Sort of a spinoff from the StarCraftII thread in the lounge, a question I asked wasn't really addressed too much and I figured may as well pull it out so as not to clog up the thread with off topic chat. I have seen many times people saying that "Space Marines" in their large bulky pressure suits, with their large automatic weapons are 'cheap rip offs' of other works. Yet when some company makes a game based on recent wars, they get praised for how accurately they recreate the uniforms, and the effort that goes into getting weapons and stuff 'just right' even if they're horribly wrong. (Doesn't happen that much really, but a little hyperbole never hurt too much) And why do some people seem to dislike calling them 'marines' and state that they should have been more creative when making them up. They're soldiers that fight mainly from ships, just spaceships in this case, and that is what a marine is. Do people expect developers to call them "Spaceies" or something? (which might get CHUM lawyers giving you the finger) So, people's thoughts on the matter? I personally see no reason to NOT use the large armoured pressure suit that keeps the soldier alive inside, and I don't see a reason to not call them marines. Only thing I can see dropping from their name is the Space part in a universe that lacks ocean going navies and large scale planet side troop movements that would involve different classes of soldiers between those that were on sea ships and those on space ships.

Space marines are a great idea, but, are you trying to imply that using space marines now is not a ripoff because they make so much sense it's almost a fact they will exist?

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Original post by Talroth I have seen many times people saying that "Space Marines" in their large bulky pressure suits, with their large automatic weapons are 'cheap rip offs' of other works. Yet when some company makes a game based on recent wars, they get praised for how accurately they recreate the uniforms, and the effort that goes into getting weapons and stuff 'just right' even if they're horribly wrong. (Doesn't happen that much really, but a little hyperbole never hurt too much)

When you recreate recent history, that's a shared perspective which it is reasonable to imitate in search of authenticity.

When you recreate what you saw in an existing game based on fiction, you're ripping off someone else's creative idea. There's no authenticity in cloning another person's arbitrary vision.

The two aren't really comparable.

Too bad the Starcraft space marines are the crappiest ones ones of the lot. As Starcraft was originally based on WH40k you'd suppose the marines would omgwtfpawn everything. From genetically engineered zealous supersoldiers with powered armour and automatic rocketlaunchers (yup, bolters are rocket launchers) into paperarmored (What, a bug slashing through steel with no effort?) colonial marines with crappy weapons. So sad. :'(

The more games have bulky power-armoured space marines with big guns, the better... I'm not complaining. They look cool [lol]
But the ones in SC (or SC2) certainly don't look anywhere near as good as the WH40k ones.

As for "cheap ripoff"? Yeah, and we don't have a problem with the three hundred games featuring magic, elves and orcs that come out every single month?
I really don't see the problem here.

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As Starcraft was originally based on WH40k

It was? Have they said this, or is it your guess?

Well, perhaps not a fact, as I cannot find any official material, but I think it is a common belief (in the WH40k playerbase) that it was originally set in WH40k universe, but then Games Workshop forbid them to use the setting as they we're then afraid of translating the idea into video games. And of course the settings have so much in common that it would be stupid to say that there is no link. :)

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Original post by Ilmuri And of course the settings have so much in common that it would be stupid to say that there is no link. :)

Every intergalactic-multi-race-war setting has "so much in common." Doesn't mean they're necessarily linked.

It's true that the terran space marines look superficially similar to the WH40K marines. If you squint a bit.

So what? How many times have orcs and goblins been 'ripped off'? And the similarities there are usually much less superficial.

Warhammer 40K has orks and eldar (elves). Warhammer has the whole spectrum of typical fantasy races.

I am one of those who thinks that the term "space marines" is silly, because it is necessarily one of two things: 1) inappropriate, or 2) redundant.

If you assume space and spaceships to be equivalent to water and marine vessels, then it is redundant... like saying "marine marines". If you don't, then it is innappropriate.