RTR Stands by EB

[ahowl11]

Hello EB modders and fans!

I have just learned of the strife today, and it deeply saddens me. RTR and EB were the pioneers to RTW modding, and EB has evolved into EB2, while RTR expanded into RTRVII, and now is in the middle of a rebirth. EB and RTR were once rivals, and from what I learned weren't the friendliest towards each other either at times. However that was a decade ago, and much has changed in both communities.
After reading through everything I can understand both parties and their viewpoints. I also have some good friends who assist the mod and the community, and I can empathize with the stress the team may be feeling at the moment.

I know EB is onto the M2TW engine (a daunting task, that has encompassed years of hard work) and RTR has stayed with RTW, but I still feel like it is my duty as the RTR leader to show you guys some support. A grand scale mod is not easy, there is a lot of work to be done, and the team consists of many people, from many different backgrounds. Heck, it's a multi-international affair! The job is not easy, and the toughest part: WE DO IT FOR FREE. All of us are either in school, or have careers. Many of us have families to provide for, so our spare time is trying to create something that not only we enjoy, but that the public can enjoy too. I know most of you understand this, and most of you are TWC veterans, but those of you who are younger, or newer, please realize it takes a lot of passion, dedication, and heart to put these amazing mods together.

With that being said, people clash. There is a team dynamic and a lot of ideas are discussed. Sometimes disagreements occur, but it is important to compromise and have the ability to see things from your opponents' perspective.

Mods are so tender my friends, as quickly as they rise, they fall... RTR once fell, back in 2011. TWC vets will remember, I was brand new to TWC when it happened. The scandal rocked the RTR community and within the year, it was a ghost town on their forums. All the diehard fans had vanished or went to other forums. The great team that was so tightly-knit together was unwound and they all scattered. Some were 100% done with it all. Others had hope, and others just went missing. I came along at the end of 2013 and obtained the keys to RTR and slowly but surely have tried to rebuild RTR from scratch. To give it a good name once again. My close band of brothers on the RTR team have toiled with me for years.. We have sent numerous PMs and emails out to the old guard of RTRPE and RTRVII, with very minimal results. Internally, we have had fights, disagreements, confusion, frustration (we went through so many faction lists and maps before we finally settled on what everyone could agree upon) but we also have had joy, laughter, jubilation, and the sense of accomplishment. More importantly, we have established friendships, connections and have built a small but promising community. However, to get to where RTR once was is a long road, and I know it's going to be tough.

With all of that being said, I fear for EB. I fear that something like what just transpired could be the first domino (if the first hasn't fallen already). I do not want EB to become the next RTR. If that happened the RTW/M2TW communities will never be the same, and I am afraid they will never recover. These games are 10-15 years old, and the fan bases are dwindling. Scandals and public affairs do our community no good friends!! Why would we make something if nobody was there to receive it with eagerness?

EB, I plead with you all to take a few steps back, discuss the structure of your team, and get any issues out of the way before any more damage is done. RTR stands by your side, and we believe in you guys, we need you guys to keep things together for the sake of RTW/M2TW modding. I know that you have some amazing people on your team and community, so I ask for unity between you all, not division! Come back together and finish what you all started with a clear vision shared by the entire team.

I, ahowl11 and RTR support you!

[nvm]

If someone wants to let go at this point, I would not put it against them, after all getting fixated on one thing for too long would eventually give one fatigue. So if someone has to leave, it is understandable. Only thing I would ask for as a fan, is for this to happen on good terms, so that one day, perhaps, it is possible to return to the modding scene with renewed vigour and nostalgia.

[Jurand of Cracow]

Hi ahowl!
Just to give you know: the RTR-PE was the first TW mod I've ever played (funny enough, it as late as 2010). This was the mod that introduced me into the mod world. I feel much of nostalgia about it!
Good you continue modding. This also shows that playing and modding RTW/M2TW has the future (and, actually, even more for the medieval period as there's no new TW game dealing with this period, neither there's one on the horizon)
Keep it up!
JoC

[ahowl11]

Thank you for your kind words Jurand, I truly believe that nostalgia plays a big part in what we all do. Mods like EB2 add new ideas to that nostalgia, it’s the perfect blend but a tough task. It’s very easy to get burnt out in modding. I once went on a 5 month hiatus just because the work load was overwhelming. Luckily my team was still around when I came back, but it just shows you how much strain modding has. This is why I understand both points of view.