A final message from Luthier

[luthier]

Good day gentlemen,

I have been a part of the Il-2 community since its earliest days. I remember getting excited by this project way back in 1999, just as the very first info and screenshots began coming out.

I remember the day I received the IL-2 Sturmovik Beta in the mail. I dropped whatever I was doing, closed my work, installed it on my work machine. I remember the very first mission I flew in Il-2 as if it was a second ago. Dusk, coastline below, dark black pixels of the four enemy planes outlined against the clouds on the horizon.

I remember the first time I got to fly the very first airplane I built for the game. I had fallen in love with the BI-1, and finally seeing the fruits of my labor in game, seeing all those polygons and pixels I poured so much love into materialize and become a living, breathing flying machine in my most favorite game in the world. The feeling was absolutely indescribable.

I remember the first time I finally met Oleg and set foot in the Maddox Games office. I still remember the office layout, where everyone sat, what I talked about with every single person in the room.

I remember the sleepless nights and the incredible hectic sense of the world crumbling around me in the months leading up to the release of my first very own major release, Pacific Fighters. The eerie quiet when it went to print and suddenly it was all over, replaced by the wait for reviews and community feedback.

So it is with a very heavy heart that I say goodbye to the IL-2 series today. It’s been a part of my life for so long, the one thing I cannot remember is not being a part of the Il-2 world.

I thank you all for being there with me, the fans, and especially all the Il-2 team members. I’m proud to have met and worked alongside you. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the Il-2 series for all these incredible years.

I loved every second of it.

Ilya “Luthier” Shevchenko

[furbs]

Good luck with what ever you try next Luthier.

[JG52Uther]

Bye Ilya, A shame it all fell apart, but thanks for trying. I wish you success in the future.

[Mysticpuma]

Good luck. Hope to see you in the new flight sim skies ;)

[banned]

See ya mate. An incredibly sad day. I too have been there from the start. It's going to be extremely sad not having those feelings of what is coming in the next release.

All the best mate.

[Continu0]

+1, all the best to you, and thank you!

Will we see you again, maybe over korean skies?

[Bounder!]

Just wanted to say thanks Luthier for giving us CLoD, it's a real shame it isn't going any further, I absolutely love this game and the potential it had is huge. Despite not being finished it's still the best flight sim for online play, what we have on the ATAG server and with the SoW campaigns far outstrips anything I have experienced. You ruined other flight sims for me because they feel like arcade games by comparison :) !!! There is still a part of me that is hoping this is some temporary hickup and CLoD will live on, I was really looking forward to future expansions using the CLoD engine, to watch it evolve and grow into what we had with the old series, but with this more advanced engine. Even if this is it, which it looks like, I have still had more than my moneys worth playing CLoD and will continue to do so, thanks and goodluck.

Bounder

[baronWastelan]

Thanks for the excellent 'toy' Cliffs of Dover. Many of us will be admiring it, off and on, for years to come. In the distant future it will be regarded as a software equivalent of the famous Venus statue with no arms. :)

[Screamadelica]

Good luck Ilya. ;)

[Kupsised]

Thanks for all your work Luthier!

I have only one bone to pick with you (my main problem with the CloD series going under) is that it showed us the real potential of what flight sims could possibly be if they had the resources. It's amazing that you tried, but now us simmers are left with an amazing view of what could be (with CloD), contrasted with the bitter (in comparison) reality to what's financially and practically possible. Thank you for trying, my only quibble being, as Bounder said, you have potentially ruined all other flight sims set in this period for a long time to come just by showing what we're missing :D

In the meantime I'll continue to enjoy CloD, the only sim that I play regularly at the moment, with only the slight disapointment that I'll never get my Typhoon or Tempest to go and terrorise the pesky Luftwaffe and beat them at their own game.

I hope it won't be long before we hear from you again anyway!

[fireship4]

Thanks Ilya and good luck.

[JG52Krupi]

Thanks Ilya, I am sorry that you didn't get the success that you most definitely deserved.

All the best in your future endeavours!

[FG28_Kodiak]

Sad :(

Hope we will hear something from Project Galba in future :rolleyes:

[Birdflu]

Thank you luthier (http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/member.php?u=3976) good luck and Merry Christmas.

[touchdown42]

Thx for all your hard work.

Even if it didn't work out as planned, it gave hours of fun playing it.

[skarden]

Thanks for all your damn hard work over the years mate, the great majority have really appreciated it.
And good luck in your future endeavors ~S~

[Flanker35M]

S!

Thanks for the ride with IL-2. The end could have been better, but nevertheless nothing out there rivalling the longevity of what IL-2 had and still has. Good luck with any future project you are attending to, both Luthier and the team.

[SlipBall]

Best of luck to you...

[NaBkin]

Thank you Luthier!
Wish you all the best and let us know if you develop something new - ill be on for sure :)

S! Sir!

[addman]

I already said my thanks in another thread but it does deserve to be repeated. Thank you Ilya for all the years of dedication that you gave the IL-2 community. I will remember CloD as a kind of "Spruce Goose" of the simming world. It was a marvellous feat but never really took off, the execution can be faulted but the ambition was unparalleled IMO. Thank you and good luck with whatever you take upon yourself in the future!:)

[Feathered_IV]

Thanks Luthier for all your good humour and hard work over the years. I sincerely wish you all the best for the future. Things don't always go the way one might expect, but I'm sure the Il-2 story isn't over yet. There is always room amid the great unwashed here and in the flightsim community for you to enjoy things from the "other side" now and again. After all, you will always be one of us!

PS: Please let me know where I will be able to preorder your memoirs of your time in the industry. ;)

[MadBlaster]

Sir, I wish you good luck and success in your next venture. There's nothing to be sad about. You are now smarter and wiser and your name will always be attached to the best pc game ever made, IL-2, a game I still very much enjoy. You can always re-do CLoD as Storm of War!

[Plt Off JRB Meaker]

Thanks Luthier,as others I too have enjoyed this wonderful sim and IMO there is nothing to touch this as regards combat sims.

It is a great pity this could'nt have been taken any further,the potential was massive,but I am glad we have what we have,the last patch was fantastic.

I wish you well my friend in all that you do,seasons greetings.:)

[camber]

Thank you Luthier,

I have spent many hours now loitering up and down the French coast and attempting to sneak up on poor unsuspecting commuting 109s. For me CloD is worth many times in enjoyment what I paid for it, I still feel amazed looking around the cockpits and watching bits fall off 109s when things go well. Was hoping things would progress somehow for the CloD engine but thanks for all the fun and best wishes for the future. We appreciate you guys getting the last patch out.

Cheers, camber

[Cranky]

Good luck Luthier, write a book about what happened here.

[TonyD]

Thanks luthier, and good luck for the future.

[lonewulf]

Luthier

Thank you. CLoD is a triumph. Flawed, but a triumph all the same.

Have a good Christmas.

[SlipBall]

Sir, I wish you good luck and success in your next venture. There's nothing to be sad about. You are now smarter and wiser and your name will always be attached to the best pc game ever made, IL-2, a game I still very much enjoy. You can always re-do CLoD as Storm of War!


Yea!!!!:grin:

[Robo.]

Hi Ilya, thank you for all your work on this simulator. I enjoy it very much and I really appreciate everything you did to get it in the final patch stage.

[carguy_]

Good day gentlemen,

(...)

So it is with a very heavy heart that I say goodbye to the IL-2 series today. It’s been a part of my life for so long, the one thing I cannot remember is not being a part of the Il-2 world.

I thank you all for being there with me, the fans, and especially all the Il-2 team members. I’m proud to have met and worked alongside you. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of the Il-2 series for all these incredible years.

I loved every second of it.

Ilya “Luthier” Shevchenko

Luthier,

I always felt like you were "our man" in the MG studios. Sharing IL2 community`s passion for warbirds, seeing them once again alive in the air.
It was as if you guaranteed us hardcore simmers an experience we dream of. Cliffs of Dover came short on many things, but the actual flight experience is top notch. I don`t know if the IL2 community will have a chance to see the next big thing, but I have both IL2 and CloD on my HDD so I can set it up and take a quick skirmish any time I want to recall the best times of the hundreds amazing combat sorties I experienced few years ago.

You have my respect for saving this project back in the days, because everything you did with it was worth the end result, even if it didn`t work the way IL2 community wanted it to.

Cliffs of Dover is a great creation, imo maybe even the most ambitious of them all for a PC. It remains a benchmark for many of the ideas both from graphical and gameplay standpoint. Making games in actual world isn`t easy, and making sims may be even something not worth the effort for a normal developper. Maybe that is why it didn`t make the cut. It was too much for one team. How would it have all turned out it everything went perfect, we shall never know. It seems that my dream of a perfect WWII combatflightsim is yet to be created, but for some time needs to sleep and wait for better times. Life is just that - we can`t shape the story in every way we want it to, sometimes we have to move on.

I personally want to thank you first for all the work you put for the original "IL2 Sturmovik", second for the courage, ambition and all the love you poured into this game and CloD. It means a lot to me and I support you and your inspiration.

For me as a gamer the road doesn`t end here as I still have the juices in me to appreciate the WWII aerial combat. I shall stay updated with the future IL2 creations and support them waiting for a game that Cliffs of Dover could have been.

I wish you good luck with all of your future endeavors, hoping that you sustain the same kind of passion for any future work you do as you did for Cliffs of Dover.


S!

[Slipstream2012]

It really is a sad day, Thanks Luthier for everything you've done for IL2 and the community over the years.
And Clod is simply an amazing feat, a true gem, maybe a little unpolished, but its a gem none the less.

Good Luck for the future, and if you happen to make anymore flight sims, give me a shout, I'll buy it.

[Osprey]

Best of luck mate, and if you have the source code please try to leak it out into the community somewhere because I can't see 777's engine even approaching what you and your team have done here. It's been a turbulent time but we can see now that a lot of the troublemakers just appear to be ROF lovers wanting to stick the knife into something better. Troubles aside, we're having an epic time in COD so thank you at least for that.

May the suits at 1C who pulled the plug meet the famous Russian justice system in the near future.

[salmo]

Thankyou Ilya. Your work has been much appreciated. Good luck to you for the future.

[ChocsAway]

Best of luck for the future Luthier.

I've had more than my moneys worth from Cliffs of Dover. It's a dreadful shame that it has come to this, as with a couple of more patches I feel it would be the best out there.

By the way, I would pay a lot of money for a good (finished :)) Korean war flight sim.

All the best,

Choccy.

[Richie]

I think the best thing I can say is that this simulator series IL-2 Sturmovik has made this past eleven years a great experience. Even when I went to the Electronics Boutique to buy the original game in November 201 I almost killed myself in that stupid old K car. Someday in the old folks home when we are all in our 80's and 90's in diapers and listening to the Stones, Cream and Led Zeppelin we can remember the days when we flew with AD, Elanski, Pope, Willie, Herr-Spray, Graf, Venny, Aristo, Josh, Freitag..to name only a few.


Thank you Ilya for all of the good times and good luck to you.

[|450|Devil]

Luthier - thank you for all you have contributed to the il2 series. It has given me great enjoyment over a very long period.

All the very best for the future.

[FlyingShark]

Thank you for everything, Luthier, I wish you all the best for the future.

Always sad to see somebody leaving like this.

~S~

[zapatista]

hi luthier,

best wishes for the future and it is an incredible disappointment that 1c did not put in the last 6 months of effort to get BoM out the door, and recover its reputation and improve sales figures

BoB/SoW is an absolutely visionary project with attention to detail that sadly will never be seen again again in a ww2 flightsim. many many sincere thank for trying to persevere for so long to still try and get it finished and fixed under very difficult circumstances in the last 18 months

the 1c management must be totally bonkers to kill the project off now the main problems have just been solved in the last few months. if they were insistent in making more money from it in the short term they could have made the SDK and drivable vehicle components a payware addon element, and it would have created more breathing space.

i wish you all the best, and many thanks again for your massive effort to still try and get it finished while incompetent senior management kept limiting your options on how to proceed

[ParaB]

Thanks for all your efforts, Luthier.

[holdenbj]

Ilya, thank you for all your efforts on the IL-2 series. Good luck with new ventures.

[jojimbo]

Good luck and thanks for everything you've done, all your hard work and dedication, sometimes seemingly overwhelming , has not gone unnoticed.
All the best, live long and prosper :)

[15.Span_Valalo]

thanks Ilya to all job... More thanks for all...

Il2 is great sim...

[Ootoito]

Thanks for so many moments of satisfaction.
If new projects are as they have been so far in the series will Il2 sure many of us hardcore fans.

Thank you very much.

(thx too for Google traslator :-) )

[Trumper]

I hope everything works out for you and your colleagues who are effected by this.In the end it is a sim,losing your work is real.
Good luck

[VO101_MMaister]

Thank You Luthier! We really appreciate what you have done in all those years around IL-2. Tremendous amount of fun was brought to us by you and the team!

Good luck with your future projects. I hope you wont turn away from the flight sim world!

S!

[*Buzzsaw*]

Salute Luthier

Good luck on your future endeavors.

I hope you get to make that Korean War Sim you've always wanted to!!

[pupaxx]

Thank you Luthier for your engagement in il2 series developping, you and your team have given to the community a precious piece of work which has provided years of enjoyment to all of us.
What would be your involvement in future combat sims, the certainty of having made ​​an indelible mark in the history of game industry will accompany you.
Thanks again.
Beside this, I can not suppress the sadness for the inglorious end of CloD; I put a lot of hope in it and now my hope is to see it live again in a new decent look.
Salute!

[335th_GRAthos]

Thank you for everything Luthier, good luck in the future whatever you may decide to do!

Pity CoD did not get the success it deserved, despite that, it was an amazing experience.

~S~

[wannabetheace]

thank you Luthier for all your work specially your dedication!!!!!!

[Volksieg]

So sad it ended like this, Luthier!

Cliffs of Dover has been a journey! Sometimes a really irritating journey but a journey nonetheless. Some days I'd moaned and complained as my PC stuttered from one frame to the next... moaned about you as well! Quite a lot, actually. :D

One thing that has to be said, though, is that it was getting better! After a recent gpu upgrade, my enjoyment levels have risen by leaps and bounds! Cliffs of Dover wasn't a failure... far from it! So some things didn't work properly..... just look at the things that did! Oh how they worked!

306 hours on Steam! 306! Nothing else on my library list even approaches that level of dedication! Sure... plenty of other people have flown it for much longer but, what can I say? I'm a very busy chap. 306 hours is a lot of gameplay. :D

It won't stop there either.

You guys created a wonderful product and, even though you are walking out that door for the final time, Luthier... walk out that door with your head held high.

Good luck to you and the team!

PS: Luthier.... you go find the guy whose decision it was to print such crappy specs on the box and you kick his arse! ;)

[Mags]

Thanks for all, Luthier!

...been flying IL-2 since day 1 too...

[310_cibule]

Thanks Luthier. I loved Sturmovik from its very first day, love CoD (with all its pros and cons) and feel really sorry it won't go on.

[d.burnette]

Many thanks Luthier, I have had many hours of enjoyment with the IL2 Series, and wish you the very bust of luck for the future!

[recoilfx]

Thank you Luthier, and for all your work. At 514hrs and counting, Cliffs of Dover is the game that I have most played, in my life. Nothing comes close.

I wish you success in wherever you go!

[ChrisDNT]

Thanks for all, Luthier.
And good luck for your next projects.

Concerning Clodo, I must say I'm really not happy that the game engine is thrown to the dustbin, as NOW, with a good current PC, the game is beautiful to see and very fast, with good fps.

[Sokol1]

So long, and thanks for all the Fish.

Sokol1

[ems9]

Thank you a lot Luthier, for everything.
I which you all the best.
Good luck with your future jobs and projects =)

[Drum_tastic]

Yeah, thanks for the enjoyment over the years and I'm really sorry it’s over.

As has been said many times here already the ClOD engine had massive potential and I would have loved to have seen it come to maturity with a few more years development work. I feel pretty sure it will be a very different kettle of fish with the new owners at the helm and it doesn't excite me at all if I am honest.

I would really love to know what happened to the project from what was included on the bonus disc of 1946 until what was released as ClOD, but I guess we will never know.

Hope your next venture brings you success and happiness - S!

[FS~Lewis]

Thank You Luthier for all that you have done for this community.....Personally, Cliffs of Dover is at present still the best combat flight sim on the market and I can't see any competition for it in the near future....I love it!
I hope we see you again associated with this community and good luck in your new ventures...~S~

[I/JG53_Witt]

I loved IL-2 series since my first flight in 2002... and I will always.

Thanks for all emotions that you and your team have given me.

Good Luck, Luthier

[kendo65]

Thanks Luthier. I'm sorry the dream didn't work out in the end. It's been quite a trip over the last few years.

I wish you the very best for the future.

[Lemmi]

I wish You the Best.
And once again - Thank You.

[SlipBall]

:rolleyes:

[F19_Klunk]

Thanx man... wow.. feels kind of surreal... the "two big names" of IL2, the pair that fronted the series; Oleg and Luthier... gone.

Thank you mate for all the love you have put into your work... your's and the team's result, especially Il21946 series, have given me and my squad mates countless hours of joy..

Take care and good fortune!

//SvAF

[David Hayward]

Good luck, Ilya!

[Yvetette]

Thank you Ilya for everything. I enjoyed IL-2 series, especially online wars like CAD and Air Force War. Now that those wars are over and nothing like them is in sight maybe I should quit the stage too. All the best with whatever you will do in your life. SALUTE!

[JG5_emil]

Wow I thought this might have just been averted.

Very sad indeed :(

[smink1701]

Luthier, thanks for your classy goodbye. It is a sad day for everyone. I have played the IL2 series from day one and really enjoyed Pacific Fighters so thanks for that.

When I first heard about Storm of War and started seeing the amazing updates I thought it sounded too good to be true. Turns out I was right and I’m not happy about it. In our culture of 24/7 news I think many of us would love to know the whole story…when it all went wrong and what finally killed it. Not for blame but for closure. Many of us feel we have been part of the IL2 family and would like to understand how this happened. I would image it was all about money…it usually is. And that you were handed the wheel to the Titanic after it hit the iceberg. Anyway, sorry to see the end of CLoD and your association with IL2.

[ACE-OF-ACES]

I loved every second of it.

Ilya “Luthier” Shevchenko
Good luck Luthier!

[Mustang]

Is very sad day for me
Ilya Thanks for everything and for your hard work!
the latest patch is a great achievement, I decided to buy, then I play online smooth.
The project was huge.

"The Channel"
Water in the middle ................and goodbye to ground combat.. "Marketing" ??
The main mistake was the choice of esenario. ( Channel and London)

Make a Shooter game, only British against Germans.
Is doomed to failure for lack of buyers
How Many Russians, would buy that Shooter game??? - Marketing ??
Ok the shooters are popular, any child under 12 years tightened the trigger....

But
Cliff lack
Rusian Planes
NO P40
NO P39
NO P38
NO P51
How many guys like me, was going to buy the game ??

VVS vs Luftwaffe
USAF vs Lutwaffe
With these aircraft had been marketing a success.

Had a huge problem with common sense.
We must choose a popular Combat esenario.

Best Regards and Good Luck Ilya.

[secretone]

Thank you for all your contributions to IL-2 and also best wishes for your future endeavors.

[T_O_A_D]

Sad day Sad day for sure.

It was a breath of fresh air back in the beginning when IL2 came out beta.

You could see right away the future of flight simming from what we were using at the time.

CFS/JanesWW2 Fighters and such.

Thank you for all your efforts, you and the gang gave us a childhood dream come true with IL2 and its versions.

Sure something may come along better in time, and others pressure to replace it right now.

But she will always be my first real Love of flight Simming, such high hopes for CLOD but alas :-(

Take care, and good fortune in your future endeavors.

[LoBiSoMeM]

Best of luck mate, and if you have the source code please try to leak it out into the community somewhere because I can't see 777's engine even approaching what you and your team have done here. It's been a turbulent time but we can see now that a lot of the troublemakers just appear to be ROF lovers wanting to stick the knife into something better. Troubles aside, we're having an epic time in COD so thank you at least for that.

May the suits at 1C who pulled the plug meet the famous Russian justice system in the near future.

+1...

[LoBiSoMeM]

And to 1C:

- Go to hell, stupid company!

[Walrus1]

A very very sad day.

Il-2 is over.

Whatever they are making is sure to be the 'Lite' version of what you and Oleg had envisioned.

Thanks for the games and all the work.

[Froddi]

~S~ Luthier!

[macro]

Best of luck mate, and if you have the source code please try to leak it out into the community somewhere because I can't see 777's engine even approaching what you and your team have done here. It's been a turbulent time but we can see now that a lot of the troublemakers just appear to be ROF lovers wanting to stick the knife into something better. Troubles aside, we're having an epic time in COD so thank you at least for that.

May the suits at 1C who pulled the plug meet the famous Russian justice system in the near future.

+1

[vranac]

Thank you Ilya for everything you done for this sim and old il2.

It is obvious that a lot of love,passion and hard work was invested in development
and clear vision was backing it up.

It is sad that most of us won't get what we hoped for, new serial which would last for years.

Good luck for you in the future and I hope that we will hear about some new project soon.

[JTDawg]

it is really sad, after the last patch , really thought you guys were on the right track. sorry the way things turned out , been a buyer since the beggining, an in cod have log more than 1000 hours , good luck an thanks atleast we still have a diamond in the ruff , take care an merry x-mas hope thing go better in the next years for you , your talent will be missed.

[Ploughman]

Cheers Luthier.

I really thought CloD was getting somewhere and I share the disapointment of a great many of your customers that CloD was finally axed, it's really so immersive now and graphically a treat even with quite alot of features turned off.

I don't know if the DN engine will be able to deliver an acceptable alternative and good luck to 777 and the 1C team with that. Whilst Jason doesn't want to make comparisons with CloD it is inevitable that Cliffs of Dover will be the yardstick that BoS will be measured by. That's testament to what you and your team have achieved since the launch of Cliffs of Dover.

I wish you success in the future and I hope our paths will cross again.

All the best,

Kev

[TomcatViP]

Thank you for all your efforts and for leading your team so well trough the thunderstorm. I am sure those days would stay as epic as the days when Falcon4 came out just to be disregarded by short sighted visionary experts.

CoD will stay for ever as the apogee of a genre at a singular time. You stepped with the giants.

[Mysticpuma]

BTW, let's hope you now have time to make your Korean War simulator and maybe you now have time to fix the CloD engine to utilise in that game instead?

MP

[fruitbat]

I wish you all the best for the future, its sad that things have ended as it has.

I was talking to T_O_A_D on comms earlier about this, and it occurred to me that its thanks to yourself and Oleg and the rest of the team involved with il2, that there we were, talking to each other, me in the UK, him in the US.

Without il2, it is very unlikely that we would ever know each other and be friends, and all the other friends i have made though flying il2.

For that alone, you have my thanks, the hours and hours spent flying il2 is a a massive bonus.

cheers fruitbat.

[SlipBall]

There was nothing ever wrong with the engine, the patch's hurt the engine, complainer's demanded more patches...in short, we killed the game. I am flying the release now, it just needs some horse power to run, and some AI commands to enjoy.

[Chivas]

Thanks Luthier for all your efforts.

The new game engine, was trying to do almost everything I wanted in WW2 aircombat sim. It just took too long to run OK on average unoptimized computers. You got so close to making it work, a new GUI with better COOP support, and improved AI would have made the sim playable enough to keep the wolves at bay. Unfortunately there are always scapegoats warranted or not. I think I'm done aswell, I'm getting to old to follow another long development, but that new Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, may drag me back in. ;)

I'd like to see you and Oleg start another development company. The genre would certainly be better for it.

~Salute~
JG27_Chivas

[PeterPanPan]

Very sad to see you and presumably a lot of the rest of the team go. Such a shame that despite all the passion and desire, it came to this. I believe your intentions were always the best. Uncertain times for us all but hopefully, as a certain Vera Lynn once sang, we'll meet again one sunny day. All the best to you for whatever the future may hold.

[kristorf]

There was nothing ever wrong with the engine, the patch's hurt the engine, complainer's demanded more patches...in short, we killed the game.

Personally I think your wrong there mate, rushed and shoddy product killed this game, we only wanted what we paid for and were told we were getting.

Just my opinion

[kopperdrake]

Just wanted to tip my hat to you and thank you for the flight sim we do have. It was seeing screen shots and youtube videos of Cliffs of Dover that pulled me in to the flight sim fold - I was blown away.

Thanks to your game, and the community surrounding it, I am hooked, and look forward to anything coming close to the experience you have helped give me with CloD.

Cheers and good luck,

Bunny

[Jugdriver]

Thank you Luthier,

You and your team have made a great sim and I feel it will be seen as a benchmark that other WW2 flight sims will have to be measured by for a long time, it truly is a beautiful combat flight simulator.

Good luck with your future endeavors

JD
AKA_MattE

[magot]

Good luck Ilya ... and thanks for best sim

[Marco37]

Thank you Ilya for your hard work and dedication.

Thanks especially for the glimpse of brilliance that is Cliffs of Dover. It is sad that it will not now take it's place with the best of the best, but it has certainly set the bar so very high!

Good luck and best wishes for whatever the future hands you.

~S~

[smink1701]

Personally I think your wrong there mate, rushed and shoddy product killed this game, we only wanted what we paid for and were told we were getting.

Just my opinion

Have to agree with Kris. The game had some nice aspects but was mismanaged from start to finish and deeply flawed. If if could have been saved with all the years and dollars that were invested in this mess, 1C would not have killed it. But they did so it is what it is. And it's nobody's fault but the developer's.

[badaboom]

Thank you Luthier for this Great series,I still remember the Day I brought Pacific Fighters home and fell in love with the theater. It gave me incredible enjoyment,Fair Wind and Blue Sky's to you Sir!

[ATAG_Doc]

Ilya now that you have escaped that awful place will you ever publish a biography of your time behind the iron curtain?

[MD_Titus]

that post is just a little bit heartbreaking. good luck in the future luthier.

[6BL Bird-Dog]

Thank you Ilya for your hard work and dedication, good luck in all your future endeavors.
Salute Sir.

[SlipBall]

Personally I think your wrong there mate, rushed and shoddy product killed this game, we only wanted what we paid for and were told we were getting.

Just my opinion

I respect that, and I guess it was a little of both that did it in. I don't believe the computer needed has been invented yet either. Volksieg is on the right track I think
http://forum.1cpublishing.eu/showthread.php?p=487505#post487505

[RedToo]

Ilya now that you have escaped that awful place will you ever publish a biography of your time behind the iron curtain?

I have absolutely no interest in reading Luthier's biography, but I would pay good money to read Oleg's.

As for Luthier: Goodbye.

RedToo.

[ATAG_Old_Canuck]

Good bye Ilya and good luck in your new ventures. Thanks for all the good times. Especially Pacific Fighters - many happy hours.

[katdogfizzow]

Thanks Ilya for all your hard work. I can imagine how difficult it is to put out such a complex simulation and then have to deal with all the constant negative feedback.

I've enjoyed the heck out of your work. i can't thank you enough: I've flown over a 1000 hours in the skies of the Pacific that you help create. IL2 series is the one of best computer sims/games of all time. A great inspiration for anyone interested in history. I look forward to flying in CloD for some time to come.

One of the greatest things about IL2 was letting the community run with the great work you started by releasing the code. Please continue this tradition and release the code to Clod so the modders can continue the great work that you've started.


Cheers

[janpitor]

I was also flying il2 since beta. I didn´t have a pc that could run it those days, so I flew at my schoolmate's pc only with mouse and keyboard. I enjoyed the whole series and I think it is a pity it came to this solution just in the time the engine started to be more and more polished and hardware friendly.

When I look back to the hundreds of hours in the series, I might try out the 1946 just for the nostalgy. It is a great sim and only COD outperformed it. Unfortunately the sequels will have a hard time.

Thank you and the whole team, with Oleg in the first place, for the best sim ever, and for us, who started the real simming on il2, even the best sim forever.

[mazex]

Dear Ilya!

Like many others here I also remember the day I fired up that IL2 Demo and took off in my 109 with a big grin on my face. I realized right after the take off that this was the best flight simulator I had ever tried after playing most sims that where released since the Spectrum days...

And unlike you I just reaped the fruits of what you and the team later did over the years to produce an amazing series with a staggering number of wonderful flyable aircraft and locations... Thanks a LOT for bringing that joy to the rest of us!

The CloD project really hurts as there is so much potential in this game and just as the gem was starting to shine through more and more the project got axed. The comparison to Falcon 4 is very easy to do... You tried to give us the ultimate simulator with blood, sweat and probably tears but the project finally got so complex it killed your business. So sad.

I hope that CloD one day will be remembered the same way as F4 - a monumental simulator at least 10 years ahead of it's time. It's just sad that you could not get the confidence from 1C to continue the project. As much as I like RoF and hope that they succeed it's simply just one of the best sims out there. It does not have that F4 buggy "wow" feeling around it like CloD...

As a fellow manager in the IT business that have gone through a lot of insane projects myself I also realize all the sleepless nights and mornings waking up with emails in the phone about new problems that everyone thought where solved the late evening before... And investors and other managers chasing you every week with demands for progress reports and budget cuts etc.

Good luck in the future - and I sincerely hope that you will continue in the gaming industry doing what we love most. Flight simulators!

/mazex (beeing a nerd I realized my post count is 1337 - a good number to stop at and sign out with you ;))

[juanjo]

I suggest..someone make a video...of all of us..red and blues...flying in Steam...as much as possible...in formation...as a tribute and thankfull to the effort of Luthier and company. They faught hard to die with proud, and they left behind the best sim ever. Just set a date and I will be there...If you want to join...pass it...and just click +1

[Freycinet]

Personally I think your wrong there mate, rushed and shoddy product killed this game, we only wanted what we paid for and were told we were getting.
Just my opinion


Have to agree with Kris. The game had some nice aspects but was mismanaged from start to finish and deeply flawed. If if could have been saved with all the years and dollars that were invested in this mess, 1C would not have killed it. But they did so it is what it is. And it's nobody's fault but the developer's.

I have absolutely no interest in reading Luthier's biography, but I would pay good money to read Oleg's.
As for Luthier: Goodbye.
RedToo.

Some people go out of their way to show how small they are. This is an example. In this thread, if you have nothing good to say then just keep it to yourself.

Luthier, I can't thank you in many ways but I'll dedicate my next film to you as a token of my appreciation. Flying CoD online is mindblowingly fantastic. A true glimpse into a simming future that I hope will truly come to fruition one day.

As a young boy in the early eighties I devoured books on WWII aviation and daydreamt of flights I would never be able to make in Spits, Messerschmitts and Mustangs. Then flightsimming came along many years later and suddenly I could live out my dreams. Your work has Given Life to Dreams.... And that is not a small thing! So thanks and good luck with your future endeavours.

[Abbeville-Boy]

Ilya Shevchenko let me say to you how very sad I feel about this terrible news. Cod game is so much beauty and so much fun that I cannot understand how it was dropped. Please walk away from them and continue a new some where else. Your knowledge and talent should not be left to gather moss

[kristorf]

Some people go out of their way to show how small they are. This is an example. In this thread, if you have nothing good to say then just keep it to yourself.

As I said, it's my opinion only, and it was in answer to another post, so please quote the whole thing or don't bother.

Thank you

PS, I never was a Fanboy, just a gamer who felt betrayed having flown IL2 from it's first release.
Yes it's sad how it's all ended but who's to blame for that, us, the paying public?

[Hans]

Luthier, the IL2 series has given me much pleasure during many, many years and I shall continue enjoying the CLOD for a long time to come. I just realized I spent about as much on taxi ride tonight than what I paid for the CLOD, and you surely get much more of a wow-feeling in the cockpit over the Channel. All the best for you and your team members!

[RedToo]

Some people go out of their way to show how small they are. This is an example. In this thread, if you have nothing good to say then just keep it to yourself.

Luthier, I can't thank you in many ways but I'll dedicate my next film to you as a token of my appreciation. Flying CoD online is mindblowingly fantastic. A true glimpse into a simming future that I hope will truly come to fruition one day.

As a young boy in the early eighties I devoured books on WWII aviation and daydreamt of flights I would never be able to make in Spits, Messerschmitts and Mustangs. Then flightsimming came along many years later and suddenly I could live out my dreams. Your work has Given Life to Dreams.... And that is not a small thing! So thanks and good luck with your future endeavours.

As a young boy in the sixties and seventies I devoured books on WWII aviation and day dreamed ... etc. For example saving up for ages in the early seventies to buy 'Warplanes of the Third Reich' by William Green which cost the then huge sum of ten pounds sterling etc, etc.

I too have been dedicated to flight simming for a long while and the IL2 series has given me more pleasure than any other title. My point is that I believe Oleg is much more responsible all the good things in the IL2 stable, from the original IL2 to Clodo than Luthier. I have met Oleg and occasionally corresponded with him over the IL2 series. He has always replied and I believe valued my contributions. Not something I can say for Luthier.

This is of course just my opinion and I would point out that I am not saying anything good or bad, just expressing my opinion, in I hope a polite and civilised way.

RedToo.

[Cranky]

Some people go out of their way to show how small they are. This is an example. In this thread, if you have nothing good to say then just keep it to yourself.

Luthier, I can't thank you in many ways but I'll dedicate my next film to you as a token of my appreciation. Flying CoD online is mindblowingly fantastic. A true glimpse into a simming future that I hope will truly come to fruition one day.




I bet Luthier cant wait for that next film, Yawn!!

[SlipBall]

I bet Luthier cant wait for that next film, Yawn!!

Well Cranky, you do realize that its all over and ended now. You don't strike me as being a ROF kind of guy, do you fly it?

[swiss]

Well Cranky, you do realize that its all over and ended now. You don't strike me as being a ROF kind of guy, do you fly it?

He's tree.
Tree flys RoF.

[Robert]

Best of luck and thank you, Luthier.

I know some may take this as an insult, but that is far from my intention. During the development and release of CoD there were heightened emotions and frustrations from all involved. Some fans felt cheated. Many other's wanted what we hoped would be the continuation and improvement of the greatest combat flight sim ever created, IL2. Despite the fans feeling let down, the crew continued to work hard to produce the game based upon the vision that inspired them, even through the darkest times.

I thank you and leave this video, not as an insult but as reminder that through all the hard times, you kept your sense of humour. it's hard to keep yourself miserable while listening to banjo music, and in those days Im sure there was a lot of adversity to keep you down.

Good luck, Luthier. Hope to see you around again soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jn3KCZEqxc

[Cranky]

He's tree.
Tree flys RoF.

No I dont fly ROF, I purchased it to support it but the WW1 scenario is not my thing, Battle of Britain is my thing, but the lack of Coop's / online wars killed it for me and my squadron and many other squadrons.

Bottom line is that Luthier failed to listen to his customers, netcode was never fixed, cries for Coop's were dismissed. But most of all he missed the very most important feature that any flight sim should have and that is 'Immersion'. The Atag server is/was great but because of netcode issues we couldn't even use the default stock skins, Luthier shot himself in the foot and I hope that he learns the valuable lesson that 'your customer is always right', if they ask for more communication then give it to them, and never ever ever tell them lies.

Clod is great for making movies but other than that its a dead duck, very sad but it wasn't ruined by any of us here fans and whiners alike, it was ruined by the dev's.

[Jugdriver]

But most of all he missed the very most important feature that any flight sim should have and that is 'Immersion'. .

That is a load of crap.

JD
AKA_MattE

[Cranky]

That is a load of crap.

JD
AKA_MattE

I agree, the Immersion was a load of crap.

[swiss]

it was ruined by the dev's.

Actually it's the result of rather poor management, and that begun under Oleg.
Does that mean Oleg and/or Luthier are incompetent? ? No! Not at all, both are specialists in their field.
The funny thing is, a project manger doesn't have to be that deep into the matter, in fact that knowledge can be your worst enemy as you get sidetracked by problems which are not yours.

[Robert]

No I dont fly ROF, I purchased it to support it but the WW1 scenario is not my thing, Battle of Britain is my thing, but the lack of Coop's / online wars killed it for me and my squadron and many other squadrons.

Bottom line is that Luthier failed to listen to his customers, netcode was never fixed, cries for Coop's were dismissed. But most of all he missed the very most important feature that any flight sim should have and that is 'Immersion'. The Atag server is/was great but because of netcode issues we couldn't even use the default stock skins, Luthier shot himself in the foot and I hope that he learns the valuable lesson that 'your customer is always right', if they ask for more communication then give it to them, and never ever ever tell them lies.

Clod is great for making movies but other than that its a dead duck, very sad but it wasn't ruined by any of us here fans and whiners alike, it was ruined by the dev's.

It's not like you haven't voiced your opinion ad nauseum on the forum. This isn't the place. Zip it pin head. it's a topic to say good bye and if so inclined to thank Luthier for his efforts. You don't have to like how it worked out, but show a little respect.

EDIT:Same goes for other who feel the need for one last pot shot. Let it go.

[Bearcat]

I wish you all the best for the future, its sad that things have ended as it has.
I was talking to T_O_A_D on comms earlier about this, and it occurred to me that its thanks to yourself and Oleg and the rest of the team involved with il2, that there we were, talking to each other, me in the UK, him in the US.
Without il2, it is very unlikely that we would ever know each other and be friends, and all the other friends i have made though flying il2.
For that alone, you have my thanks, the hours and hours spent flying il2 is a a massive bonus.
cheers fruitbat.

This to me is one of the longest and least mentioned aspects of the whole IL2 venture. I learned to build PCs, use Photoshop, made friends from all over the world, some that I have known for over a decade and much much more as a direct result of IL2. Thank you Ilya .. not only for the efforts you put into CoD but also and moreso for me anyway.. PF.. As quiet as it is kept PF helped to save this sim and it would not be what it is today without PF and all that it brought afterwards.

Think about it..

So thanks.. and all the best. I do not know what will become of these boards in 18 months.. or what your plans are for the future but if you can find it in you, your presence and Oleg's for that matter would be a very welcome sight in any sim, on any forum, and any place in Cyberspace where IL2 is still celebrated.

~!S!~

[Liz Lemon]

Hope you find fortune in the states!

[David Hayward]

Stay classy, Tree.

[Skoshi Tiger]

Luthier,

Thankyou for all your hard work over the years. Thankyou for Bringing Cliffs of Dover as far as you could.

It's a fantastic simulation and you should be proud of what you created.

It is sad that we will not get a chance to see what it would have looked like using this game and graphic engine on the Eastern Front! I'm sure it would have pushed the bar even further.

Thanks again for the hours of entertainment and immersion in the world you help create.


Skoshi Tiger!

[naz]

I remember downloading the original IL2 demo on a 56k modem in a desert town in the middle of Australia and being completely amazed... and have been hooked ever since.

Thank you Luthier for being a part of giving me so many years of fun. I loved the original series and I love Cliffs (warts and all). Best of luck for whatever you do next mate.

Cheers
Naz
aka II./JG53_Opfer

[hiro]

Thanks for making a difference . . .

And for your efforts in the IL-2 series. Not too many can say they played a role in changing something as great as WW 2 sims, in the ground breaking game that IL-2 is. And was continued in Cliffs.

I hope your endeavors take you where you want to go, and may the winds blow favorably for you.

Thanks.

[Viking]

Had to log in again just to say thanks to the team, Luthier and Oleg , if he still is around, you guys and girls showed the world the true and real meaning of the world simulation . And as a not so unimportant byproduct you opened the door to heroic battles and unselfish deeds that had been hidden and distorted to us by the historians in the west.
Thank you and don't forget the Korean air war.
Viking

[Ataros]

Hi, Ilya,
can you share your future plans already? Is it true that you work on a Korea sim?

Do you know what happens to CLoD engine? Can 1C license it cheap if someone finds an investor (say for a Korea sim or a sort of WWII Online clone)?

Whom modders(e.g. TD) should talk to if they want to mod CloD: Jason or 1C?

Sorry for many questions but I think 1C made a mistake(again) switching to an older DX9 engine with poor AI optimization. Another year of work on CloD engine could make it perfect. Hope you or Oleg can do this one day.

[JG52Krupi]

Hi, Ilya,
can you share your future plans already? Is it true that you work on a Korea sim?

Do you know what happens to CLoD engine? Can 1C license it cheap if someone finds an investor (say for a Korea sim or a sort of WWII Online clone)?

Whom modders(e.g. TD) should talk to if they want to mod CloD: Jason or 1C?

Sorry for many questions but I think 1C made a mistake(again) switching to an older DX9 engine with poor AI optimization. Another year of work on CloD engine could make it perfect. Hope you or Oleg can do this one day.

+1 to all of that!

[theOden]

.. Another year of work on CloD engine could make it perfect...
Let me guess, you're a fulltime developer by profession?

[Enlem]

Hi Ilya,

As being a simulation fan not a gamer, I am very very tearful.

Thank you for your great efforts, for sleepless nights.

If it is possible, please reunite with Oleg and make a kickstarter project.

Only legends can make a decent Flight Simulation.

Best wishes to you and Oleg Maddox.

[Liz Lemon]

Hi, Ilya,
can you share your future plans already? Is it true that you work on a Korea sim?

Do you know what happens to CLoD engine? Can 1C license it cheap if someone finds an investor (say for a Korea sim or a sort of WWII Online clone)?

Whom modders(e.g. TD) should talk to if they want to mod CloD: Jason or 1C?

Sorry for many questions but I think 1C made a mistake(again) switching to an older DX9 engine with poor AI optimization. Another year of work on CloD engine could make it perfect. Hope you or Oleg can do this one day.

Is it true that Ilya relocated to the US? EDIT: because you seem to be more informed then most of us.

If so, then I'd hope he'd start having some communication with some people on this forum...... ;)

[He111]

Thanks Luther .. we'll still have that night in Paris ... errrr, I mean, I still love CLOD and IL2, they were/ARE great sims.

Still flying CLOD .. into the sunset.

.

[CKY_86]

So long Luthier. Thank you for all you have done for the community and the fantastic series which is IL2. I hope you have as much fun with your future endeavors as you did with IL2.

Take care buddy ~S~

[Ataros]

Is it true that Ilya relocated to the US? EDIT: because you seem to be more informed then most of us.

I am not informed, just read some rumors on ATAG, SimHQ and sukhoi.ru forums. One rumor said Luthier moves to Asia to work on Korea sim for a different publisher. Another one said he is in the USA now.

[SlipBall]

I am not informed, just read some rumors on ATAG, SimHQ and sukhoi.ru forums. One rumor said Luthier moves to Asia to work on Korea sim for a different publisher. Another one said he is in the USA now.


Do you know of any reports of him wearing a handcuffed attache case...could be the best thing for the US since Operation Paperclip...all kidding aside, Korea would be cool

[nic727]

It's a bad new :(

I just want to know what happened with that? Sorry I don't have the game yet, but it's coming...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC29KL_wSBo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHc04iRFFwA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QArJnYGoO9A

thx for your great work in the Il2 community.

[RegRag1977]

You stepped with the giants.

No question. I would even say with Oleg they "stepped" on the giants: IL2 1946 is a milestone, a -still living- powerful collossus of a WW2 sim.

Thanks for the IL2 legendary WW2 simultators. They represent a huge step in the history of the genre, and this is something you, your team and of course Oleg Maddox can be proud of.

You have my gratitude,

S!

As many here, i hope to see you back with a new project soon. Good Luck!

[slm]

Too bad CoD ended the way it did. The original IL2 series was awesome and team Daedalos seems to be able to tweak it even further. Maybe the new series that was just announced will approach the dimensions (maps, plane types etc) of the original series one day, we'll see.

Good luck!

[rga]

Luthier,

I still remember the first day playing IL-2 like it was just yesterday: flying the MiG-3U hunting the German "window frame". And I am enjoying Clod, as I have since the day I bought it.

No matter what other people may say, CloD is a masterpiece. The feeling of flying alongside the White Cliff of Dover at dawn is so overwhelming that I completely forget it was just a sim and I'm sitting before my computer. You should be, even has to be proud of what you and your companions have achieved.

I feel a little bit said when I heard that 777 Studio took over the game. Not because they are bad developers, quite the contrary, not because the new game will be bad, one should not say anything which won't come in at least one year. But it is because I know no-one could surpass the old Maddox game in terms of passions and obsession they have for flying.

I just hope, even wish that those people "above" at 1C will change their mind and offer you a proper position in the development of the new game. Because IL-2 would never be the same without its own creators.

[Friendly_flyer]

Too bad it had to end like this. Best of luck, Luthier!

[Ikarushin]

Luthier,

Thank you very much for all you've done, for all your efforts.
Good luck!

With kind regards,
Ikarushin

[TUCKIE_JG52]

Luthier, don't let the frustration possess you, you must go on and keep working on other simulation projects after some necessary rest. You live simulation like no other. Now you got the experience. You can analyse it all. But we want you back. If it's alongside with Oleg, much better!

Congrats for CoD, I'm one of these who entirely liked... yes, including the Su-26.

My respect!

[Fenice_1965]

I play simulators from the Times of Chuck jeager's air combat and secret weapons of luftwaffe. Nothing can be' compared to what I had from Il2. I became part of a community, of a squad, Made new friends, met fantastic people, increased my history knowledge....
I only hope that the spirit of that sim (and not only the brand) will be' transferred somewhere and it is not lost.
Thx luthier and oleg for all you gave to us.

[Freycinet]

It says a lot about the haters that they couldn't even leave this thread alone, but had to come in here to insult Luthier and others. Good riddance to you small small people, I pity those around you.

[whatnot]

Godspeed Luthier and thank you for everything you've done for IL-2!

[planespotter]

Farewell Luthier. Pacific fighters was my favorite chapter of IL2. How many hours I spent trying to perfect those carrier landings amd torpedo runs. And in the end CoD for me runs great and I love the BoB era.

So good luck and keep passing the open windows!

[Faustnik]

Thank you for all your hard work Luthier.

[Stiboo]

Thank you Ilya

I wish you good health and a long life!

Il2 has been part of my life since the day of release, what do I do now?!


Time for the modders to take over...new planes and maps and it will live for 10 years, and just like the old IL2 in a few years everyone will run COD maxed out....

[BRIGGBOY]

Thank you Ilya

I wish you good health and a long life!

Il2 has been part of my life since the day of release, what do I do now?!


Time for the modders to take over...new planes and maps and it will live for 10 years, and just like the old IL2 in a few years everyone will run COD maxed out....

+1. And have a large brewski.

[jcenzano]

May you have clear skies and tailwinds on your new projects...

I am a simmer since the good old C64 days and have played many, many flight sims.

Thanks for making our lives a little less "boring" and for feeding our passion for military aviation.

IMHO, Il-2 and COD, are now part of aviation history, as a moving-interactive enciclopedia available for us aviation lovers.

You have all my R E S P E C T.

From a RL FP.

[jamesdietz]

You did good- real good!

[chn6]

Salute to all people to dream and desperate, OLEG and ILYA, you are our hero forever!
This moment, was unable to control my tears ..

向所有为了梦想而不顾一切的人们致� � , OLEG和ILYA, 你们是我们永远的英雄!
这一刻, 我的泪水无法克制..

[Falstaff]

Freycinet said


Good riddance to you small small people, I pity those around you.

But not as much as they pity you, perhaps?

(a farewell thread, and you still have to take over-exposed kiddy snapshots from atop your moral tripod eh?)

[JG52Krupi]

Freycinet said



But not as much as they pity you, perhaps?

(a farewell thread, and you still have to take over-exposed kiddy snapshots from atop your moral tripod eh?)

You don't even own the game, why are you here!

[Mango]

I've spent many, many hours playing Pacific Fighters and 1946 and loved every minute! I look forward to the many hours to come playing CloD now that it's patched.

Thanks Luthier! You've made an enormous contribution to something very important, not only a seriously exciting and convincing experience in WWII aircraft but a deep desire to find out more about one of the most important periods in our history.

I really hope this is not your "Final Message", we all look forward to someday hearing about your next project. Best of luck, with my sincere gratitude.

[1.JaVA_Jumper]

S!

what a sad story, about leaving your love child.

I thank you for the hard work, and i hope to see you soon in the skies

S! from a JaVA member: :cool:
Jack

[major_setback]

Thanks Ilya for 2 wonderful sims.

I have flown with the Il2 series since the start, joining the forums a couple of years after that. Scince then both of these passtimes have taken up nearly all of my free time. At one point I was flying several hours each day and dreaming only of how to outwit other pilots! It sounds a bit crazy, I know, but that was how it was. It was so dangerously captivating it almost ruined my social life and mental well being. That's how good it was! :-)

Thanks for bringing back my childish passion for play.

It's been a great time, and will continue to be. The game isn't dead, it just won't reproduce anymore :-). It's sad, but these things happen. As it is youv'e presented us with some wonderful things. They are muched loved and you should be a very proud father.

CoD - I was hoping that the worst was over, and that from now on development would move steadily forward. I really had my hopes up that this would continue the same way the original game did.

I can't thank you enough for saving us with the Final patch. I'm just sorry it wasn't enough to save you.

Thank the entire team from me. I know that they have contributed enormously and that it is only because of their marathon effort that CoD has been able to be saved.

BTW is a little Korean War sim too much to ask for?
:-)

Keep flying high. And good luck.... no... Great Luck!

[chantaje]

its a shame, i was really hoping on seeing the engine working as it deserves some day. i have great fun online but i feel that the engine has much more to offer . its ahead of any other sim despite the defects in terms of complexity imo
good luck with your future projects.

[Rowddy]

Thanks so much for all you have done for us Luthier! I salute you. What will you do now? It's sad to see that one of the icons of this great flightsim has gone missing :(

S! and regards Rowddy.

[Viper]

Thank you, Oleg and Ilya! I cannot believe this is the end. Wake up me please!!!

[easytarget3]

Thank you Luthier and your team, for your great vision, your high expectation which show us so much new and incredible stuff which can be put in simulator.You were like a scientists who experiment with new things and not to limit yourself with business and money. Unfortunately for sims which is tiny market we are living in world ruled by money and thats what make our dreams often limited. Good luck with your future project and please stay passionate and bolder and dont compromise from your dreams too much, because even things get screwed you show the future and goals which can be achieved. Well its sound cheesy but i hope you get my point. I go and fly COD to thank you for your afford.

ps:will you be involved in BOS?

[Rince]

THX ,
for at least two great simulations, that kept me my passion for flying.you did a great job from the first release and left us a nice toy to keep the spirit up.
Wherever the future will lead us, the community will be seen there...!

Good Luck and best wishes @ ALL !!!!! (concerning x-mas and so....)

[DUI]

Luthier, thank you for all of your and your team's effort!

What a phantastic simulation Cliffs of Dover already is and what it even would have become in the next years. A true benchmark for all flight simulations in the years to come!

Best regards
DUI

[JG52Karaya]

What a sad end to your and your team's efforts Luthier, I wish you all the best for the future!

[ArcticWolf]

Best of luck!!

[Avimimus]

A little late - But I remember you answering my questions back in 2000! As a forum member!
I remember Il2 Centre and your trip to Moscow! I remember your reaction to the horrible events of 9/11. Many of us went through all of it to (albeit at a distance)!

We remember.

Thank you for all of your contributions over the years. I hope your experiences have not soured your love of sims in any way and that you'll continue to enjoy the remnants.

Thank you,

[BH_woodstock]

~S~ Luthier

thank you for all the years and the fruits of your labor.please keep us posted on your next project.you have many friends and people who know your work. i salute you sir and dont forget about us.we will not forget you.

[danjama]

Bit late to this party (what can I say?), but good luck to you Luthier, and I hope life brings you health and prosperity!

[ramstein]

thank you Luthier... you provided something that was depesterately needed to help complete the WWII franchise.. not a week goes by without all IL-2 pilots seeing and flying your babies..

[priller26]

Good Luck with future endeavors!

[slamelov]

Thanks for your work, Luthier, and good luck.

Is there any chance that CoD code gets Open Source?

[GOZR]

Good luck.. :|

Wanna start an addon ?

[SEE]

Many thanks Luthier and team, many happy hours with CloD, all the best for the future.

[dflion]

Sorry to hear you are moving on Ilya - you gave COD your best shot under difficult circumstances and it is still one of the best flight sims on the market. I am just puting the finishing touches on two COD campaigns using all the new tools you switched on in the last patch - its looking great.
Hope to see you with both a Korean Air War and Vietnam Air War flight sim in the near future or out there somewhere doing what you really like - flight simming.
DFLion

[Rattlehead]

Sorry that it didn't work out for you, Luthier. Sad day for all of us.

[jctrnacty]

Is there a way that we could help you to buyout the sourcecode to finish the job Luthier?

[il_corleone]

Thanks for everything luthier, i grew up whit this sim ,started to play whit 10 years, now i am an adult and keep the game like one of the best experiences ever, thanks for all and for sharing your great work, good luck, you will suceed in other projects like always you do :grin:

[Volksieg]

Is there a way that we could help you to buyout the sourcecode to finish the job Luthier?

Sounds like a nice idea but something tells me Luthier is probably strangely relieved to see the back of it. :D

If he is reading this at all I can imagine him smiling through gritted teeth thinking "Please don't let anyone else think this is a good idea.... please...." :D

[BOBC]

Whilst tackling the deeper issues would I imagine see Luthier or anyone there dropping the idea now like a hot potatoe, I would hope, pray and like to think that it is possible for someone there to revisit it, in their spare time if such is allowed, and just make some minor mods, as skinners can amend artwork.

Simple things I have hoped for, as have others, like removing the errors in the Spit cockpit, and having correct looking Spitfires in all the screenshots I see, correcting the spinner on the Mk1a, its only a fault in the allocation process , it chooses the Mk2 spinner, easy to fix if access to code is there, but its beyond us. A BoB sim has to have Mk1 spits visible so fix this if nothing else.

It would not cause harm to anyone to do so, if Clod was a passion, I just hope that some of it still resides in someone's heart and that they read this. The things I hope for, having read that the latest patch makes functionality a lot better, are the once less important things, but for me and others they matter, fuel gauges for both tanks, single tier rudders, large time of trip clock, two fuel cocks, one starter button, an ammeter, landing Lamp raise lower lever and control arm and on/off switch and so on, aluminium seat with flare rack (maybe a skinner job). Such are important to the correct look of the Mk1 office and flying of the Mk1. I would also like the Chain Home towers corrected in shape and add the missing platforms as well as correct the MG15 gunsights for the gunner positions flying option. Things that I would imagine and hope are relatively easy and fixable but add a marked accuracy to important features.

Could someone in the former CloD team take up the reigns on such relatively easy fixes ?

BOBC

[Codex]

Is there a way that we could help you to buyout the sourcecode to finish the job Luthier?

Luthier doesn't own the rights / code to CloD. You need to write to 1C corporate, email address is on their main page.

Don't bother unless you have a few hundred thousand to offer.

[JZG_Con]

Luthier, the IL2 series has given me much pleasure too ive bought and download all the releases , claimed CLOD first day on steam , shame its come to this ,your be sadly missed ....i hope you take your talent to new levels of flight sims , combat ...

[JZG_Con]

Sorry to hear you are moving on Ilya - you gave COD your best shot under difficult circumstances and it is still one of the best flight sims on the market. I am just puting the finishing touches on two COD campaigns using all the new tools you switched on in the last patch - its looking great.
Hope to see you with both a Korean Air War and Vietnam Air War flight sim in the near future or out there somewhere doing what you really like - flight simming.
DFLion

yea now that would be good ...

[Halfen]

I remember getting a floppy disc in the mail from the Empire Rowan fellows so I could get Flying Corps to work on my machine. The Smack.dll file I could get on my own from EAW.
I remember going onto the internet without a firewall.
I remember looking for an old analog joystick on the internet so I could play FC in dos.

That is when I stumbled upon the IL-2 Shturmovik work in progress.
Imagine a flight sim being developed with a 200mhz cpu as a minimum requirement!
The excitement in those days about flight sims was remarkable.
I remember the SimArena and Dogfighter sites.
I remember seeing Luthier post on SimHQ in those days.
The guy was part of the Golden Age of flight sims.
Hoping that whatever his endeavors, that we do hear from him again.
Best Wishes Luthier, Harold

[nachtritter]

Ilya “Luthier” Shevchenko,
I have been a quiet reader of this site and others for as many years as I have enthusiastically followed the development of flight simulation since the beginning of Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator, MSCFS2 (WWII Pacific Theater), MSCFS3 (Battle for Europe), Jane's WWII Fighters, Microprose's Gunship, Jane's Attack Squadron, Rowan's Battle of Britain, the Microsoft Flight Simulator series (2002, 2004, X, etc), the evolution of the Lock On (and Flaming Cliffs and Black Shark) series, the emergence of the DCS series, (... you get the idea), and, of course, IL-2 Sturmovik: WWII Combat Simulation and every one of its impressive add-ons (Forgotten Battles, ACE Expansion Pack, Pacific Fighters) and most importantly of all, the community contributions that brought tremendous talent from around the world together to create maps and terrain and aircraft and take simulation to a whole new level. But, there has never been a flight simulator like Cliffs of Dover! I, along with many others waited for years as this was under development and I, along with many others were a little frustrated that it did not roll out as smoothly as we had hoped (some more than others it would seem from quietly reading the posts on this site over the years), but having flown many types of real military combat aircraft and having "flown" several generations of professional "combat" flight simulators, never has anyone come close to producing what Cliffs of Dover brings to the home computer. You, Oleg and the rest of the team deserve the flight simulation community's respect and praise for raising the bar for flight simulation to a whole new level. This program is nothing short of Awesome! And it is just a little sad, notwithstanding our understanding of the business side of the equation, that we will not see more development of this unparallelled flight simulator or that the code will not be provided to the community for it to take it to even further levels, as was done with IL2-1946.

Before I return to my normal status as quiet observer on this site, I wish to thank you so much for bringing your dreams of a totally immersive and accurate WWII flight simulation to a reality which can now be shared by enthusiasts around the world!

Ilya “Luthier” Shevchenko, Well Done! I hope you walk away extremely proud of your accomplishments and I hope you will continue to share your tremendous skill and passion with the flight simulation community around the world in the years to come!

Spasiba

Наилучшие пожелания

[jamesdietz]

What he said ( above) doubled!

[Bartoszcze]

I thought that you and your team will now start working with 777 on the next il-2 over the eastern front? Isn't that true anymore?

[Buster_Dee]

Only modelers I think.

[tomandre81]

R.i.p

[Hymppa]

i have been playing IL2 series from the beginning, still remember my jaw hitting the floor when playing demo for the first time.
I just want to say thank you for this great experience (As an air force kid we dreamed about something like this when playing around with airfix models....)
All the best for the future, i hope i can still play IL2 series in old folks home....

[dali]

admit, you were sacked :)

[Continu0]

admit, you were sacked :)

Thanks, sensitive capitain obvious...

[Flying Pencil]

Blue skies ahead,

and we will keep the hangar open for you when you come back. :-)

[buz13]

Thanks for the masterpiece.....and all the hard work.
Best wishes for the future......I hope it's working on a great sim someplace.
IL2 will live on and on and on......still the best after all this time.
SALUTE!

[Chivas]

I thought that you and your team will now start working with 777 on the next il-2 over the eastern front? Isn't that true anymore?

The IC publishers lost patience with Luthier, and the MG developers, and shut down the COD game engine development. The IC publishers obviously had discussions with 777 Studios on the merger to see who would stay, and who would go, from the COD development crew, some of it had to be very political, and cut throat.

Personally I think in the long run, IC publishing made a mistake, as IMHO the Cod game engine has far more potential than the ROF game engine. The ATAG modders are now seeing that vast potential, and it would have been even better if groups like the ATAG modders and developers were working in tandem taking ideas from each other, that would have only improved the product for everyone.

The BOS development should do OK if they greatly improve the user mission builder, and make it easier for users to create mods and content. I personally have some qualms as to 777 Studios behind the scenes involvement in the demise of the new IL-2 game engine, but some people will suggest they saved the sim, I'm not so sure. Time will tell.

[SlipBall]

The IC publishers lost patience with Luthier, and the MG developers, and shut down the COD game engine development. The IC publishers obviously had discussions with 777 Studios on the merger to see who would stay, and who would go, from the COD development crew, some of it had to be very political, and cut throat.

Personally I think in the long run, IC publishing made a mistake, as IMHO . I personally have some qualms as to 777 Studios behind the scenes involvement in the demise of the new IL-2 game engine, but some people will suggest they saved the sim, I'm not so sure. Time will tell.


I said this very thing awhile back...if Jason reached out to 1C and initiated/lobbied for the talks to join forces with 1C, why then that would be sad.

[robtek]

For BoS to prosper CoD had(has) to die.
imo

[SlipBall]

Clod can never die, its just too good :cool:

[TBear]

Pacific fighters gave me my place in the online world....

A huge o/ from me...

godspeed

former
6thIJN_Oiink
CO 6th Kokutai
JFC

[hiro]

I think its for the best.

When Oleg was with the game, they had something working. Then he left, and then the engine was broke. Luthier tried his best and it was great effort, but all CLOD was is potential.

The IL-2 1946's successor was gone with Oleg left. We won't have that experience again. But one thing is during his tenure was he cared for the game.

Luthier did too, but seemed it was more obligatory, and if really would have cared, he'd gone to aid 777 with continuing the series. But he really likes Korean War.

777 crew care about the game, so its in good hands.

As much as I wish Tolkien's Fantasy was reality, it's not, its always that awesome potential in my imagination.

That's what CLOD was to me. It worked for me, as I had access to a really powerful computer, but it had the little glitches.

To scrap a game engine after its been developed (and released), really shows that engine had some major flaws and the advantage of fixing it vs using a prior and working engine and modding it to get close to quality of the new buggy engine wasn't worth it.

When they changed it over, I am assuming 777 took pro's vs con's on the CLOD engine and realized it was much easier to mod ROF's engine to close to CLOD than to use CLOD's and fix it.


I really wanted it to get better. But I think when they went to the ROF sound guy, and the sound was on point that one patch, that's when I think started it.

I agree w/ Robtek, one had to die so the other could take its place.

[Chivas]

Luthier didn't break the COD game engine. The COD game engine was unfinished and therefore not working when Oleg left. COD could not be played on most average systems, and normal optimizations weren't enough, so a major rewrite of the graphic engine was required. This huge delay, coupled with all the delays when Oleg was in-charge, user angst, huge costs, destroyed publisher/investor confidence, and they went a different direction. That's unfortunate as COD worked well when first released on my highly optimized system, and only needed some AI work, and COOP tweaks to make the game good enough to play until they were able to fix, improve, and add future features. Team Fusion made up of modders from around the world, are currently seeing the huge potential of the game engine built by the Oleg/Luthier team and believe the future is very bright.

[SlipBall]

I wonder how Luthier is doing, anyone hear some new news with him

[zapatista]

Luthier ....blabla...., and if really would have cared, he'd gone to aid 777 with continuing the series. But he really likes Korean War..

what a load of nonsense !

you know nothing of what luthier is currently doing, neither do you know or recognise what luthier had to fight against just to keep the CoD release from not occuring at all, and you seem to believe that replacing reality with your own fantasy creation magically makes something be true in this universe

777 crew care about the game, so its in good hands.

777 is a money making franchise aimed at squeezing their pocket money loaded teen audience for every cent they can get, and keep milking them at every turn. instead of buying a game at 30$ or 50$, they succeed in draining their "fans" of around 500$ for the same product. if you find that being "in good hands" then off you go to 777 land, but for most il2 fans its a hell realm of wasted opportunity (eg not continuing the SoW dream and building on all the good work already done)

To scrap a game engine after its been developed (and released), really shows that engine had some major flaws and the advantage of fixing it vs using a prior and working engine and modding it to get close to quality of the new buggy engine wasn't worth it. .

you really dont have a clue do you, but on you go galloping of into your own fantasy world

lol CoD is/was fixed !! the major issues that caused it to flop on the 2011 release WERE successfully addressed in the july/august/september 2012 patches (the game and gfx engine itself). in your limited mental universe you maybe only perceive it as "fixed" if it resolved ALL issues and addressed your personal pet peeves, but as an initial working version of the SoW series it was perfectly fine and delivered what CoD should have been at original release in 2011. and be prepared for a serious disappointment if you think that RoF-BS is going to be like CoD but only better and with no problems, RoF-BS is going to be very dumbded down and feature limited in comparison (as we already know from 777's own statements)

and it is under the explicit and direct instructions of 1C that luthier from september 2011 NOT work further on CoD and would focus on creating BoM (with the gfx and game engine being fixed for that release), eg it was not a choice of luthiers to do this ! when we got the bad news in oct 2012 that the SoW series was discontinued it was also confirmed by insiders that BoM which they had been exclusively working on for the previous 12 months was on track to be released for early 2013. CoD players got as their last final patch in sept 2012 the same gfx and game engine fixes which had been developed for BoM ( but because of the strict 1C instructions not many further CoD fixes were included). with luthier and a few other MG employees still trying to cram as many fixes into the CoD game as they could at the last minute when it seemed likely the whole series was to be discontinued, you should be thankfull for their hard work.

and in that context you can personally thank 777 for PREVENTING the release of BoM in early 2013 and getting more CoD fixes, because as part of 777's deal with 1C they made it conditional to can the next episode of SoW, to reduce competition when 777's much inferior product would be released later

When they changed it over, I am assuming 777 took pro's vs con's on the CLOD engine and realized it was much easier to mod ROF's engine to close to CLOD than to use CLOD's and fix it.

nope grasshopper, that aint it

777 is using its own old game engine because:
1) they are subcontracted by 1C to produce a game at short notice, and do NOT obtain access to the old SoW development material (other then a few models of objects developed for BoM in the last year)
2) 777 does not have the resources or time to develop a new updated game engine for RoF-BS, and they assured 1C they had the means to produce something quickly (which 777 can if they just reskin the old RoF and add a few new planes and ground objects). after the initial release they can just keep working on new objects and sell those piece by piece to keep their gravy train going

and the biggest point you have missed in all of this is that 1C does NOT believe 777 can make a "better" il2-sturmovick series next gen sim that most of the hard core flightsim il2 fans have been waiting for, but instead the motivation is that 1C is frustrated by the money lost on the SoW series they funded for so many years without a financial return and they "liked" the RoF sales model (which for a small initial investment kept milking the same customers over and over every few weeks, to the extent that you could squeeze 500$ out of every customer every year or 2). now THAT is the only thing that mattered in the decision to subcontract their next ww2 flightsim to 777. 1c said exactly that themselves, but maybe just a bit less bluntly

its much easier to understand the world if you limit yourself to some basic logic and reasoning with known facts instead of galloping off into your personal fantasy world

[Wolf_Rider]

and Luthier did mention, in one interview early in the piece, that they would love to get in on a 777 type pie arrangement.

[Chivas]

and Luthier did mention, in one interview early in the piece, that they would love to get in on a 777 type pie arrangement.

I'm sure the IC publishers and Luthiers development team looked at a number of ways to generate funds in a genre with such high costs and relatively low returns. Personally I would have liked to see to some kind of change to make the genre more profitable, so that I could expect to see continued support for the kind of sim products I'd like to see. Unfortunately when its all about profit, the sim dies, and the fluff wins. We need people like Oleg/Luthier who built sims for the love of the genre aswell as making a living. Unfortunately they've been unceremoniously cut out of the market, for a more profit based model. Its understandable but the simmer who wants more detail could lose.

I don't know what the "sweet spot" would be to find a balance between profit and sim making in today's world, but its so much harder, because of the detail demanded, and the time/money it takes to provide that detail. ROF didn't cost me alot of money as I didn't want or need to fly all the aircraft put up for sale. I usually found that I concentrated on flying a few fighter aircraft, but would gladly pay for a few highly detailed/costly to build bomber aircraft. That said I'm finding it very hard to support 777 Studios, in the underhanded way, albeit business way, they undercut the COD developers/game engine and made it near impossible for anyone else to pick up the more detailed and capable game engine for my simming needs. I understand business is business, but business drove away Oleg, now Luthier. Oleg and Luthier have probably moved on to more lucrative business, but we've lost much of the passion and vision the genre requires.

[SlipBall]

Maybe as 3D-Model Printing develops and the machine cost falls, there may be some hope for a team to come along in the future,
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/02/13/cars-moon-bases-and-even-guns-3d-printing-takes-off/

http://3dprintermodel.com/3D-Modeling.php

[giovanni the ace]

I lost interest in Flight sims for a while but now I came back to see what was happening and, wow. I think im gonna go do an honorary flight to remember the old times.

G.C.

[Osprey]

There are no 'old times' mate, this sim is being modded, new patch out this week (or next week latest) with loads of improvements.

Details here.
theairtacticalassaultgroup.com/forum/forum.php