Journey's End for The Grey Wolves Mod Team

Kpt. Lehmann · 09-02-09, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JScones

Even the staunchest GWX critic would be hard-pressed to deny the overwhelming impact that GWX has had on SH3. It would be more than fair to say that GWX set the benchmark for SH3 modding. It would be even fair to say that GWX set the benchmark for the modding of other games, as it is not that uncommon to read references to GWX ("I wish we had a GWX-type mod for <insert game here>") in other forums.

Certainly I have been a long time user of GWX and the earlier TGW (when it was just Lehmann and Marhkimov) and can say without doubt that SH3 would not be on my HDD today were it not for GWX.

Being on the GWX team introduced me to some great guys like BBW, Rubini and Ref. There was a time when I enjoyed opening my inbox to see it full with email from these guys.

Lehmann, you can "retire" with dignity and the knowledge that you have made many thousands of SH3 players happy. We did not always see eye-to-eye (heck, you frustrated the excrement out of me), but no-one can argue with the results.

And I'm sure not many people here are fully aware of the personal sacrifices that you made during your reign as GWX project manager, just to make them happy.

To you and the team--both past and present--thanks.

Jaesen,

I think I may have you to thank for some of my first grey hairs so the feeling was at times mutual!

You know... it is always so much easier to remember difficulties... and harsh times... I've spent so much time stuck in those places for the days leading up to and following the closure of GWX4... just making myself sick.

Your post re-opened a grand series of memories for me...

*********************************

Most have no idea that when it was just me and Marhkimov... I got cold feet just prior to the release of TGW 1.0... and was afraid to release it. (I know its a stretch, but I frustrated Marhkimov too you see.

) Marhkimov gave me a rather swift kick in the pants and I subsequently released TGW. Following release, a bit ironically... Marhkimov got cold feet and left me standing there... but that's alright. His work was quite good and much of it remains in the final release of GWX.

I remember two angry Aussies chasing each other all over the GW forums poking each other in the eye for what might have been hours (or was it days?) ...determined to make me go bald... and I won't be more detailed... because for all the frustration involved at the time... I hope the two passionate artists in question can view it with the humor that I hold for the occasion now. That passion served the team and project well.

What I will remember best... and what I choose to take with me wherever I am... is the sense of teamwork and 'crew' shared by shipmates... that saw the pace of development firing on all cylinders for weeks on end! VOLUMES of messages, screenshots, and posts by all involved... as the build charged ahead at a dead run. It seemed as if no-one slept... and I certainly didn't. The location of GWX dev teamers and testing crewmen caused me to FEEL the world turning... one time zone would change from day to night... the next would awake... and the stream of messaging and data transference seemed to be endless... all at flank speed to hit the mark... to reach the finish line! It was surreal at times... an un-stoppable AVALANCHE of steady progress!!! Some days, all I could really do... was have a death-grip on the railing with one hand... and have my other hand keepin' me hat from flying off!

Thanks for the kind words Jaesen... and thinks for the time you spent working so hard with the team.

WolfgangLuth · 09-02-09, 08:28 PM

Danke, Lehmann and the GWX crew for all your hard work and time (time, and yet more time) spent on it all!!!! You fixed SHIII as the best subsim in its day by a monumental margin as to be a proper paid add-on. I especially enjoyed your GWX Gold manual. A great read!

I have one question, please. Is it true that you have NO connection with Ubisoft with the development of SHV?? You see when I heard SHV was in dev, I had naturally expected that Ubi would've surely brought you into the fold of their ranks and that all the work done on GWX4 up to now had migrated naturally into the official development cycle..?

I hope that you got some sort of recognition or indeed anything from Ubisoft? Everybody knows that you helped boost Ubisoft's sales of SHIV as well as SHIII. I'm pretty sure that due to GWX's fame that a great many of us here bought SHIV with the expectation that GWX4 was surely going to be done at some point in the future. Again, more money for Ubisoft.

So if Ubi hasn't bothered to give you any recognition at all, then I'm not surprised the GWX engines have shut down with no fuel left in the tanks!

Good hunting and all the best in the future!

Kpt. Lehmann · 09-02-09, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WolfgangLuth

Danke, Lehmann and the GWX crew for all your hard work and time (time, and yet more time) spent on it all!!!! You fixed SHIII as the best subsim in its day by a monumental margin as to be a proper paid add-on. I especially enjoyed your GWX Gold manual. A great read!

I have one question, please. Is it true that you have NO connection with Ubisoft with the development of SHV?? You see when I heard SHV was in dev, I had naturally expected that Ubi would've surely brought you into the fold of their ranks and that all the work done on GWX4 up to now had migrated naturally into the official development cycle..?

I hope that you got some sort of recognition or indeed anything from Ubisoft? Everybody knows that you helped boost Ubisoft's sales of SHIV as well as SHIII. I'm pretty sure that due to GWX's fame that a great many of us here bought SHIV with the expectation that GWX4 was surely going to be done at some point in the future. Again, more money for Ubisoft.

So if Ubi hasn't bothered to give you any recognition at all, then I'm not surprised the GWX engines have shut down with no fuel left in the tanks!

Good hunting and all the best in the future!

We have GWX dev team member Pablo to thank for our awesome manual. It is a historical document all on its own!

It is true that we have not had any official recognition by, or official connection to Ubisoft... apart from having been addicted to their Silent Hunter productions. Unofficially, I do however consider their lead game designer Dan Dimitrescu to be a long distance friend after having met him in Houston at the Subsim meet last year. (As does Jimbuna and a number of others on our team.)

It would be cool to see a nod to the Grey Wolves mod team in the credits to SHV... but I don't see how that could really ever happen. It may be that collectively Ubisoft and/or the Silent Hunter devs view us as having been obstacles to their efforts. In that light, why would they ever consider adding a mention in the credits?

At any rate, concerning my actual profession, I am doing almost exactly what I want to do... and a few short years from now... hopefully I'll be doing it in the air... which is exactly what I am aiming for. (My actual job will hopefully change slightly that is.

)

< Free advice to anyone listening: Never let your 'hobby' turn into 'work'... you'll end-up hating your hobby if you aren't careful. >

limkol · 09-03-09, 01:42 PM

Heard the news a few days ago. Not been able to find the right words to express my gratitude for the work and attention to detail you all have put into the game.

You may say that the Grey Wolves project is finished. The work is over. But really you have inspired others. This has no time limit or sell by date.
I would not know where to start making a mod. Real life at the moment would only get in the way for me anyway. But you have taught me to question things. What if?........would it be possible? etc. And the modders have proven that nearly everything in the game is possible. We have new environments, sounds, ships, interiors, gameplay and more. Before I stumbled upon this forum, I bought the game (SH3) and accepted it for what it was. I didn't even know that a computer game could be modded.

I have read the heated arguements, the comments, not always positive and not always deserved. Sometimes it was hard to be a spectator. Like listening to the neighbours in the house next door fighting! I often thought 'Sh*t! It's just a game!' Forgive me, I was wrong. It was always more than that. The work, the hours, the research, the trial and error, the passion for the subject.........I was naive in thinking that it was just a 'game'. If I put so much energy into a project, I'd also shout and scream and let off steam to get my point across.

You have also taught me through the game more about the u-boat and the war, than I ever knew before.

You have given me a place to take time out from real life. You have given me a game of chess where I can blow up things

.

Thanks for everything and good luck to you all. Signing off

ollybgm · 09-03-09, 02:55 PM

thank you for your time been great having GWX3 put on the map

Annatar · 09-03-09, 04:36 PM

Thanks for all your hard work. GWX3.0 made a good game perfect. You can't get better than that.
There's a silver lining to this cloud for me at least - I can finally uninstall SHIV

Hartmann · 09-03-09, 04:39 PM

Great work and thanks

Bad news but i understand this with the release of sh5 in the next months, now the "ball " is in the other side again ( PTO)

Oberon · 09-03-09, 04:44 PM

You've spent a long time on a long road, but you have brought fun to many people and made yourself quite the name in the process.

The Grey Wolves will always stand for quality and the pushing of the boundaries.

Now go and have a beer, you deserve it, all of you.

09-03-09, 01:42 PM	#4
limkol XO Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: looking in the bilge for a bottle opener Posts: 416 Downloads: 210 Uploads: 0	Heard the news a few days ago. Not been able to find the right words to express my gratitude for the work and attention to detail you all have put into the game. You may say that the Grey Wolves project is finished. The work is over. But really you have inspired others. This has no time limit or sell by date. I would not know where to start making a mod. Real life at the moment would only get in the way for me anyway. But you have taught me to question things. What if?........would it be possible? etc. And the modders have proven that nearly everything in the game is possible. We have new environments, sounds, ships, interiors, gameplay and more. Before I stumbled upon this forum, I bought the game (SH3) and accepted it for what it was. I didn't even know that a computer game could be modded. I have read the heated arguements, the comments, not always positive and not always deserved. Sometimes it was hard to be a spectator. Like listening to the neighbours in the house next door fighting! I often thought 'Sh*t! It's just a game!' Forgive me, I was wrong. It was always more than that. The work, the hours, the research, the trial and error, the passion for the subject.........I was naive in thinking that it was just a 'game'. If I put so much energy into a project, I'd also shout and scream and let off steam to get my point across. You have also taught me through the game more about the u-boat and the war, than I ever knew before. You have given me a place to take time out from real life. You have given me a game of chess where I can blow up things. Thanks for everything and good luck to you all. Signing off

09-03-09, 04:36 PM	#6
Annatar Machinist's Mate Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Merry Old England Posts: 121 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks for all your hard work. GWX3.0 made a good game perfect. You can't get better than that. There's a silver lining to this cloud for me at least - I can finally uninstall SHIV __________________

09-03-09, 04:39 PM	#7
Hartmann Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Grid CH 26, Spain ,Barcelona Posts: 1,857 Downloads: 204 Uploads: 0	Great work and thanks Bad news but i understand this with the release of sh5 in the next months, now the "ball " is in the other side again ( PTO) __________________ But this ship can't sink!... She is made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. and she will. It is a mathematical certainty. Strength and honor

09-02-09, 08:28 PM	#2
WolfgangLuth Swabbie Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 7 Downloads: 156 Uploads: 0	Danke, Lehmann and the GWX crew for all your hard work and time (time, and yet more time) spent on it all!!!! You fixed SHIII as the best subsim in its day by a monumental margin as to be a proper paid add-on. I especially enjoyed your GWX Gold manual. A great read! I have one question, please. Is it true that you have NO connection with Ubisoft with the development of SHV?? You see when I heard SHV was in dev, I had naturally expected that Ubi would've surely brought you into the fold of their ranks and that all the work done on GWX4 up to now had migrated naturally into the official development cycle..? I hope that you got some sort of recognition or indeed anything from Ubisoft? Everybody knows that you helped boost Ubisoft's sales of SHIV as well as SHIII. I'm pretty sure that due to GWX's fame that a great many of us here bought SHIV with the expectation that GWX4 was surely going to be done at some point in the future. Again, more money for Ubisoft. So if Ubi hasn't bothered to give you any recognition at all, then I'm not surprised the GWX engines have shut down with no fuel left in the tanks! Good hunting and all the best in the future!

09-03-09, 02:55 PM	#5
ollybgm Watch Join Date: May 2007 Location: liverpool uk Posts: 28 Downloads: 93 Uploads: 0	thank you for your time been great having GWX3 put on the map

09-03-09, 04:44 PM	#8
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	You've spent a long time on a long road, but you have brought fun to many people and made yourself quite the name in the process. The Grey Wolves will always stand for quality and the pushing of the boundaries. Now go and have a beer, you deserve it, all of you.