History VideoGame / FireWarrior

''Warhammer 40,000: Fire Warrior'' focused on a young Tau Fire Warrior named Kais. The Tau, for the uninformed, are a relatively young species introduced to the setting in 2001, with a highly {{Animesque}} design. Originally, while naive, the Tau hardly had any Crapsacky elements to them and were a rather out-of-character attempt to inject some optimism into the relentlessly GrimDark 40K universe. This didn't please the fanbase, who saw them as Designated Hero, and the Tau were made more morally ambivalent - new storyline included forced annexation of nearby worlds, [[UnreliableNarrator rumoured]] sterilization of populations with a history of rebellion, and a "join us or die" mentality (this character shift [[JustifiedTrope justified]] by an Imperial invasion, which caused them to wise up about how hostile the wider galaxy really was).

* [[spoiler: [[VillainWithGoodPublicity Anti-Hero with Good Publicity]]: Despite Kais' dad being a completely and utter son of a bitch in reality, as Lusha reveals, having once shot a subordinate for a relatively minor offense and generally being a BadBoss, the Tau public at large have a very idealized view of him as a heroic figure due to the Water Caste media editing out any depiction of him as such for, presumably, propaganda reasons.]] There's a reason they call Tau [[FanNickname Blue Space Communists]]...

* [[spoiler:GodWasMyCopilot: In the novel, the HeroicWillpower Kais gets is actually Khorne boosting him on. After all, he cares not from where the blood flows, as long as it flows...]]

All in all, it was a pretty mediocre game, [[SoOkayItsAverage meeting with average reviews.]] Unlike the later ''VideoGame/DawnOfWar'' series, developed by RTS veterans Relic, ''Fire Warrior'' was made by the relatively unknown and inexperienced Kuju Entertainment (who would go on to make the ''VideoGame/BattalionWars'' games). It isn't a bad game by any means -- it's quite fun in places -- just totally forgettable. The [[{{Novelization}} book based on the game]] however is pretty well liked, going more in detail about the Tau culture, mindset and giving the main character a backstory.

* TheAntiNihilist: Shas'el Lusha, Kais' immediate superior and [[TheObiWan Obi Wan]] shows himself to be one of these late in the novel. He finally breaks etiquette and explains the unthinkable to Kais: that The Greater Good does not really exist, and the Tau will never achieve it fully. However, he says the important thing is the reaching for ideal, not the attainment of it, and just trying is an ennobling thing in itself.

* TheObiWan: Shas'El'Lusha is not the highest ranking Fire Warrior during the conflict, but he is the one that Kais reports directly to. [[MissionControl He passes orders to Kais over the comm]], and gives him encouragement and advice when he doubts himself and his place in the Greater Good. He fought alongside Kais' father, and sees powerful potential in the young Shas'la, but also worry that Kais might not hold himself together long enough to realize it.

* {{Defictionalization}}: Sort of, Games Workshop later published rules for using the Rail Rifle in regular 40K, as well as a special character profile for Kais and a scenario based on the Descent mission.

* FollowTheLeader:
** The game takes more than a few nods from ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'', such as [[LimitedLoadout the two-gun limit]], and recharging shields ([[AcceptableBreaksFromReality despite the fact that Tau fire warriors have nothing of the sort]])
** Note that the two-gun limit is far more irritating than it was in ''Halo'', simply because you could not replace your Tau weapon with anything -- which made it a bit of a pain when ammo was scarce, and you couldn't cling to your [[{{Irony}} trusty]][[note]]For those not 40k savvy, on the tabletop a plasma gun has a one-in-six chance of killing the user with every shot, discounting armour saves[[/note]] stolen plasma gun.

* NamesTheSame: The war commander of the Tau in Dawn of War: Dark Crusade is called Shas'O Kais. [[EpilepticTrees Hmm... A promotion, perhaps?]]

* EmergencyWeapon: A wakizashi (short sword). Based on what was added to the Tau lore later, it's probably Kais's [[BloodOath Bonding Knife]].

* EmergencyWeapon: A wakizashi (short sword).

* LeeroyJenkins: Governer Severus employed the Raptors chapter of Space Marines to capture Aun'El Ko'vash on the basis that they were a chapter know for being risk-takers almost to the point of recklessness and were not given to second guessing their missions. [[JustifiedTrope Keep in mind]] that Space Marines are famous for making the LeeroyJenkins tactic actually work most of the time. The Raptors just happen specialize in it. The funny thing? Later information from Games Workshop and ''TabletopGame/{{Deathwatch}}'' turn the Raptors into a whole chapter of CombatPragmatist.

* CanonImmigrant: Rules and models for the Tau Orca DropShip, the ''Emissary''-class cruiser, and the [[{{BFG}} Rail Rifle]] were made for the tabletop games later on. Notably, Forge World's Orca is far, ''far'' larger than its videogame counterpart - the latter only carries a squad of Fire Warriors, the former a whole ''Hunter Cadre''.

* NotSoDifferent: Aun'El'Kovash tries to give one of these speeches to the Xenobiologica adept in charge of his imprisonment, comparing his faith in the GodEmperor to the Greater Good. [[ShutUpHannibal The adept is not swayed]].

* LeeroyJenkins: Governer Severus employed the Raptors chapter of Space Marines to capture Aun'El Ko'vash on the basis that they were a chapter know for being risk-takers almost to the point of recklessness and were not given to second guessing their missions. [[JustifiedTrope Keep in mind]] that Space Marines are famous for making the LeeroyJenkins tactic actually work most of the time. The Raptors just happen specialize in it. The funny thing? Later information from Games Workshop and ''[[TabletopGame/{{Deathwatch}}]]'' turn the Raptors into a whole chapter of CombatPragmatist.

* LeeroyJenkins: Governer Severus employed the Raptors chapter of Space Marines to capture Aun'El Ko'vash on the basis that they were a chapter know for being risk-takers almost to the point of recklessness and were not given to second guessing their missions. [[JustifiedTrope Keep in mind]] that Space Marines are famous for making the LeeroyJenkins tactic actually work most of the time. The Raptors just happen specialize in it. The funny thing? Later information from Games Workshop and ''[[TabletopGame/Deathwatch]]'' turn the Raptors into a whole chapter of CombatPragmatist.

* LeeroyJenkins: Governer Severus employed the Raptors chapter of Space Marines to capture Aun'El Ko'vash on the basis that they were a chapter know for being risk-takers almost to the point of recklessness and were not given to second guessing their missions. [[JustifiedTrope Keep in mind]] that Space Marines are famous for making the LeeroyJenkins tactic actually work most of the time. The Raptors just happen specialize in it. The funny thing? Later information from GW turn the Raptors into a whole chapter of CombatPragmatist.

* LeeroyJenkins: Governer Severus employed the Raptors chapter of Space Marines to capture Aun'El Ko'vash on the basis that they were a chapter know for being risk-takers almost to the point of recklessness and were not given to second guessing their missions. [[JustifiedTrope Keep in mind]] that Space Marines are famous for making the LeeroyJenkins tactic actually work most of the time. The Raptors just happen specialize in it.

* CanonImmigrant: Rules and models for the Tau Orca DropShip, the ''Emissary''-class cruiser, and the [[{{BFG}} Rail Rifle]] were made for the tabletop games later on.

* VoiceOfDramatic: [[SoOkayItsAverage Say what you like]] about the game, but at the very least it gave us a trailer of TomBaker declaring "It is the 41st Millennium...and there is '''only WAR'''"

* JustifiedSavePoint: Your suit records everything you do, then uploads it to the cruiser's computers at each autosave location as a kind of digital sitrep. During this process, the suit's visual feed goes offline for the few seconds it takes to complete the upload, showing Kais the upload progress and reminding him of the mission objectives it is tracking.

** YourMileageMayVary on the "Acceptable" part, but the severe {{Nerf}}ing of the native Tau weaponry seems to be to encourage the player to actually use many of the other weapons in the game, which otherwise the Pulse Rife and Carbine would out-shoot everything but the heavy weapons.

* TheCoconutEffect:

** Note that the two-gun limit is far more irritating than it was in ''Halo'', simply because you could not replace your Tau weapon with anything -- which made it a bit of a pain when ammo was scarce, and you couldn't cling to your [[{{Irony}} trusty]][[hottip:*:For those not 40k savvy, on the tabletop a plasma gun has a one-in-six chance of killing the user with every shot, discounting armour saves]] stolen plasma gun.
* [[spoiler: GodWasMyCopilot: In the novel, the HeroicWillpower Kais gets is actually Khorne boosting him on. After all, he cares not from where the blood flows, as long as it flows...]]

** Note that the two-gun limit is far more irritating than it was in ''Halo'', simply because you could not replace your Tau weapon with anything -- which made it a bit of a pain when ammo was scarce, and you couldn't cling to your [[{{Irony}} trusty]][[labelnote*]]For those not 40k savvy, on the tabletop a plasma gun has a one-in-six chance of killing the user with every shot, discounting armour saves[[/labelnote]] stolen plasma gun.

** The game takes more than a few nods from ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'', such as the two-gun limit, and recharging shields ([[AcceptableBreaksFromReality despite the fact that Tau fire warriors have nothing of the sort]])