Interview with Enigma

[Dagwoodyt]

37 minutes ago, ST_Catchov said:

Well, that's it then. It's finished. It's all over. Finito. Kaput. Terminado.

The team leader may be super busy and doubtless will return bearing glad tidings.

[ST_Catchov]

1 hour ago, Dagwoodyt said:

The team leader may be super busy and doubtless will return bearing glad tidings.

 

Please, let us not speculate. That's not what we do here. We are better than that. 

[Aapje]

Could just be a long holiday.

[No.54_Reddog]

10 hours ago, Aapje said:

Could just be a long holiday.

That he forgot to mention to his cohort of loyal fans. Or his long suffering staff? Ever turned up to the office and discovered your boss isn't there only for him to return weeks later with" oh, sorry, been on a beach"? No, me either.

[Dagwoodyt]

I think that in the video TFS makes clear that CloD is their "hobby" project. That gives an automatic "out" to take breaks whenever the self-described "figurehead" sees fit😉

[354thFG_Leifr]

B17 by Christmas, you heard it here first.

[Buffo002]

I don't know what you're talking about here. He must have had a reason not to be there and it's not their job, they do it in their free time. Maybe he couldn't work at TFS because of his job.

[Dagwoodyt]

It is probably best not to get too wound up over perceived offenses to TFS' honor.🥴

[No.54_Reddog]

6 hours ago, Buffo002 said:

I don't know what you're talking about here. He must have had a reason not to be there and it's not their job, they do it in their free time. Maybe he couldn't work at TFS because of his job.

He's retired i believe. And as the sole owner of TFS, it literally IS his job.

[Blitzen]

Another month gone...

[II./JG27_Rich]

Yes that is funny but I have to admit if I were part of Team Fusion I'd be going nuts too... maybe even more so 

Edited June 17 by II./JG27_Rich

[Dagwoodyt]

Saw this on the CloD Discord channel today:

 

 

 

Maybe the Enigma video will help sell it😉

[Buffo002]

IL-2 GB also had huge discounts on the 80th anniversary of the liberation, about a month ago. So I think it's normal to offer lower prices for other products as well. Sale.  

[BENKOE]

[Mysticpuma]

Buzzsaw still missing. 3 months with only 1 visit to ATAG on May 27th, no trace here for over 3 months, and no trace for 4 months at Discord.

[jdu]

59 minutes ago, Mysticpuma said:

Buzzsaw still missing. 3 months with only 1 visit to ATAG on May 27th, no trace here for over 3 months, and no trace for 4 months at Discord.

Why can't all those gadflies just let him live his life?

[Mysticpuma]

10 minutes ago, jdu said:

Why can't all those gadflies just let him live his life?

Well as the leader of TFS, maybe it's expected that he would be a bit more interactive on the forums or with the community/potential buyers, for the product he is in charge of?

[Dagwoodyt]

It's not so much that the proprietor won't communicate, but that there is no one who can provide answers as to issues such as status of the VR/VU, even after "Mike's" unprompted assertion that VR is running "essentially flawlessly" in the current game. There's an information vacuum that's unfilled and it seems like all those selected to respond walk on eggshells lest they let something too revealing slip out as to the team's true situation. That secretiveness is the true source of the "negativity" that is projected onto anyone who asks questions. It's a sad situation, but not likely to change in the foreseeable future. Maybe the proprietor will return in time to lead celebration of the fifth anniversary of DWT's release.

[BraveSirRobin]

4 hours ago, Mysticpuma said:

Well as the leader of TFS, maybe it's expected that he would be a bit more interactive on the forums or with the community/potential buyers, for the product he is in charge of?

There are only, at most, about 10 people who spend even a small part of their time complaining about the lack of interaction with TFS on the forum.  So he probably isn’t losing a lot of sleep over this.

[AtomicP]

Unfortunately, with CloD the way it is, 10 people is probably a large part of the player base.

[Buffo002]

I don't understand people who keep complaining that the new DLC: FORTRESSES AND FOCKE-WULFS - DIEPPE Announcement hasn't been released, when there are TFS people writing here on these forums why it was delayed and didn't come out. Over and over again. It'll just come out when they solve all the problems and it's done. And please don't refer to old links from TFS that said that the new DLC will come out at the end of 2024 or after the new year 2025. In the meantime, sad events have happened and problems with VR and other solutions have happened.
Don't ask, just search here on the forum and you'll find an explanation why the new DLC hasn't been released yet.

[Mysticpuma]

6 minutes ago, Buffo002 said:

I don't understand people who keep complaining that the new DLC: FORTRESSES AND FOCKE-WULFS - DIEPPE Announcement hasn't been released, when there are TFS people writing here on these forums why it was delayed and didn't come out. Over and over again. It'll just come out when they solve all the problems and it's done. And please don't refer to old links from TFS that said that the new DLC will come out at the end of 2024 or after the new year 2025. In the meantime, sad events have happened and problems with VR and other solutions have happened.
Don't ask, just search here on the forum and you'll find an explanation why the new DLC hasn't been released yet.

Totally agree....just wondering if Buzzsaw is still involved with TFS, simply because it's strange for the project lead to be absent for over 3 months?

Edited July 23 by Mysticpuma

[Dagwoodyt]

For all we know he may not even be communicating with TFS. My belief is that FaF is never going to become a reality, so I'm not part of the laughably imaginary contingent asking why it hasn't been released yet. Using terminology like "gadfly" to dehumanize those who ask questions that deserve a TFS' response won't foster positive "vibes" either. The team seems to invariably suffer reversals that follow fast then follow faster, one or more of which might be irreversible. Thus communication with end users is critical to TFS' credibility as a developer. 

[Mysticpuma]

He's back on Discord

[BraveSirRobin]

Thank God.

[Dagwoodyt]

always addressing the thorniest issues head on

 

 

while giving the same answer🤔

Edited July 24 by Dagwoodyt

[ST_Catchov]

 

[Dagwoodyt]

Did he come back to tackle that one critical, burning issue only then leave again?🤣

Edited July 26 by Dagwoodyt

[No.54_Reddog]

On 7/23/2025 at 12:01 AM, jdu said:

Why can't all those gadflies just let him live his life?

I had to Google what a gadfly was in this context to understand the insult you were trying to make which is a first. I mean, it's a first that you've been useful. Thanks for teaching me some new vernacular.

 

 

On 7/24/2025 at 3:22 AM, Mysticpuma said:

He's back on Discord

Crisis over. Game will be released according to communicated and announced timelines after all... oh, wait. Him being back makes no change IMO,  we are still going to be treated like mushrooms, they are still going to have zero progress to show, and the inevitable collapse is still on the horizon, at which point it will of course all be the naysayers fault all along.

[354thFG_Leifr]

Good update, thanks Buzzsaw.

[Buffo002]

What are you still solving the release of new DLC. These are works that you can never say exactly in advance when they will be finished. And the problem cannot be solved in a few weeks. And on top of that, it's been going on and on, TFS has been explaining what happened and why there was a delay. If some individuals don't understand, it's not TFS's fault. And on top of that, it's vacation time and some developers are probably on vacation with their families right now. In IL-2 GB Korea, the first post was more than a year ago, but according to the first link, there is already finished terrain and Mig-15 (at the time of publishing the post in 2024) so they had to work on it for at least almost another year before that. So roughly since mid-2023. And those are only new aircraft models, map, maybe graphics (but they had VR solved a long time ago), which they published recently and so far Korea is not even available in pre-sale, so the question is when will the pre-sale be released. So it's a little over 2 years of work ... and did anyone complain there when it will be released? Nobody.

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/88730-korea-il-2-series-dev-blog-№1/

[Dagwoodyt]

Seems a bizarre defense to insistently compare a developer with one five year old DLC making up its' entire catalog to sims with large DLC catalogs and more in the pipeline. 

Edited July 26 by Dagwoodyt

[AtomicP]

The other main difference is that 1C has to make money, so anything that gets in the way of that (features that don't work out or take too long to program) are cut out. TFS are in a weird position where they don't need to make money (or do they?) because they're technically modders but they do ask for money for the product. Thus, there's no explicit financial push to get a product out the door (or is there by Fulqrum Publishing?)

[Buffo002]

It has been said here many times (read old links) that they are volunteers ... they each have their own different jobs that make a living, IL-2 CLoD, TFS is a project that took over the CLoD simulator from the original programmers (Oleg and others) who did not finish the simulator and left the project in progress. TFS took it over voluntarily, they are not employees of any company, they have contracts with them that we do not see, but I think that they will only receive rewards and earnings from the sale of the product, because they are not employees of the company, like il-2 GB, where they are employees of the company. Read older links from the end of 2024 to now TFS what and how it was and will be.

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/forum/155-team-fusion-notes/

or search in other sections

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/forum/121-announcements-and-updates/

 

[Mysticpuma]

2 hours ago, Buffo002 said:

It has been said here many times (read old links) that they are volunteers ... they each have their own different jobs that make a living, IL-2 CLoD, TFS is a project that took over the CLoD simulator from the original programmers (Oleg and others) who did not finish the simulator and left the project in progress. TFS took it over voluntarily, they are not employees of any company, they have contracts with them that we do not see, but I think that they will only receive rewards and earnings from the sale of the product, because they are not employees of the company, like il-2 GB, where they are employees of the company. Read older links from the end of 2024 to now TFS what and how it was and will be.

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/forum/155-team-fusion-notes/

or search in other sections

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/forum/121-announcements-and-updates/

 

I imagine it's going to be a nightmare at some point for the team lead to work out the finances, looking at all the people who have assisted and now left (or become absent), then the amount of TFS members who have signed NDA's and created small amounts of content and then walked away (over the vast development period).

Ultimately, as you say, they are 'just' volunteers and the expectation of any end/completion date relies solely on the amount of passion and interest they have in completing their tasks.

 

From an outside point of view looking in, I can't imagine how tough/frustrating it must be for those members who have completed work years ago, and it sits in a safe waiting to be unlocked...at some unknown date in the future, and hopefully they'll be around to see that day come to fruition.

[Dagwoodyt]

3 hours ago, Mysticpuma said:

I imagine it's going to be a nightmare at some point for the team lead to work out the finances, looking at all the people who have assisted and now left (or become absent), then the amount of TFS members who have signed NDA's and created small amounts of content and then walked away (over the vast development period).

Ultimately, as you say, they are 'just' volunteers and the expectation of any end/completion date relies solely on the amount of passion and interest they have in completing their tasks.

 

From an outside point of view looking in, I can't imagine how tough/frustrating it must be for those members who have completed work years ago, and it sits in a safe waiting to be unlocked...at some unknown date in the future, and hopefully they'll be around to see that day come to fruition.

Unlikely that finances are that complicated. Could be that working on the project requires strict NDA and agreement to transfer of all rights to IP contributions to the TFS principal.

[No.54_Reddog]

4 hours ago, Dagwoodyt said:

Unlikely that finances are that complicated. Could be that working on the project requires strict NDA and agreement to transfer of all rights to IP contributions to the TFS principal.

It's likely that the person you're contradicting is someone who knows EXACTLY how it works given he's signed the agreements in the past.

[Dagwoodyt]

21 minutes ago, No.54_Reddog said:

It's likely that the person you're contradicting is someone who knows EXACTLY how it works given he's signed the agreements in the past.

Thanks. Nevertheless I wonder whether any parties other than Steam, Fulqrum and the TFS principal have access to sales figures and revenue data. Further, as each contributor's work might be modified by others, how could anyone identify what items are exclusively theirs? Most contracts I am familiar with favor the interests of the party or parties who paid the lawyers to structure them.

[Mysticpuma]

9 hours ago, Dagwoodyt said:

Thanks. Nevertheless I wonder whether any parties other than Steam, Fulqrum and the TFS principal have access to sales figures and revenue data. Further, as each contributor's work might be modified by others, how could anyone identify what items are exclusively theirs? Most contracts I am familiar with favor the interests of the party or parties who paid the lawyers to structure them.

I don't have any details, but everyone who contributed would likely have agreed to (if they choose to) accept a profit share of final revenue after costs are taken out (whether that be contracts with Steam, Fulqrum, 1C, legal fees, etc).

This is usually between 'departments', so modellers get a percentage that is shared, map makers, coders, effects, etc.

I have no idea what that percentage is now, but imagine every new PR person they have had since I left, imagine all the map makers and texture artists they have had, imagine all the modellers who have contributed a few land assets and left and compared that to those who have created whole aircraft and cockpits?

 

So at some point, when/if V6 is released, a while down the line, profits will be shared between all those departments and contractors.

 

I have no idea what that state of play is, but you have to consider that it was 2017 that TFS got the Source Code from 1C, they released the Blitz and Tobruk expansion and since then, so many members have joined and left, and then take into account the cost of setting up a new contract with Fulqrum? 

 

These factors go to show why this is just a hobby for most of the team as once any profits are shared out, it really will just be beer money after all this time.

 

Edited July 28 by Mysticpuma

[Dagwoodyt]

Presumably, TFS has been distributing DWT profit "shares" for the past five years. Seems they ought to have the system running smoothly by now. I have no idea how many contributors would be in a position to fully understand, much less enforce, such a contract even if they were to read before signing.😉

 

Edited July 29 by Dagwoodyt