The Great and terrible Warhammer 40000

This post was intended to be a collections of criticism and general whinging about 40K and flaws, remorseless greed of Games Workshop and so on. I will probably get there, but if you have been affected by this hobby you probably know it yourself. 

However, during preparation I have made some interesting discoveries or observations if you like.
Rogue Trader, the initial first version of 40K was intended as mission-based small-scale skirmish game. Player would play narrative scenarios and Game Master would unfold coming events.That was the plan of course... :)

On the game mechanics side, 40K suffers and interesting combination of several layers of editions and visions of how game should be played. Born as small scale game, where Space Marines and other units were acting as individuals, it relies on the generally same mechanics as its fantasy brother Warhammer. Of coarse it had to drop big units movement, flanking and charging, but managed to retain bonuses for two close combat weapons or extra attacks for charging. Warhammer, ideologically looks up to D&D system, but  retains its core as a unit-based system, where individual models and heroes act as bonus to number of super cool hits and mega weapons of unit, an organized cell of army.  

40K on the other hand is trying to take Warhammer base and develop it into a fast-pacing hero-based blockbuster, where a single hero has a chance to land a war winning hit. Which is not only unrealistic, but quite slow and ridiculous when you roll hundred or so dice just to find out how many Orks managed to get close to a well defended bolter position before Guardsman woke up and started to fire. Until current 6th edition, 40K preferred close combat as main way of determining the victor.

Flames of War, despite its hugely complicated system of internal special rules, historic background ect. became popular thanks to its relatively elegant system: assault is rolled on one dice per unit, ranged is rolled in "to hit" and firepower test. That is an essence of huge, industrialized and massed warfare, where single life is irrelevant. That is what Apocalypse should have been, but none risked changing the system, and we still counting number of shots and punches in the face. All six thousands of them. Humble attempts to modify this in Epic and Warmaster games are worth mentioning, but they retain a dusty place of specialist games.     

Warhammer 40K in this matter, suffers another problem: this game is about Space Marines. All other races, where born and created as either bigger monsters to kill (Tyranids), or more clever and sneakier enemies to fight (Eldar). In its core this game is about victories of power armored, bad ass, bolter loaded and genetically engineered heroes. They need attention and war glamor.

The sales figures confirm that: so far Space Marines are bestsellers. But the threat of newcomers is looming on horison, and more and more people discover new drugs game and game systems. Some are even better than 40K. But most are definitely cheaper. 
  

-Hey Sarge, should we tell them that boat is almoust out of gas?- Nah, just smile and wave boys!