It's hard to fathom, but a decade ago, the Red Baron community (so many of whom became the OFF community) lost someone who really represented the heart and soul of what our group has always been about. Karel Dooms, also known as Charles de Thielt on the old SWWISA boards, died unexpectedly on November 12, 2002. I meant to post about this on the anniversary of his death, but I'm afraid time got away from me.
I knew Charles pretty well. He utterly revolutionized Red Baron's plane models - taking us from the flat three-dimensional polygons of Red Baron II and turning them into the stunning works of art they bacame in the game's later years. Charles was the epiotme of a good guy - he was always civil, incredibly cordial, and always willing to help. Even when I - at 19 and still learning about computers - had a hard time installing his models, he took the time to walk me through it step by step. His loss was devestating to the community. SWWISA created a memorial stone to Charles and placed it in the game map. There was also a memorial fly over. Things were never the same after we lost Karel.
For those of you who didn't know him, this is what I wrote about him almost a decade ago, when I compiled a history of the Red Baron 3D community:
Not too long after the release of 1918 Air War from WingStrut, a major revolution in Red Baron technology emerged. Karel Dooms (also known as Charles de Thielt), a modder within the community began to release incredibly detailed and frame rate friendly aircraft models. These models are still the standard in all patches and nothing like them have been seen before or since. The realism presented in each model is apparent, and it is obvious that Karel created each model with love and care. He is often credited with training many of the SWWISA members in how to make new aircraft models using the program anim8tor. Yet a CdT model remains unmistakable, no matter how good another model looks. Karel simply had a mastery of the art form. And in reality, his works can be considered art. They are completely realistic, incorporate form and function, and are truly beautiful to look at.
Sadly, Karel passed away suddenly in November of 2002, and a true giant within the community was lost forever. His passing stunned the community and his loss is still felt deeply today. Most patches released credit CdT in one form or another, either for helping them along the way or simply being a great artist. A memorial stone was crafted and laid in the virtual town of Thielt in Red Baron for any offline user to fly by and admire. A virtual relationship touched real lives, and anyone in SWWISA will acknowledge that when they lost Karel, they lost a friend.
His page on SWWISA is still there - untouched over the last decade, a frozen example of a life taken far too early. A reminder more of what could have been than a memorial to what was...
http://www.swwisa.net/cdt/For people like me, Shred, and OvS, we all still miss you - and I'm sure many more do as well...
S! CdT!
