We all know I’m not the biggest fan of 10th edition Warhammer. I won’t spend much time beating the proverbial dead horse, but what I will do is talk about the neat things I’ve been able to do now that my focus hasn’t been on Warhammer.
As a work-from-home dad, I spend a lot of time with my children, one of which is a soon-to-be nine year old boy. Happy Birthday, Eli! While we were building a Halo Mega Bloks set one night he looked to me, and he said “You know what would be cool, Dad?”
“What’s that, Buddy?” I was probably exhausted at this point, as both of my children, much like myself, can be talkers. And sometimes they just like hearing the sound of their own voice.
“It would be cool if we made a game, so that we could play with Master Chief and Arbiter on the table, like you do your Orks.” He said it with such excitement and enthusiasm that it would have been impossible not to at least attempt it.
“Hell yeah, that would,” I said, smiling. “In fact, I think we can do that.”
He was astounded by my agreeability, though I think for me anything would be better than more 10th ed at this point. A break was definitely in order.
I diligently set to work over the next few weeks, keeping tabs open on my browser while I worked my day job. I ported the system from a pretty cool “GURPS-esque” gaming system known as Hounds of War (Yes its an affiliate link, but it does take you to the only place I know that you can buy it). I used it as the skeleton, then tweaked things in a way to simplify them so that I could play the game easily with my son.
I had a working framework of rules ready for the weekend, and we did our first test. A handful of marines, a Spartan and some Elites and grunts all set up on a table in the basement. The sheer joy it brought to his face made the hours at the computer worth it, and if you know his history, seeing him happy and healthy and having fun is still something I am trying to adjust to.
With a successful test, I poured even more time fleshing out rules, units, weapons, and anything else I could think of. And then another weekend and another test, this time using even more models, though we didn’t really use any of the new weapons or units yet. Another pretty solid success. We had made it so that the game felt balanced, though the armies felt different enough and distinct from each other.
By now I had really put a lot of time in, and had made more units, weapons and rules, and we were ready to test some vehicles, so we dropped in a ghost and a warthog. So far so good.
Our last test ran 2 ghosts, 2 warthogs, plus infantry all over the table. I have to say that he and I had an amazing time and all he wants to talk about is the different things we can do in the game. I love it. I love the enthusiasm and the joy it brings out of him.
It has really helped me a lot, also. First and foremost, I’m not a “lore guy” in any game I play. I’ve not really had many games outside of Fallout where the story and setting really pull me in. I actually don’t really like most 40k lore, I just enjoy the models, and enjoy(ed) the game. It was more about hangout time with the bros when I first started it. However, as I’ve learned more and more about Halo’s background I’ve learned that it is a fairly detailed and fleshed out world. There are a few important aspects missing, but they just require someone like me to come along and write a game like this, or an RPG, that can fill those gaps.
We’ve started using our Halo Bloks for Stop-Motion practice and videos. I’m currently working on one now, but here is one we did together on our joint Youtube channel. We are also currently working on a series of Halo “Lore” videos, as well as a few other projects.
Really, what it boils down to is this: I knew I loved the video game. I didn’t know I loved the story. And now that I’m revisiting all of it, I’m amazed at the fact that I blew through all of it when I played before. The ADHD definitely played a big part in that, and getting treatment has helped me slow down a bit to appreciate more things.
If you are interested in our progress on the game, you can find it on my drive here. I need to update it with some points and unit changes, but its in a playable state right now, and will only improve. Feel free to provide feedback as well.
The last thing I’ll say is that one of the biggest obstacles I’ve faced since leaving the military is trying to find some sort of meaning in my life. Most of my adulthood has been navigating one life-altering event after another, and simply struggling to feel like I’m really doing something with myself. Even if this silly game never goes anywhere, simply knowing that it made my son happy brings a great deal of joy and meaning to me that I have spent so long looking for. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Chris.