I guess this is the end of WB's. I logged in 3 times tonight and less than 10 players flying. It all had to end sometime.

If I had to put a finger on why it just didn't keep up, I'd say the biggest reason was that the WB staff was so unresponsive to players. Take the 110 G that is in the arena right now. Finn has shown just how out of whack it is, flying better than a Spit 14, and yet it still is in the line-up. I understand that WILBIL doesn't have the staff to fix the issues, but at least pull it until it can be fixed.

The fact that WB was so easily compromised and unsecure allowing those with weaker minds to install their particular brand of hack, just made for a miserable game experience. I asked a "guest" how he was able to beat the security, he told me all he did was switch some game files, made his off-line files into his on-line files and he was having a grand ol time. His only regret was that there was not enough enemy planes to go after.

Combine that with the gaming (i.e. pop up Lancaster and GV that trail a mysterious colored smoke over a snow filled terrain) I can see why we don't keep anybody.

For me it was more about the guys on TS. I gave WB a try each night to listen to the players gab about he regrets about not voting for Trump (dbng + rekkof) and hearing about their particular part of the world. I didn't realize how much it all meant until foss passed away. I'll miss his 10 minute answer to my simple questions and accept defeat that he never understood the word "uber". For some reason he would pronounce it "ubber". I have no idea why.

Another problem is that at my time, the arena is lopsided 6 or 7 to 1. I realized that I might as well be playing offline, dropping on fields that are not defended.

I've been playing since 1992. In the beginning, there was as many as 250 on, 4 colors and I'm sure you all have heard the stories, but I guess that sim is now dead.

I'm not saying I won't be playing, but I stop at the arena roster. I see 9 players and I go find something else. I think the day that WILBIL suddenly turns off the server is coming at us fast.

You might be right. I already once cancelled my subscription when got fed up with superhuman and immortal 1-pingers. Situation got better after I had some communication with WLDBIL, many of them lost their superpowers, but it is still not unknown to see a torching kite flying without problems or been killed by someone when you are at his 9 o'clock. Didn't find self-guiding ammo and asbestos plane in options but maybe was looking from wrong place. I just wonder, how weak someone's ego and how low must self-esteem to be to cheat in an online game and thinking, are they doing it in real life similar ways?

Is there an another, similar game out there? A sim, where one can enter to an arena, which is open whole the time, like in WB, and has pretty realistic flight characters? What is not spoiled with daily bonuses and other toy characters and where you don't have to execute some specific tasks, but free to choose targets, WB style? Been searching a bit, hadn't found yet.

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I swear it wasn't my mistake...

I think many folks have just gotten fed up with Bill and his procrastination when it comes to improving the game. For years the base endured his broken promises to fix, update and bring the game up to the state of the art that other sims achieved. We watched and waited as he asked us to be patient while he released other Flight, Tank and hunting/camping games which he claimed would bring in revenue to update WB's which still hasnt happened. We hoped for a cash influx when Fighter Ace (or whatever it was called) folded and even those pilots who we were told were coming over chose AH or War Thunder instead of WB's with no new revenue generated as promised..We have seen years of similar broken promises like the current debacle of WB 2020, due to be released almost 2 years ago now.. We saw screen shots of the new whoopdeedoo graphics engine that would allow for unprecedented graphics on par with the best other games.. but again. nothing..Theres a reason the phrase 'coming in 2 weeks' has become canon here.. You can only string folks along with broken promises so long before they get fed up and leave. This plus the fact that as the years go by there are less and less people interested in WW2 aircraft and their history. We are in the space age and the older set who fancied this sim 20 years ago arent here anymore.. If not for the work of a select few who care more about the game than its owner, it would already be gone ,.. The saddest loss has been that of the squads and their huge influence on the etiquette, discipline, procedures, respect and conduct of the pilots in the game.... and nowhere is there any sign of this changing for the better any time soon. We are at a critical phase and if we are to survive Bill is going to have to do that which he has promised to do for years,namely FOLLOW THROUGH!! He keeps acting like he cares but actions speak louder than words. Time for action! One can hope..

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2020 Retina 5k iMac 27"
3.8GHz Intel 8 Core i7
16 GB 2667 MHz DDR4
AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT 16 GB
OSX 11.5.2

I flew in WB 20+ years ago and recently started up again (as I've retired now!)... I was never very good and I'm still not, but like you I'm really disappointed in how few players there are here nowadays. It's led me to check out IL Sturmovik - though my PC is barely up to handling that it seems. It's a great shame because the WB community was great and I really enjoyed it.

In defense of Bill... He's put a lot of money into this game, and without him, Warbirds would have died a long time ago. I know Bill loves the game, but maybe he's just out of resources? Warbirds has been run on a shoestring not because Bill was too lazy or cheap to update it properly, but because it's damn' expensive to do. He's looked for investors, he's put his own money into it, and I think we need to cut him some slack.
This is a niche game that appeals largely to our 'baby boom' generation, and we're aging out of it. For years He's tried to make it work with volunteer help from the community and a couple of employees including just ONE part time coder. And I'm damn sure the game isn 't producing enough revenue even to cover their salaries let alone bring in a return on Bill's investment.
I had high hopes that a partnership with the revived Microprose might do the trick, but not much seems to be happening. Given the declining potential player base, and the competition from newer titles like DCS and IL2, not to mention AH- which by the way is also in decline- I don't see investors standing in line to fund a make over.
It's too bad. I wish I could afford to take it on. It would be a cool retirement project.
Anyway, I'll hang out as long as it's available, and play a couple times a week anyway. WB is still my first 'love' in the combat sim genre, so I'm going to keep hanging on and hoping.
Cheers
finn

I think that the squadron based nature of the game is actually one of the problems. Somebody in AH described the design for both sims as a 'wonderful sand box' for players. And that's true, but unfortunately, as in elementary school, it's all too easy for the bullies in the crowd to take over the sand box. And the big squads, whether by intention or not, drove a lot of new players out of the game by refusing to 'even up' sides and just continuing to fly en masse and gang bang newbies and veterans alike.
That's a design flaw. Over the years I suggested many ways to both balance sides, and encourage noobs to stay in the game. My suggestions were met with indifference, and every change they did try was greeted with a threat to stampede out of the game from the big squads.
I suggested privately to one of the larger squads that any practice night could be enhanced by dividing the squad into two flights and having them play opposite each other each alternately each TOD. He told me he's never countenance squaddies killing squaddies. So... nothing ever changes.
I didn't know anything about any 'easy' hacks tho, as Reep suggested. I always thought the game ran a checksum program to ensure that you front end you brought into the arena had no modifications.
Ah well. It's sad, but all things pass I guess.
Cheers

I can tell you that the flying flames are just a glitch. The player who has an engine on fire has already put the fire out but everyone else still sees it as being on fire. There have been many times when people on TS tell me my wing is on fire but I know it's not because I already put it out and I am flying minus one engine.

Running $200 a month in facebook ads could easily triple the number of players in WB, if not more. I agree that WB isn't the most top-of-the-line flight sim out there, but it IS one of the more realistic ones (aside from some small annoying aspects like C47's that can take 30 37mm rounds to the wing and still fly). Not everyone wants to play a flight sim where you can buy upgrades and better planes with money. DCS is expensive as hell and warthunder just sucks all around. Maybe Bill isn't being lazy? Maybe Bill just realizes the game is already dead but he doesn't want to be the one to pull the plug? It may be on life support, but its still breathing...

Finn has so many good ideas and comments.

Raksan said just what I was thinking. I am not even sure it would cost $200 in ads. But if you do a search for "Warbirds" in Facebook,
dozens of Pages show up, mine included. If a "Warbirds" Page is to be made, call it something like this: "Warbirds - Online Flight Sim Game".
Move links to that page and add them to the EXIT MENU of the game. Like this:

https://www.facebook.com/Warbirds-30589 ... 451446230/

Look at the 2nd item in the middle of the Exit Menu screen.

BTW, you might like to visit my FB Page if you haven't done so.

https://www.facebook.com/Warbirds-305898763533772

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My Ideas for WARBIRDS 2020

MacOS: El Capitan 10.11.6
Hardware: 2011 iMac 27" with El Capitan
Processor: 2.7 GHz Intel Core i5
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Facebook Page: Warbirds Skins

Or maybe just make WB free for a couple months and throw out a bunch of ads. When the free window is up, see who sticks around.