Welcome to Exploring Warhammer! I’m currently writing an, as yet, untitled book about the early history of Warhammer 40,000 - focused around the release of Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader (1987) up until the release of the 2nd edition (1993). (Though I have a publisher, news to follow!)
This newsletter is my base for the project. My focus, for the book, is on how the game came together, what influenced it, what it influenced and - more importantly - what lessons other game designers & developers (be they physical or digital) can learn from this seminal title. The book will also make the case for 40K being a culturally significant work in the same way other 'geeky' things like D&D are rightly seen as now.
(Image - Female Warrior Gabs from 40K Rogue Trader, 1987 & a current plastic Space Marine from Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Age of Darkness)
(Image - My copy of the Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader)
What I'm interested in exploring is how that particular game managed to capture something special that, decades later, is still so popular while so many other wargames around the same time (and since!) didn't. Then, as noted, looking at what lessons a game designer today can take from it to help them in their work.
Project platform chat is here.
Project ‘housekeeping’ aka Warped Marginalia is here.
Who am I?
Who am I? I started playing Warhammer 40,000 with Rogue Trader back in ‘87 and my love for the game, its lore and miniatures has continued to this day. That interest and love of gaming in general, with Warhammer 40,000 being such a formative title in my life, led me to work in video game development. I’ve also designed/worked on/published a couple of tabletop titles as well as lots of digital ones. There’s more on me here.
However, please note this book project is a personal one and not affiliated with any company that, in my day job, I work with or partner with..
(Image - 4 years before Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader, another title, Rogue Trader, was advertised in the Citadel Journal.)
Other links:
For equiries about the project, ways to get in touch on here.
(Image - My copy of the Warhammer 40,000 Compendium)
