Wargames Design: How I Got Started?

I found a blast from the past while searching online for some other stuff.  Anyone remember around 2008 the old Firebase e-zine on Warseer?  Pepperidge Farm remembers!

By Tim Divar 

One of my first forays into wargame design was found in Firebase issue #7, one of my favorite issues.  I was not able to find it on Warseer again, but someone had uploaded it to Scribd here:

Firebase #7

That was a long time ago, but I recall patterning it off of the first Cityfight Codex.  Lots of my early work was on modifiying and toying around with existing Games Workshop systems but especially the Specialist Games range.  That was part of why I loved them!  You could do all sorts of things with them and I viewed them as a sort of toolbox.

Of course, I have all ready shared some of my stuff for Aeronautica Imperialis.  However, I also did all sorts of stuff for Necromunda, Gorkamorka, Epic, and more.  An event that really stirred my imagination as a gamer was the old Eye of Terror Campaign and the Fall of Medusa V.  It inspired me so much, that some forum buddies and I tried to recreate them on a forum called The Ammobunker.  It was called the Battle for Ammoriss.

I will post up the links the the detailed campaign background here for you to look at if you are so inclined.

Battle For Ammoriss:
Battle for Ammoriss- Campaign Background
Battle for Ammoriss- Campaign Rules
Battle for Ammoriss- Compendium
Battle for Ammoriss- Compilation
Battle for Ammoriss- STC Templates
Battle for Ammoriss- Conclusion
Battle for Ammoriss- Operation: Hemlock

There is stuff for all of the Specialists Games.  However, more importantly the Battle for Ammoriss got me hooked on campaigns and more story driven gaming.  That is what led me to my first big wargames design project: Aquanautica Imperialis.  After all, Ammoriss was mostly water and it made sense that water-navies would be needed to defend it.  From there, it was only natural to spin-off into a game of wet navies in the 40K universe.  Of course, I do not intend to own or challenge any copyright in the Games Workshop worlds.  It was just fun to make games and play around in their sandbox for a while.

My kid and I still play Da Deff Islands Skirmish that was basically Gorkamorka with boats.  If you are interested you can find it in the Battle for Ammoriss stuff.  It has Oomie pirates and Ork gangs fighting it out on the shallow seas.

Anyway, this was a fun little jaunt down memory lane.  This brought me back to some of my gaming roots and the origins of my work in game design.  I didn't try to start with anything too fancy, just build off of stuff that all ready works.  The key was I was making and designing games for myself first.  I made games that I wanted to play.  I still do that today!  So, if you have a game design to play don't be afraid.  Just write it out and start playing it.  Who knows where it will lead.

Thanks for letting me go down memory lane!  Since then, I have really expanded my horizons and my tastes in games.  However, this will always have a place in my heart.