TRC,
Hmph - interesting. Actually, I think each system serves as testing ground for the other.
See Space Marine landing craft in E:A. FW only considered a vehicle carrying Thawk for marines after the LC came out and was tested in Epic.
Note the AX-1-0. It was created as a Whiteshark in E:A, but FW had a parrellel effort going on to market a new Tigershark variant already. So one could fall on either side of the fence here.
How about the Tau Tau Moray, Scorpionfish and Stingray. 40K hasn't seen anything of these. These were all created within Epic first and have yet to hit the 40K fan fare.
40K has yet to see an Eldar EoV Void Stalker to the best of my knowledge... or Phantom and warlock for that matter.
I think Epic was the first to see a Chaos Deathwheel and Decimator. 40K has not reckognized these yet.
I've yet to see a 40K endorsement of a stompa, supastompa, giblet-grinda, bone-crusha, etc, etc... though some of those may have appeared in armorcast models to varying degrees.
BTW: is there a Siegemasters "anything" in 40K yet?
However, 40K is obviously the bread and butter of GW, so there is a dominance of new units in that realm first. 40K is obviously the best place to test new infantry as its a true infantry based game - a skirmish level and just beyond. Besides, the vehicles are there but the true show case is the infantry firefights leading to fistacuffs in 40K. There's also the problem that infantry in E:A really aren't all that impressive looking.
Regarding to your "more believable" backgrounds, I think many a 40K fan would dare challenge you. Many might say that building a race from its infantry level roots and understanding what it looks like at force org level before scaling into larger warfare is just the way to define large and detailed army backgrounds with depth.
Example:
How do you know what its galactic fleet looks like if you don't know what its Navy looks like?
How do you know what its Navy looks like if you don't know what its war engines look like?
How do you know what its War Engines look like if you don't know what its warfare technology looks like?
How do you know what its warefare technology looks like if you don't know what its infantry fighting doctrines are?
Etc.
+ + +
I for one think the Tau have a rich and believable background. Well, as much as I care for it to be and definitely on par with the rest of the 41st millenium.
If I wanted to play historicals, there's many games out there.
The fantastic and wonderful xenos technology and impossible meld with fanatical devout religion, cult and Daemonic infestations interleaved with the multitude of aliens both ancient, metalic, and newly found Tau - heh, not to mention bilogically inconceivable marines are EXACTLY what I love about the 41st millenium.
PS - As far as my opinon is concerned - I think they did a brilliant job with the Tau as well as the new Tau Empires!
