Last night the former Executive Producer and guiding force behind AW in it's glory days came onto our BBS with a statement. His insight into online game communities is legendary in the industry. I note that he makes reference to Hi-Tech makes note of a fact that should give us all hope for a LONG life for AH. Dale has already been burned (with Warbirds) by corporate idiots ruining his vision and has the chance here to not suffer that fate again. GOOD!
I feel honored that he saw fit to even *mention* my name when listing people that gave AW some life. I hope my name will be as good here in your world.
Nothing I can further say - I'll let BB talk.
-Wayne
Message follows..
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I have to agree with DD on this one.
It would indeed be sad if they've already shut it down, thus denying us the
ability to say goodbye to as we did with the old so-called DOS host - a very
emotional night for all who attended.
This was hardly a shock, as DD mentioned earlier. Plus most all of us who
attended the last Con in Seattle pretty much felt it was indeed the last.
Sadness is my reaction. I got past anger years ago.
To hell with palliatives such as "Well, it was a 15 year run," and crap like
that. That product could have had legs, and several of us fought what had
to become, at times, a covert war to attach those limbs only to have them
blown away by endless assaults of cluelessness, as successive waves of
misguided management thought they were taking Air Warrior, and
online gaming, into their wretched embrace. HT endured this once and had
the opportunity to not suffer it again.
While competition began to relegate Air Warrior to ancient history all we
could do was fix a tire here and there and slap on a paint job. Yes, great
work was done by so many dedicated people at Kesmai but we were not allowed
to advance the game itself, and the steps we took in the direction were not
supported.
Most of us know what it's like to watch your online community leave. I
don't think anyone can get used to it. At least we had Big Week - perhaps
the most important event in online gaming that nobody, except the folks who
participated in it - ever noticed. This forum is proof that the community
it sparked exists still.
Relieved of my command by a thick skulled, burned out man more suited to
creating rules for miniatures than for understanding the dynamics of online
groups - a fellow who could not help but view everything through his self
interest filter when he wasn't dozing off at meetings - I had to sit by and
watch....until I couldn't any longer. Moggs stood watch in my stead.
Others still tried to help. Kelton kept at work with flight models,
Quarters and Matt Shaw, the latter a pioneer as most of you know in the air
combat sim, and others I did not know, kept the faith, as did others such as
Mage, and many of you here
in your own way.
I salute you all, along with the folks who flew who truly gave the game
meaning this is by no means a comprehensive list of everyone who stands out
in my mind....simply the folks who come to mind at the moment. Group
Captain Biggles (though we was before my time). The pilots who later became
Kesmai folks: Ridge Runner, Quarters, Kato, Centurion, Anvil, Mage, and
Moggy. The pilots who were fortunate never to become one: Scav, Volstag,
Fencer, Stilleto (the real one), Dutch, Waxer, BMan, Bushwacker, DoK, Leon,
Mullah, Hitech, Heater, Vermin, Garos, Vossman, GE, Grey Bear, Cal,
Airmigan, Grok, Seadog (later Gypsy Baron) Rocketman, Lady in Red, Sloth,
Subbie, Twist, Vmc, Brooke, Chump Change, you - of course, DD, Killer,
Ghostrider, Etiolle, Buffalo, Ho, Shakes, Ketch, Tiff, Shep, Culero, Cookie,
Nick Bigrod, Nobaddy, Duke, GMan, Grog, Wolverine, Assassin, Bug, Stimpy,
Lady Jenny of Fubar, Bebop and Shebop, Sturmer, SB, Sniff, Mig, Kken, Tex,
B-17 (you, Wayne - not that other B-17), Wedge, Pyro, Frying Tiger, Gunsmoke
(Mark Jacobs - the guy who runs Mythic today), and, yes, even Snail.
The squads...Fubars, Warhawks, Jv44, Muskies, Damned, 4Q, Death from Above,
Snafu, Don Quixotes, Turkey Hams, Angels of Destruction, NME, the Aggies (in
their own way), and so many others. Please - each of you - add the names of
the pilots and squads who meant the most to you.
Regrets, recriminations, and recollections aside, the most important fellow
in all of this was a guy with the handle Lord Kalvin. This is Kelton Flinn.
Without him, Air Warrior, and all of its successors would either not exist
or not have had the magic that made them what they are. Air Warrior is
something that could never be made today: an original online game design.
Though not his best effort, it was his bravest. The very notion of a fully
graphical online game (there were none at the time), involving real time air
combat running at 1200 baud over the GEIS network....well, that took both
confidence and vision. The sad thing is that no one at the major online
game companies today knows who the diddly Kelton is. Actually, that's not
true. I recently took a job at Microsoft as their executive producer for
Xbox online. I'll make sure that lots of people there know who Kelton Flinn
is before I'm through.
Not sure how to close. Kesmai is gone, so many Air Warrior communities have
come and gone, and soon - if not now - the game itself will be gone. I
recall how Mullah used to change the name of his squad (the NME) on the last
night of a camp to something rude so that it would appear in the opening
page 870 screen scoring banner. Usually it was something like "Warhawks
suck." My favorite of his is a suitable epitaph for Air Warrior: Jesus
Wepped.
BB
