Founded in September 24th, 2004 5:20 AM PDT

So much has changed from when we first started to now. From when I first organized games together, full lobbies across timezones gaming throughout the night tp now writing guides and sharing stories anticipating Halo Infinite's Forge update. One thing remains the same, and that is my passion here for this and in members. ONI has been a home to me and I hope to many others in just the experience we've created, adding to playing Halo. I can never 'just play' Halo anymore, I always have a purpose beit a rank to achieve, a role model to be to others or to teach and learn from others how they want to play the game.

Having written so many collaborative stories and introducing different ways to communicate 'target profiles' and 'intelligence gathering' has been a blast looking back. While truthfully, no one could actually recognize what ONI is today from its humble beginnings on Bungie.net writing guides on simple tricks to do on multiplayer and campaign. It has become so much more than writers and staffing entertaining post by post and an organized machination to an collaborative story of all our members. To build this in the framed narrative we share as ONI and enable our players to find purpose in Halo beyond the game is the goal now and years to come. 

Halo isn't the best game out there right now. Yet we've come to find community here in it, in both faces old and new the 18 years we see around the sun has been a pleasure thanks to all that took part in it.

Now 18 is one of those big moments in life; a real milestone. You turn 18 and suddenly people start throwing around the word “adult” in reference to someone you very much still think of as a “kid" and terms like clans and role playing are suddenly too little, childish or immature forms of entertainment. Expect many changes to come in what we do and how we do things to reengage our members overall, the separation of squeaker squads and whiskey with cigarettes club is upon us.

In light humor I'm going to add some of the things you can do when you turn 18. 

1. Vote 
2. Join the Military
3. Register for the Selective Service (mandatory for males in the US)
4. Buy a lottery ticket
5. Buy a pet
6. Sign a contract
7. Open a brokerage account and buy stock
8. Book a hotel room
9. Become a realtor
10. Become a notary public
11. Buy a car
12. Skydive
13. Sue someone (unheard of but true) 
14. Work in a bar and serve drinks
15. Be called for jury duty
16. Open a bank account
17. Get married without parental permission
18. Get a 10 year Passport
19. Get a Costco card
20. Buy real estate or apply for a mortgage

While ONI isn't a person to do any one of these things I do get a kick out of watching it grow to this and become a responsible community. And its in this community that I'm looking to improve it, using both the unofficial Halo API and the unofficial Xbox API to add to the experience on our website daily. 

Thanks for holding fast, safeties off!