[WIP] GWX Knight's Cross Development Community Update.....

[Kpt. Lehmann]

On behalf of the Grey Wolves Expansion Development team, I am obliged to tell you all that we are no longer planning an update for GWX 3.0 'Gold Version.'

We have instead decided to entirely replace it, overhauling and modernizing a majority of our original work from years past.

GWX - Knight's Cross Edition.... will be a full release.

In June, when I first posted about the existence of GWX-KC, things were much thinner for our development team in terms of available skill set depth.

Unexpectedly, in rather short order, that all changed for us.... and now the opposite is true.

Without any intention to minimize the incredible works completed by the GWX Dev Team during the busiest heydays of SH3 in the early 2000's, I am happy to tell you that the development team we have now in terms of 'modding power' is almost certainly the the most powerful we've ever had.

Though we will continue to be in the 'Alpha Phase' for some time, make no mistake.... HEAVY progress has already been made since June.

*** I view the 'Beta Phase' as being essentially what we intend to release. When we reach that stage, further material additions are more or less locked out, for the sake of detailed deep testing and refinement of that block of material.

You can rest assured, that what we release officially will be rock solid and can stand alone, just as you've come to expect from our previous works. (Provided you RTFM) Above ALL MATTERS, "stability first" is the rule we begin with.... and end with.

Seriously, what is the point of even starting the game if there is an element that is built in and causing consistent CTD's?

I've seen it time after time, that a mod project dies because of instability.

The part that I wish I could show you the most, is impossible to show.... how well this team works together. They aren't just going through the motions. One of them described this as a "passion project" and it is exactly that. The good men working on GWX-KC, LOVE what they are doing, and have become a tightly knit crew crew of friends without exception. It is true too, that the pace of development is incredible compared to days past. Watching this team work together, passing files between themselves and sculpting them with their respective specialities is like watching the composition of a magnum opus to one day be played by a fine orchestra.

Another of our members pointed out to me, that most professional teams do not have the level of cohesion and passion that this team has.

What I am describing to you are things you cannot buy. I am honored to even be allowed to share the room with them.

As always, they are doing it all without out monetary gain of any kind.... and every thing they do will be given to you free of charge.

Given that our project has lain dormant and locked for over ten years, and because there is much to do, we project that our 'run-time' to completion will be approximately one year.

In terms of content, very little will remain untouched when we release GWX-KC. Most elements will be undergoing an overhaul. Everything we do, is also viewed through the lens of history, and within the limitations of the game, we will continue to do our best to present it in an accurate fashion.

GWX-KC will be built for stout modern PC's for the sake of continued longevity.... meaning that modernized GWX will be around for years to come.

Many previous optional included mods will be removed for simplicity of use.

New aircraft 3D models have been purpose built for GWX, to include at least one that has not yet been seen over the waters of SH3. Each of our aircraft will have a RELEVANT role to play in the simulation, and virtually the entire roster of aircraft in GWX is being overhauled.

Precious little will be added that does not serve a purpose as it relates to the 'big picture' simulation we all love. As a sort of over the top fictitious example, we don't need Tiger tanks to be included. It's a SUBMARINE simulation.

< Yes we know that U-boats are technically 'submersibles' and not true submarines, but you know what we mean. >

Most importantly, we are overhauling the player U-boats in GWX-KC.

Already we hold in our hands, the full range of U-boat types presented in GWX 3.0, refined to a degree that is not yet available to current SH3 players. This is likely the most important visual element in SH3. They are after all, the part of the game that we spend the most time looking at.

Before you sail out of the pen in GWX-KC, you won't have to first worry if player U-boat mod "A" is compatible with player U-boat mod "B" in order to have a U-boat with top-notch external appearance. We will have done it all for you. One example, Type IX U-boats had a number of cables that were incorrect in their placement. We have fixed them all. Until now, that that element by itself has eluded proper incorporation for all SH3 users employing newer high-poly U-boat 3D models. There aren't enough positive adjectives in the dictionary to describe how difficult this process ended up being, or to describe just how proud I am of the fine gentlemen on our team that that slew the White Whale that it was!

For the time being, I am not naming the members of our current dev team, but that may at least in part become evident as time goes on. Right now, I'm not sure if they want to be outed.

I may add to the text of this post later, but for now I will leave you with some official artwork and bits produced by the GWX-Knight's Cross development team for the project.

It will be ready when it is ready!

In the meantime,
Sink'em ALL!