This sounds like music to me

[FTC_Snafu26]

A squadmate just pointed me to this interview, it's pretty spectacular:
https://stormbirds.blog/2022/12/22/community-qa-catching-up-with-jason-williams/

[Trooper117]

That's a great interview... good luck to Jason for the future, and I'm sure he will be back!

[DBFlyguy]

Thanks for sharing this! Definitely a lot of good open and honest info which has been severely lacking for months...

 

A lot of what Jason had plans for are what quite a few of us wanted, definitely agree on a lot of his thoughts on how things have gone the last couple of months... hopefully this new team delivers and doesn't go in a completely different direction... time will tell...

 

Nice job putting this interview together @ShamrockOneFive ?

 

Oh and... what "secret, not so secret" community effort ?

[kendo]

A lot of revelations in there.

 

This was interesting:

 

Can you tell us what module would you have made next for Great Battles if you were still Executive Producer?

 

I had settled on Sicily/Malta/Italy next (such a neglected theater), and then I wanted to go produce a late war Eastern Front module to cap off the GB series. Get the Yak-3, La-7 and late model P-39 in there finally.

[Chief_Mouser]

17 minutes ago, kendo said:

A lot of revelations in there.

 

This was interesting:

 

Can you tell us what module would you have made next for Great Battles if you were still Executive Producer?

 

I had settled on Sicily/Malta/Italy next (such a neglected theater), and then I wanted to go produce a late war Eastern Front module to cap off the GB series. Get the Yak-3, La-7 and late model P-39 in there finally.

 

??  Wouldn't we have been some happy bunnies if this was still the case?

Plus nose position on the A-20, flyable B-25 and possibly B-26. AI B-17...

The sooner the new management team us what's going the better; these things are just going to stoke the fire further. Hope that Wardog's got a lot of strong coffee brewing.

[percydanvers]

 

38 minutes ago, kendo said:

Can you tell us what module would you have made next for Great Battles if you were still Executive Producer?

 

I had settled on Sicily/Malta/Italy next (such a neglected theater), and then I wanted to go produce a late war Eastern Front module to cap off the GB series. Get the Yak-3, La-7 and late model P-39 in there finally.

 

We almost got Battle of Sicily 

 

[coreyhkh]

This does not look good for the future! 

[Rjel]

So close to so many tantalizing items that slipped away (seemingly). Flyable Allied Mediums. The Med. The anguish of what might've been.

[[CPT]milopugdog]

41 minutes ago, Chief_Mouser said:

 

??  Wouldn't we have been some happy bunnies if this was still the case?

Plus nose position on the A-20, flyable B-25 and possibly B-26. AI B-17...

The sooner the new management team us what's going the better; these things are just going to stoke the fire further. Hope that Wardog's got a lot of strong coffee brewing.

 

25 minutes ago, percydanvers said:

 

 

We almost got Battle of Sicily 

 

[Missionbug]

Great write up from Shamrock, always good to have words from the actual team members past or present and get some idea of just what they had in mind so it is a shame the partnership ended when it did.

 

I am one of those who will find something to like about any theater chosen as it is all WWII aviation but what Jason said he would have done for Sicily/Malto/Italy would have been as good a choice as any to hopefully please the masses and go somewhere we had not been, and who would not like the two bombers as flyable.

 

I would also like FC brought to a conclusion, nothing worse than part of a product and although I am not a big fan of late war stuff I can see it as necessary to complete the eastern front if it was to be considered as done.

 

Still waiting for Finnish Gulf though if possible.

 

Hope Jason finds peace and happiness in whatever he does next, I am sure we will be watching and waiting for the continuing saga to unfold, I never watch TV it is more interesting watching humanity go about things here in the forum.

 

Take care and be safe.

 

Wishing you all the very best, Pete.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Missionbug

[itsbillyfrazier]

Great interview. Brings a little closure as to what happened.

 

Hope Jason doesn't wait to long to get a new simming team together but given his passion for simming I'm sure he is making inroads already.

 

Looking forward to more news on that front. Best of luck Jason and thanks for the interview Shamrock.

 

 

[Gambit21]

Based on that and another comment in his thread that seemed telling - partnering with Team Fusion and going to PTO.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[CountZero]

o man im realy exited to se what is next for this IL-2 after reading that... cant guess what would be better then Italy and B-17s... maybe more 109G6s what 109G6 we still dont have in game...  

[Gambit21]

1 hour ago, percydanvers said:

 

We almost got Battle of Sicily 

 

Narrow escape I guess.

 

 

[CountZero]

2 minutes ago, Gambit21 said:

Narrow escape I guess.

 

 

wait and see what is this better option, its so good that we are not toled about it for so long...

[ITAF_Rani]

Damn Med was almost here...?

 

[easterling77]

Thank you for posting the interview - I fear I would missed it otherwise.

 

To hear some of Jason's thoughts and more aspects about what happend this year, gave some clarity about my thinking and expactations about where this sim may will went.

 

But the most important thing for me definitely is the stage for Jason to talk about his position in his own words about all these events.

Edited December 22, 2022 by easterling77

[percydanvers]

1 hour ago, Gambit21 said:

Narrow escape I guess.

 

 

 

I'm sorry I was under the impression that people wanted axis planes that aren't "yet another 109" 

[migmadmarine]

Would have loved to get Sicily...

[kendo]

Me too!

[Gambit21]

22 minutes ago, percydanvers said:

 

I'm sorry I was under the impression that people wanted axis planes that aren't "yet another 109" 

 

I feel like we've covered this ground already.

 

 

 

[Eisenfaustus]

Very interesting read indeed - that tencent is mingling more in 1cgs business then was communicated up until now is actually quite enlightening. 
 

I guess the current business model is too fair to the customer then the tech giant likes - that’s propably the main reason why GB isn‘t going to be continued and a new series will be implemented that has ingame stores and sells skins ect. 
 

Good that what we already have is so much fun because we don’t seem too get a better deal anytime soon. 

[Lusekofte]

I said Italy was next. It was the only way to get something different if PTO was out. 

[Gambit21]

8 minutes ago, Lusekofte said:

I said Italy was next. It was the only way to get something different if PTO was out. 

 

 

Or...is it?

 

 

[Lusekofte]

PTO is probably the fastest way to get me reinstall this game. 

[BraveSirRobin]

11 minutes ago, Gambit21 said:

 

 

Or...is it?

 

 

I thought they have rule out Italy and PTO?

[Trooper117]

Apparently PTO will come after the next secret project...

[Gambit21]

11 minutes ago, BraveSirRobin said:

I thought they have rule out Italy and PTO?

 

Correct, for this next release.

[CountZero]

PTO lol yes, yes... so guy who wonted to do PTO could not do it because they didnt alow him, it was europe or nothing he said...and you guys still belive when he left, now is time for them to do it...  there is a bridge i would like to sell, any buyers.

[AEthelraedUnraed]

5 minutes ago, Gambit21 said:

Correct, for this next release.

The next release is what we're talking about, isn't it? I think the Devs already said the module after the next release will be PTO.

[Gambit21]

7 minutes ago, CountZero said:

PTO lol yes, yes... so guy who wonted to do PTO could not do it because they didnt alow him, it was europe or nothing he said...and you guys still belive when he left, now is time for them to do it...  there is a bridge i would like to sell, any buyers.

 

What?

 

 

 

6 minutes ago, AEthelraedUnraed said:

The next release is what we're talking about, isn't it? I think the Devs already said the module after the next release will be PTO.

 

Yes

 

 

[migmadmarine]

Well, they said the one after next could be eto. Basically the statement as I recall was "pto still possible, but not as the next release"

As for the secret not so secret community project that has to the the map the Finnish guys are working on right?

[RoteDreizehn]

Thanks a lot to Jason - for the backgrounds infos. Wish him all the best for the future...
sad to see whats happen. Maybe a result of the ukraine Conflict too.... Not sure...
Hopefully it wont happend to DCS too..  fingers crossed
Seems to be that Il2 could be dying...

 

Edited December 22, 2022 by RoteDreizehn

[FliegerAD]

Re: Italy

 

Didn't they specifically say the urban density is a problem, and used Rome as an example during the Q&A?

But there are parts of Italy (and the western Med in general) where this is not a problem. The Golf of Venice e.g.: Italy, Slovenia, Croatia - beautiful landscape, relatively small cities, albeit a lot of them.

 

I mean, after the Stream and the Q&A I also got the impression Italy was out, yet I considering the beauty of the Italian aircraft... well, maybe that is why I want it to be possible against all rationality.

 

[CountZero]

32 minutes ago, Gambit21 said:

 

What?

 

 

 

 

Yes

 

 

LOL

 

Devs never said that after next one, next DLC is PTO, they said its posible, anything is posible, they said even Italy is posible, B-17s and so on...thats even less certenty then we had when Jason said next DLCs are PTO, he even named them... Midway, Okinawa and so on... but after so many years nothing... this new devs didnt even explain whats next with game, and you belive that they will do PTO... 

30 minutes ago, migmadmarine said:

Well, they said the one after next could be eto. Basically the statement as I recall was "pto still possible, but not as the next release"

As for the secret not so secret community project that has to the the map the Finnish guys are working on right?

yes, its probably finland map

[Gambit21]

6 minutes ago, CountZero said:

LOL

 

Devs never said that after next one, next DLC is PTO, they said its posible, anything is posible, they said even Italy is posible, B-17s and so on...thats even less certenty then we had when Jason said next DLCs are PTO, he even named them... Midway, Okinawa and so on... but after so many years nothing... this new devs didnt even explain whats next with game, and you belive that they will do PTO... 

 

From what I heard, it was a strong indicator of PTO after this next release. So yes, I'm hopeful it will pan out this way.

 

 

 

[CountZero]

2 minutes ago, Gambit21 said:

 

From what I heard, it was a strong indicator of PTO after this next release. So yes, I'm hopeful it will pan out this way.

 

 

 

First new thing we got from them is more 109s, i highly doubt they aim for new things or even smell close to PTO, if Jason was not alowed to do it.

[Gambit21]

14 minutes ago, CountZero said:

First new thing we got from them is more 109s, i highly doubt they aim for new things or even smell close to PTO, if Jason was not alowed to do it.

 

We shall see my friend...plenty to keep us busy until then. 

 

 

[Fritz_X]

Really bitter-sweet interview, still I enjoyed it very much. I really appreciate Jason's choice of words: It's very easy to sense his bitterness, yet he still stayed professional. I'm definitely gonna miss his leadership and work for the IL-2 series.

 

What really angers me on a personal level is that, if things wouldn't have changed, we would have gotten the Med next. I was always holding out for this to happen. Oh well, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose...

 

All in all, I'm quite sceptical about the future of IL-2. I'm sure things will continue, but the events of the last weeks and months and the things that have (not) been communicated don't get my hopes up at all.

 

Dear devs, feel free to prove me wrong.

Edited December 22, 2022 by Fritz_X

[Manstein16]

6 hours ago, kendo said:

Can you tell us what module would you have made next for Great Battles if you were still Executive Producer?

 

I had settled on Sicily/Malta/Italy next (such a neglected theater), and then I wanted to go produce a late war Eastern Front module to cap off the GB series. Get the Yak-3, La-7 and late model P-39 in there finally.

That one stings…I was really looking forward to having an Apache!