I’ve been pondering a quote about the crew of the *Maccrages Honour*, which mentions they only get 4 hours of rest every 24 hours. This doesn’t seem feasible, right? I mean, in the grimdark universe of Warhammer 40K, surely people can’t function properly on such little sleep day in and day out. It feels like this would lead to disastrous consequences for both the crew and their ship in terms of operational efficiency. Am I missing some context here?
3 Answers
You’re definitely sane to question this. Many modern militaries can operate on less sleep for limited periods, but it messes with mental health. In the 40k universe, they might just keep pushing until they can’t anymore. It’s grim, and honestly reflects how resource-strapped the Imperium really is. They see crew members as mere cogs in the machine rather than people.
Exactly! They could totally be using better methods yet they choose this brutal route. Makes the entire setting even darker.
It’s pretty brutal but, yes, the Imperium often sees human life as expendable. They might not worry too much about crew health because they can always press-gang new replacements. Over time, sure, the crew will deteriorate, but that’s an acceptable loss for the Imperium’s goals. They prioritize the ship over the crew because people are seen as a resource that’s just in surplus.
I get that perspective, but you’d think losing a ship would be a bigger deal. After all, they claim they can’t afford to lose any and yet push their crew to such extremes. Aren’t they just cutting their own noses to spite their faces?
And let’s not forget, the conditions are horrific! Like, the mortality rates must be sky-high. Who would even want to start a family in such conditions?
While it might seem inhumane, with the right stimulants, the crew can definitely work while severely sleep-deprived. It’s not sustainable long-term, but in short stretches, they can tough it out. Just think of it as the Imperium’s way of running their ships—nobody seems to care if their crew is happy as long as the tasks get done.
Yeah, but isn’t it a bit ludicrous? They have the technology! They should be able to automate certain tasks rather than relying on a bunch of tired humans.
True, but that’s not how the Imperium operates. It’s all about muscle over tech, emphasizing their harsh, gritty aesthetic.
Right? They need to just accept that treating their men better could yield better results. But that’s not the Imperial way, I guess.