unquantifiable magic is only possible reason that Orks can use technology he can't get to work with incompatible half-understood mnemonic rituals.

agreed, wish they had never mentioned Anzion, because now we get tons of people who think orks can just pick up a peice of metal and make 'pew pew' sounds and manage to shoot bullets

[Damien 1427]

agreed, wish they had never mentioned Anzion, because now we get tons of people who think orks can just pick up a peice of metal and make 'pew pew' sounds and manage to shoot bullets

It is, without a doubt, my least favourite bit of background in the entire game. It frustrates me so much that it's rife in places like TvTropes.

[Nymie_the_Pooh]

It's not just Orks that things like a red paint job apply to. There is a reason why insurance premiums are higher on red cars. Orks just sort of take that mentality and amp it up a bit more.

[Lord Damocles]

agreed, wish they had never mentioned Anzion, because now we get tons of people who think orks can just pick up a peice of metal and make 'pew pew' sounds and manage to shoot bullets

That's not really a problem with the presentation of a fallible in-universe source though - that's people not being able to recognise a fallible in-universe source and/or the logical problems with said source's conclusion(s).

[Connor MacLeod]

Dunno, I always thought the Anzion stuff made sense. I guess it depends on how you think about it.

For me, Ork tech falls into two (broad) categories (there can be others, and they can cross over, but you could break it down into variations of one or the other or both.)

a.) Ork weapons that work to varying degrees of efficiency. the vast majority of Ork Firearms, melee weapons, vehicles and the like fall into this category. These are devices that can (technically) work for any race, but will work best for the Orks due to their psychic 'WAAAGH' effect. Anzion called it some sort of psychokinesis, which I think of operating on the microscopic scale (things like probability manipualtion or the like) and being designed to increase performance, reliability, etc. Firearms work better. Or they may shoot farther (perhaps they psychically enhance the mecahnical action of the weapon, or make it more durable, or they improve the efficiency of combustion in firearms or in engines.) In melee weapons we might figure it uses PK effects to enhance the cutting/smashing effect of melee weapons. Effects of this variety are probably more commonplace, but they also tend to be more incremental in effect and more subtle.

b.) The second category reflects the 'weird' **** that technically wouldnt work for any other race or shouldn't even work for orks, but does somehow. This is the sort of stuff that leads to Weirdboy Lance Towers, or really even over the top stuff like WazDakka managing FTL travel with his bike. I liken it to being more 'magical', but that the devices purported to create the effects act like foci, or charms, or talismans. Basically they're a medium through which the 'magic' happens for an ork. These are the sorts of things that lead to the more massive increases in capability, or the more spectacular effects... but they also tend to be comparatively rarer.

What it gets down to is that Ork tech is just a variation of psychic engineering/technology that some races (like the Eldar) use, only it approaches it differently.

[Damien 1427]

That's not really a problem with the presentation of a fallible in-universe source though - that's people not being able to recognise a fallible in-universe source and/or the logical problems with said source's conclusion(s).

The trouble is this was in a codex with very little background. People have a bad habit of taking in-character fluff pieces as word of god. I think Andy Chambers (For it was he) is only really guilty of thinking we'd be able to tell the difference between the two.

[Lord-Caerolion]

The trouble is this was in a codex with very little background. People have a bad habit of taking in-character fluff pieces as word of god. I think Andy Chambers (For it was he) is only really guilty of thinking we'd be able to tell the difference between the two.

Exactly. It's not the fault of the author that his in-universe, fallible 'source' has been taken to such extremes. He might have included a paragraph that stated some limitations to it, such as the "bent chunk of metal not firing bullets" idiocy, but it's very much a true phenomenon, as shown by the rpg games and their rules for Orky weaponry.

Ork technology is simply explained by the racial memory/culture and psychokinesis. The Meks never truly understand why they make their gubbinz in the way they do, only that if they do X in such a way, it produces Y. They don't understand the mechanics of it, that the Trukk had a more efficient engine, or whatever, but explain it away the best they can (because it's painted red). The Ork psychokinetic effect boosts this to some degree, making things run a little smoother than they rightly should, instead of falling apart.

In other words, an ork won't shoot bullets from a stick, but a gun that fires bigger bullets will have a slightly more powerful effect than it really should.

[madd0ct0r]

I've always liked the 'weak field' theory - allowing the mek to make subtle changes to the molecular structure of a part to create control and feed back systems (not that that's how the mek would describe it).

As already said - imperal tech is riducuously durable in comparison, with rhinos hundreds of years old still useful. If an ork trukk lasts five years it's not being raced enough and should be konfiscated on principle.

[Dakkagor]

Believe that if you want, but I'll stick to my guns with the theory that Anzion was a bigoted fool who thought unquantifiable magic is only possible reason that Orks can use technology he can't get to work with incompatible half-understood mnemonic rituals.

Askil, can I have your children?