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BluntmanDC wrote:The fact that there already has been a wargame for Halo that failled is a pretty good answer. Trading on an IP like Halo isn't profitable when anyone that would be interested already has the perfect outlet for their interest, a computer game connected to millions of other players online.

Sadly, I think this is the case. I must be one of the few people who actually enjoys Halo Actionclix. Sure, the models sometimes need repainting and editing the rules is basically mandatory, but it's a simple, fun game.

There's a Halo version of Risk which isn't bad, not exactly using minatures but it's still okay!

Nob 'ead wrote:There's a Halo version of Risk which isn't bad, not exactly using minatures but it's still okay!

If we're hitting up boardgames, there's also the Halo Interactive DVD game, which sells not at all. It does use miniatures.

God no.

http://pigironblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/on-workbench-system-troopers.html

yakface wrote:In ODST you had no shield, but you were able to recover from a bit of damage by remaining out of LOS for a while (pretty much how every FPS since Halo has been). The big difference was they brought back the health packs from Halo 1, so when you took serious damage you actually had to go run and find health.

Besides that, they lowered your height in game (as humans are smaller than Spartans), made you run slower, jump lower. And yeah, the focus on the game was much more on lone encounters rather than just wading in and killing stuff as with Master Chief.

Interesting, cheers.

And the books, short stories and movies have all fleshed out the universe fully. In fact, at the end of Halo 3 with the death of the prophets and the dissolution of the covenant, there are actually a whole lot more 'factions' in that the remnants of the covenant are now going to fight over the scraps of what was once their empire...with of course the Brutes and the Elites being the alpha dogs in that fight.

So there is plenty more story to be told in the Halo universe post Halo 3 timeline.

I'm not doubting there's a greater universe out there for use in any minis game or the like, it's a game set across the expanse of space so there's always scope to add another race. I think any setting can be adapted or expanded to fit a miniatures game. It's just, Halo is a universe built around the idea that the Master Chief is awesome and does awesome things. Any adaptation will have to move away from that, at which point you have to ask the question whether its worth expanding the universe or just making a new setting?

And as for how a tabletop miniature game could function based off a FPS, remember that they already made a RTS from Halo, where the Spartans were just one (albeit cool) unit. Its similar to how Star Wars made a heroclix game with Jedis, or how Space Marines are uber-epic in the books. You just give them some beefy but not completely god-like stats and make a game...if 40K can do it with Space Marines then a Halo game could do it with Spartans.

It isn't about the power levels, but about what the central appeal of the universe is. It's like... you could make a miniatures game set in the Die Hard universe, and have the SWAT teams and various terrorist plots all statted up, and it'd be challenge to make John McClain sufficiently powerful but not so powerful he dominates the game... but you'd be missing the point of the Die Hard setting. Because all those other elements are just stuff for John McClain to shoot. I wonder if Halo is the same.

How well did the RTS sell, does anyone know?

What about halo Action Clix?

Spartans are just one aspect of the universe though. I'd love to see some kind of space battles, perhaps set post covenant destruction or pre covenant and use the forces from different factions and flesh out the backstories to each of the races in the covenant. Different unit types with their special ability which the covenant used. Grunts are decent gunners and reproduce quickly= lots of guns and turrets, elites and masterful leaders and pilots = lots of aircraft/vehicles but small number, humans are great tacticians on the ground (if i recall some of the covenant source material correctly) and thus get special rules to go along with it...

The market in mini's isn't very strong among the people that play halo, minus peeps like me who would play or at least read the material and paint a bit, but it has a possibility with wargamers if done right with a good ruleset and good models.

A halo miniatures game dealing specifically with space battles would be AWESOME. Although the UNSC would have to have a gakload of ships for it to be balanced seeing as they suck in space combat.

I'm not sure about anybody else, but I found Haloclix to be a decently fun beer and pretzels sort of game. The backstory and ascetic was enough to get me in, though I'd have changed the rules to allow for things like cover, and I would have removed the silly grid system.


However, as most have pointed out, few gamers would have the patience to switch to wargaming. As cool as it would be, it'd flop...

I think another reason a new Halo mini's game would flop is that the focus of the Halo franchise has shifted from it's beginnings. In Halo:CE,the story mode stood front and center,with deathmatching an added bonus. However,since Halo 2,the focus has been on the online multiplayer deathmatching and not on the campaign aspect with the characters,factions,etc,that you need to make a successful mini's game. Now,most Halo fans play through the campaign once just so they have a general idea of what's going on in the universe unless they are farming achievements,then go play Firefight or Deathmatch. Plus,at the most,you only have 5 factions,Humans,The Flood,Elites,Brutes,and Forerunners.

Luco wrote:Spartans are just one aspect of the universe though.

Yes, I know, I said that. My point is that John McClain is also one part of the Die Hard universe, but he's the part that most of the appeal is based around. You think it's bad that so many people go marines in 40K, imagine the situation in Halo...

sebster wrote:

Luco wrote:Spartans are just one aspect of the universe though.

Yes, I know, I said that. My point is that John McClain is also one part of the Die Hard universe, but he's the part that most of the appeal is based around. You think it's bad that so many people go marines in 40K, imagine the situation in Halo...

Oops, my bad. I don't really imagine Spartans being a faction on their own though, more like a squad choice with limited amounts to be fielded.

sebster wrote:
I'm not doubting there's a greater universe out there for use in any minis game or the like, it's a game set across the expanse of space so there's always scope to add another race. I think any setting can be adapted or expanded to fit a miniatures game. It's just, Halo is a universe built around the idea that the Master Chief is awesome and does awesome things. Any adaptation will have to move away from that, at which point you have to ask the question whether its worth expanding the universe or just making a new setting?

It isn't about the power levels, but about what the central appeal of the universe is. It's like... you could make a miniatures game set in the Die Hard universe, and have the SWAT teams and various terrorist plots all statted up, and it'd be challenge to make John McClain sufficiently powerful but not so powerful he dominates the game... but you'd be missing the point of the Die Hard setting. Because all those other elements are just stuff for John McClain to shoot. I wonder if Halo is the same.

How well did the RTS sell, does anyone know?

As far as I know, Halo Wars sold very well. Not regular FPS Halo well, but its probably the best selling sci-fi RTS behind Starcraft 1&2 (I'm guessing, though).


I know what you're saying about setting, but you have to remember that Halo started out as a RTS game and then was changed into a FPS during development. Now, I know most of the story and background development took place after that decision was made, but if you know anything about Bungie you know that they take great pains in creating a rich universe for their games that goes far beyond what you are actually able to experience in the game itself. In the Marathon series (the precursor to Halo), it was almost more fun to READ the between-level fluff pieces as opposed to playing the game levels just because of how interesting the background story was.

Between the Halo comics, the Halo novels and the Halo animation, there are almost as many stories now focusing around the different castes/species that make up the Covenant and stories about regular marines (or ODSTs) then there are stories about Spartans. And there are plenty of stories told about Spartans, but actually very few are told about Master Chief, since his story is mainly told in the Halo games.

Even though Bungie is no longer making Halo games, Microsoft isn't done making Halo games. So there will be much, much more to come, but probably most of it won't feature Master Chief, as that storyline was Halo 1-3. There are plenty of other Spartans' stories to tell (including those from the Spartan 3 series, as shown in Reach), and their have been plenty of interesting stories regarding the basic marines of the Halo universe, as well as really exciting space naval engagement stories.


I honestly don't think setting or theme is an issue in the Halo universe when it comes to creating a miniature game. The biggest issue is that there just aren't too many factions to choose from, and people like to have that personal choice when starting an army of miniatures. Yeah, you could have different army lists featuring the different splinter factions of the post-Halo 3 Covenant, but at the end of the day that's just a different way of dressing up the same pony when it comes to collecting miniatures. I think that was one of the big problems with the Starship Troopers game...it had plenty of variant army lists for its game, but you were still playing the same overall 'army' and that takes a lot of the personalization away from the hobby.

yakface wrote:As far as I know, Halo Wars sold very well. Not regular FPS Halo well, but its probably the best selling sci-fi RTS behind Starcraft 1&2 (I'm guessing, though).

That well, huh. Fair enough, the appeal to the greater franchise is probably better than I was thinking. Fair enough.

I know what you're saying about setting, but you have to remember that Halo started out as a RTS game and then was changed into a FPS during development. Now, I know most of the story and background development took place after that decision was made, but if you know anything about Bungie you know that they take great pains in creating a rich universe for their games that goes far beyond what you are actually able to experience in the game itself. In the Marathon series (the precursor to Halo), it was almost more fun to READ the between-level fluff pieces as opposed to playing the game levels just because of how interesting the background story was.

Yeah, I loved the setting as I played through the first three games. It's funny, because it's not as detailed as a lot of other settings, but it was richer and more evocative - I guess that's what talent does. Thing is though, I loved that stuff, but it was very much in the background, the real focus of the play was in showing how much of a badass Master Chief was.

Not being that familiar with gamers these days, I assumed they focussed on the latter more than the former. From what you've said about the sales of the RTS, it's likely I was wrong.

I think that was one of the big problems with the Starship Troopers game...it had plenty of variant army lists for its game, but you were still playing the same overall 'army' and that takes a lot of the personalization away from the hobby.

I think the problem there was really the size of the franchise. One much loved but old book, one moderately performing big budget movie and a string of b-grade straight to DVD follow ups... is not a franchise you want to base a miniatures game around.