Thanks Jim for the clear and open message. It is refreshing to hear such openess and honesty.
I fall into that group of people that has SH4 gathering dust on the shelf. I was excited by the U-Boat Missions update but decided not to buy it based on feedback in these forums.
When GWX announced it was going to work on a SH4 + Uboats ATO Mod I decided that I finally buy the U-Boat Missions update when GWX 4 was finished.
Of course, the announcment of SH5 has effectively thrown a grenade into all that.
I do believe that developing a mod in an open environment, with regular updates etc, whets the appetite. It also allows the commuity to exchange knowledge and build upon the work of others. Consider this as the Open Source approach to modding.
Developing a mod behind closed doors, as adopted by GWX, smacks of old school corporate software development.
I imagine more people would have taken up an SH4 interest + U-Boat missions if GWX 4 got them drooling at the mouth, consequently supporting UBI and, according to some, the sub sim community as a whole.
I believe it is now time for GWX to realise that this closed shop approach to modding is not really the best way to support the subsim community.
You say that RL issues have had an effect on GWX4 development schedule. I wonder if this could have been avoided by a more open approach. How else can someone else take up the reigns when RL intervenes if they have been left in the dark ? So even the GWX team itself would benefit from a more open approach, as will the subsim community and possibly the sales figures of UBI.
Right, now lets put all that aside. My oppinion is GWX should continue developing GWX4, but only those parts that are likely to be portable to SH5.
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