Just watched Avatar again and couldn't help but notice how similar the ripper models are to the mountain banshee and tetrapteron (the two flying mounts in the movie). The beaks, claws, fan tail, etc. all look like the ripper models. Is it just me or has anyone else noticed this before?
The main difference is that the Avatar models (and Unobtainium for that matter) are significantly cheaper.
GW rips off a lot of stuff... On a whim I was reading some old army books and as amazing as it was to me when I was a kid; it's pretty apparent they put very little effort into the fluff. For example did you know that according to Lizardmen army supplement ca 1996 Marco Columbo journeys to discover a new continent with 3 ships in imperial year 1492. Thankfully the fluff has improved somewhat, but you have to wonder if this is really a case of "there is nothing new under the sun" or if they just parody any idea they think is useful.
I think it started from parody. This can be seen from early 40K fluff (and even to some extent in later ones, i.e. Necrons' "We'll be back" rule). In Fantasy this might not be as easily seen, maybe because this kind of generic fantasy is so common and follows certain very generic archetypes (like Elves live long and seem noble, dwarves live inside mountains, like gold and other metals and are stubborn, orcs and goblins appear together and are green...). That's how most fantasy is. Since then, the fluff has become more original, though. Still, you just need to take one look at the map and you start to wonder, where is the line between genuine parody and just pure laziness. I mean, the map is basically identical to ours, and even similarly themed: Lustria's lustrous jungles where Amazons are, viking-like Warriors of Chaos come from the northern areas called Nord, knight-employing humans live mainly where European knights used to roam... Even the names, their equivalent of Middle East is Araby, and there's a small island in the far east called Nippon... which is Japan in japanese. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter much, you rarely see the Warhammer world map, anyway. You might even get a few cheap laughs out of it, so I don't mind.
Yeah - I get a kick out of the parody aspect of it. Makes me wonder what would have happened if Christopher Columbus had landed here in the Americas and been eaten by sentient dinosaurs. As a North American, I do also get a chuckle out of living in the equivalent of Naggaroth, the cold and inhospitable land of darkness. Say, you don't think the British game designers were trying to say something, do you? I do wonder, though, whether it's worth the stereotyping...does the character of the Lizardmen, for example, contribute to the stereotype of the Aztecs and Mayans as bloodthirsty and obsessed with human sacrifice? But mostly I think it's pretty innocent, and also pretty funny, and a good combination of parody and originality (Polar Gates and Ulthuan, for example). How do you Scandinavians feel about your Viking history being reappropriated as the incursions of the servants of Chaos? Oh, and at the OP - I read somewhere that Ripperdactyls were inspired by Piranhas...which become much more fearsome if they are flying monsters. Now if we could have that big...Toruk, was it called? the gigantic flying predator from Avatar...that would make me very happy.
If it is a display of British humor to show the equivalent of USA as the home of the most vile and deprived species in the whole Warhammer world, then it makes sense to assimilate the Vikings with the forces of chaos. The very first Viking raids (outside of the current Scandinavia) concentrated heavily on the British isles, and especially the rich monasteries that we're previously mostly left alone by the Christian war bands. This made the monks, who we're the most prevalent European historians at the time, to label the Vikings as forces of Satan. Personally I don't mind. Also, all the other nations are handled the same way, even in the human factions, peasant's life was worth less than the coffin he would be buried in.
Speaking as someone who has discovered himself to be attempting to be an author (after attempting to be a cartoonist), the obvious derivations from timeless literature, folklore and history are VERY convenient. - If an writer can get your brain to identify an obvious stereotype, they have just saved themselves 2 chapters of boring exposition to explain the temperament, religion etc of an individual or race. In GW's case, it may not be so much lazy as clever. If you can identify yourself on the following table, you might buy the book and the army: Monty python and holy grail fan - Bretonnia Ruthless Pillager and Glory Seeker - WoC Arrogant Elitist - High Elves Sick Weirdo - Dark Elves Just want to be left alone in your pathetic misery - Tomb Kings Fat Bastard - Ogres Noble, righteous and attractive, but with no comprehension of women - Lizardmen Beer Swilling Grump - Dwarves Scalenex - Vampire Counts Thought you were a bad boy playing Star Wars something, but realized too late that you had bought - the Empire Tree Hugging Hippy - Wood Elves Militant Tree Hugging Hippy with a vengeful chainsaw - Beastmen Think random hilarity is funny - Skaven, Orcs and Goblins Have vestigial horns and live at 666 Hell Street, Purgatory, Colorado - Daemons of Chaos You might buy the product for other reasons (plays well in all phases, looks cool, has dinosaurs, magic frogs are inherently awesome, easy to paint to decent standard etc) but the basic fluff / stereotype will drive you away if you can't connect with it. HOWEVER The flaw with GW's insidious plan is that 70% of the time, the stereotype is BETTER than their effort, and people's own imagination is better still. THEREFORE Stick more wings on that sucker, call it a Toruk ('Leonopteryx' [my translation = 'Looks like a lion with wings' - you tell me James Cameron isn't lazy, too]) and write yourself some special rules. Come back to the L-O forum and discuss appropriate point costing then jump on board with your little Navi pony tail (which obviously should have been your tail - extension of spinal cord etc) Then dare your weeny High Elf so-called friends to take to the air against the "Last Shadow" How can they argue - you are already blue, aren't you ? (unless you didn't take the GW stereotypical blue LM colour scheme....)
I suspect if they could go back and start again they'd do something different but it's been successful and they've had to build on what's gone before. I don't really think the Dark Elves/Nagaroth can be inspired by the USA - DEs certainly wouldn't be my first choice of a Warhammer race to caricature America. It was probably a handily 'uninhabited' piece of the map for them to go 'yeah we'll put them there ... it's as good a anywhere'. Have I ruined the fun?
I don't see the Dark Elves as labeling Americans as evil. I think the true evil is readily apparent. My friend just got into Warhammer is considering painting his Dark Elves in a red and white color scheme and putting maple leafs on the banners. Also. All by myseeeelllf! Don't want to live all by myyyseeelf...anymore
"Live"? You still fail to see the implications of your dark dabblings? Living is not an option you can enjoy, Smelly.
@Scalenex - A North American themed Dark Elf army would be AMAZING! The cauldron of blood could be full of maple syrup!