Strapping in 2021

Happy new year to each of you!

Looking Back - A Year of Resilience

2020 is finally over. I re-read my first post from a year ago, full of blind optimism. We've lived through strange times since then, haven't we? 

COVID has been  merciless. The pandemic has been a grim reminder of how many things I take for granted. It's been a year that has cost us all dearly. Industries ruined, personal loss, mental distress... all of this pain and suffering has forced us in a way or another to re-evaluate some aspects of our lives. Speaking for myself, I found that finding "balance" is key... and that priorities have to adapt to the harsh realities of the world we live in.

This year, my guide library has increased by about 2700 pages, not counting the pages with updated screenshots or the small hotfixes. Here's a brief list of what I worked on:

• JF-17 Thunder (late December 2019)
• Re-write of the old A-10C guide (January 2020)
• F-16 guide (May 2020)
• Mirage 2000 MLO (Mid-Life Overhaul) update (June 2020)
• F-14 NAVGRID & TWS Auto update (June 2020)
• P-47 guide (July 2020)
• Re-write of the old Ka-50 guide (August 2020)
• Update to the F/A-18 Hornet systems (September 2020)
• Update to the F-16 Viper TGP & weapons (October 2020)
• A-10C II Tank Killer Expansion update (November 2020)
• Re-write of the old AJS37 Viggen guide (December 2020)

Overall, it's been an incredibly busy year, and I don't think I'll ever be able to top that. I had many projects unrelated to DCS, but most of them ended up in the backlog. More importantly, your constant support has been incredible. I still can't believe how much this place has grown and how much kindness all of you have shown me. It's a breath of fresh air, for sure, and I thank you all for it. You've made a big difference. In the future, I hope my work will help even more people enjoy these complex machines in the virtual skies.

Looking Forward - A Year of Balance

What now? Well, last December has completely burned me out. The Viggen update was one of these "now or never" kind of deals, and while I don't regret doing it, it's shown me the very limits of what I can do by myself with the time I have. If I am to keep doing this, I need to take things slower this time around. There are only so many hours in a day; I've come to a point where I have to choose what I work on, and make some people unhappy in the process.

I've got a few new ideas, but I don't want to reveal too much for now. The DCS World 2021 and Beyond video highlighted a number of interesting possiblities for the world of flight sims. The one thing I can say is that there are two projects I really want to work on in 2021: the DH.98 Mosquito (also known as the "Mossie") and the Hind. For the rest, well... stay tuned!