Warhammer 40K Theory
The less monstrous factions represent different human social groups - at least, caricatures of different human social groups in a world where everyone's a heavily armed jerkass.
Imperium of Man: Social conservatives. Militaristic, religious, traditionalist, emphasis on loyalty and conformity to the point of outright xenophobia (because of the aforementioned "everyone's a jerk" thing). Also, a disproportionate number of Imperials are depicted as white men toting guns.
Tau: Leftists. Forward-thinking, scientific, anti-superstitious (unfortunately, they live in a universe in which weird spiritual phenomena are an objective fact). The faction that comes closest to valuing diversity, although, while it doesn't matter what species you are, ideological conformity is still essential. Plus there's the Blue Space Communists nickname.
Eldar: Aristocrats. Aloof, Better Than You, relics of a past in which they had more power and influence. Craftworld Eldar are classic Old Money ("stiff upper lip"), Exodite Eldar are landed gentry, Dark Eldar are depraved Marquis De Sade types.
Orks: Unruly commoners. They're uncouth and rowdy, they speak a nonstandard dialect, there are so danged many of them, and a group of them is, canonically, called a mob. Plus the football hooligan influence.
Imperium of Man: Social conservatives. Militaristic, religious, traditionalist, emphasis on loyalty and conformity to the point of outright xenophobia (because of the aforementioned "everyone's a jerk" thing). Also, a disproportionate number of Imperials are depicted as white men toting guns.
Tau: Leftists. Forward-thinking, scientific, anti-superstitious (unfortunately, they live in a universe in which weird spiritual phenomena are an objective fact). The faction that comes closest to valuing diversity, although, while it doesn't matter what species you are, ideological conformity is still essential. Plus there's the Blue Space Communists nickname.
Eldar: Aristocrats. Aloof, Better Than You, relics of a past in which they had more power and influence. Craftworld Eldar are classic Old Money ("stiff upper lip"), Exodite Eldar are landed gentry, Dark Eldar are depraved Marquis De Sade types.
Orks: Unruly commoners. They're uncouth and rowdy, they speak a nonstandard dialect, there are so danged many of them, and a group of them is, canonically, called a mob. Plus the football hooligan influence.