Back in Action | TWiHD - Week 46

Charging Headlong in to things can have interesting consequences.

This is a post I have delayed writing since early September. I made some good excuses, but ultimately that is all they were.

After some back and forth on the DiceHate Discord, I decided it was finally time to stop letting excuses dictate the pace for the site and to be upfront about where things are and where I am going. It is time to get back on the horse.

First up, a life update. When we restarted this journey the last time, “The Plan” looked very different. The idea was that after moving to the UK, Gill would keep working and, as long as our finances allowed it, I would focus on DiceHate. The goal was to write, build out the site, relaunch the YouTube channel, and finally see what I could achieve if I committed to it properly.

I am not arrogant enough to assume that everyone here has followed the news, but the recent lack of activity probably tells you that things did not go the way we expected.

As we moved through June and July, the job market for Gill turned out to be more difficult than we had hoped. She had secured a position but the start date kept slipping. At the same time, our funds from the move were slowly being used up.

While that was happening, I kept working on DiceHate. I cleaned up the backend, made a lot of small quality of life changes, revisited old content with fresh eyes, and started new pieces while trying to establish myself on this side of the Atlantic.

During that period I reconnected with some of the folks at Warlord Games. It quickly became clear that my specific skill set and history in the industry could help with a few projects they were developing. I was not looking for work, but I was happy to consult and offer insight where it could be useful.

That occupied a good part of the summer. As Gill's start date continued to slip and the Warlord work grew, and frankly became quite fun, I approached them about making things official.

In September I started my new career at Warlord Games as their North West Community Manager. The role includes content work, community engagement, supporting clubs and stores, and doing what I can to help Konflikt '47 land well.

At the same time, I have been working behind the scenes on Warlord’s first Stand Alone Retail Store. That has meant demographics, catchment analysis, population density studies, sales data from the existing customer base, communication with trade about FLAGs coverage, scouting locations, and working with letting agents and landlords. It has been a journey, but we finally announced the intention to open the store which should help explain why things went quieter here.

Now that the information is public I feel much more comfortable getting work done here again.

Obviously, I cannot dedicate full time hours to DiceHate anymore, but I also do not want it to slip into an afterthought. To keep things balanced, some changes need to happen.

The first is simple. I will always be honest with my audience. I have worked hard to build integrity and credibility for DiceHate. I do not chase easy clicks or viral bait. I try to make content that stands on its own and remains evergreen. My approach is to be a positive voice. I do not seek out things I dislike, and if I review something, I try to be fair while focusing on the parts people will enjoy. I would much rather write about finding the fun in a two star game than spend time tearing apart a four star one.

That positive outlook can become complicated when I am also an employee of the company whose games I am playing. That brings us to the crux of the issue. Most of my gaming right now is within the Warlord ecosystem out of necessity. I still want time with Gill and the girls. I still want time for podcasts, books, films, painting and playing games. Something has to give.

Trying to create a false separation between “Warlord Kris” and “DiceHate Kris” would harm my credibility and break the way I prefer to communicate with you all. I do not want to pretend to be two versions of myself.

Some of the gaming I have not written about…

So here is the challenge. Can I write about my time with Warlord Games as a player and consumer with honesty and integrity while also being a community facing figure at the company?

I believe I can. I pushed hard to make sure DiceHate remained important in this new chapter. I was willing to take less money to protect that part of myself. There are things I will not do, and I will not break Warlord’s trust, but that has been true for every company I have interacted with. From AMG to Warlord, I have always been clear about what is on and off the record. That approach is what gives me confidence that I can make this work.

So what does all of this mean?

First, the games you see here will shift. Some of it will be the normal churn of interests. Some will be necessity. All of it will be covered in ways I find enjoyable and, hopefully, in ways that add value for you.

Second, the backend work continues. I am still streamlining the site, updating old articles, and uploading the podcast backlog in a way that lets me eliminate the extra hosting costs while giving each show its own feed. There are more things planned, so keep checking back and you should see those changes unfold.

Finally, some content that I originally planned for the Warlord Community site may not fit there, so it will end up here. Likewise, something that feels like a DiceHate piece may wind up on the Warlord site. When that happens, I will post a brief link here so you do not lose the thread. I will try not to have you jumping back and forth to follow a story, but there will be some crossover.

A new start calls for a new space.

We are already getting a little wordy, and while I have not said much in terms of hard detail, these are things I needed to say to give myself the freedom to continue.

DiceHate is still mine. It matters to me. This is the start of its next phase.

Thanks for being a great audience.
Kris