xIGuNDoCIx Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Re-posting this as I know he was a well known figure among the early Combat Mission titles. I remember his scenarios well from those early days of CM. RIP "Wild" Bill Wilder. "It is with a sad heart that I need to report the passing of Bill Wilder. For those of you that know my history, Bill Wilder was one of the first gamers to join me when I founded Matrix Games. Our first project together was the Steel Panthers World At War game. I had just recently chatted with him and it was just like old times. I will greatly miss him. Bill's obituary can be found here and you may leave a message to his family. Leaf Cremation - Here Bill Wilder services will be held on September 6, 2020, at 3:00 pm EST at The Church at Green Acres Baptist Church, Smyrna, GA. The service will also be online at - Here" ~ David Heath 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vergeltungswaffe Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 He was a good one. Lots of wonderful memories of him and his contributions to CM and other games. God bless, keep, and comfort his family. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGarner Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Really sorry to hear this. He was such a big part of this community back in the good old days. God rest his soul. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlefront.com Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 I am also sorry to hear of Bill's passing, though grateful to know of it. One of the hardest aspects of a virtual community is not knowing when someone who drops off the radar is having problems or died. At the very least it is good to be able to keep someone in your thoughts. Bill was a very active and enthusiastic supporter of the CM1 family of games. In those days it was stoning offense among the hardcore Steel Panthers crowd, yet Bill constantly demonstrated it was entirely possible to enjoy and support more than one game concurrently. His cool and calm personality was well respected and served as an excellent role model for all game communities. Although we didn't keep in touch after those heady early CM days, I've always maintained a strong and deep appreciation for what he brought to our quirky community of gamers. Steve 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlefront.com Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 I was inspired to go back and read some of the earliest emails with Bill that I have archived. August 8, 1999. Wow, that was a long time ago! Some of those emails had to do with some difficult things that were happening at the time between various parties and re-reading them I was reminded how positive and gracious he was even when he found himself having to deal with someone else's personal baggage. As I said above, a role model for sure. Steve 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danfrodo Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Very sad. I remember buying his scenario sets (nowadays called DLCs) for games like Wargame Construction Set: TANKS! by Norm Koger. this was ~100 years ago it seems now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gpig Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 Awww, damn. A great loss. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootie Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 Sad to hear for sure. RIP WB. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c3k Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 He was, and will remain, an icon for all things early CM. He set a great example. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud Backer Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 I worked with him in the 90s on Steel Panthers after SSI stopped. He was a force of nature, seemingly unstoppable, but irrepressibly good humoured and enthusiastic. A positive individual and I am sad to hear of his passing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Splinty Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 He was a good guy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benpark Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 He was a good example to all of us that make things for these kinds of games/simulations- he kept it interesting and fun. A person that understood how to create a like-minded community of tinkerers. I was lucky enough to correspond with him, like others here- ages ago by now. But I recalled him when working on things, even just last week. His help has grown into many like-minded makers of things. That's a gift. Thanks again, WBW. With gratitude, "Recon" (he assigned nicknames, that was mine- I think I was researching something!). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artkin Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 Wow that's sad. I remember when I got my first pc and couldnt even run bf1942 well, I found Steel Panthers World at War and fell in love. A lot of the scenarios had Bill's name on them. I always felt weird about the game being free. Felt like I owed them something for the totally humongous game. Guy is a legend 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtsjc1 Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 Rest In Peace Bill thanks for all your contributions to SP which I still play. That was a big part of buying CMBO when BF sent me the email. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 He was a great blessing to the CM community generally and most definitely to me personally. Glad to know of his passing, but we're the poorer for his loss. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnO Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 Rest in Peace, Bill. I for one will miss you. I too renumber him telling me about CM when I was playing SP, which I too still play even today. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerKommissar Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 I'm very familiar with his work on Steel Panthers, but had no idea that he contributed to CM. His talents will be sorely missed. RIP. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usgubgub Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 I am sorry to hear of Wild Bill's passing away. I remember him fondly. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grisha Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 Very sorry to hear of Wild Bill's passing. Those were good times back then and it was one hell of a tight knit community back then. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Capt Posted September 8, 2020 Share Posted September 8, 2020 Wow, that name brings it all back. RIP Bill. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Kilpa Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 On 9/3/2020 at 6:44 AM, danfrodo said: Very sad. I remember buying his scenario sets (nowadays called DLCs) for games like Wargame Construction Set: TANKS! by Norm Koger. this was ~100 years ago it seems now. Hi it came as a shock to me when I heard recently that Bill Wilder had passed on. A truly great scenario designer who gave so much enjoyment and happiness to so many gamers. One of the things I wanted to talk to him about was if he still had his Wargame Construction set Classic scenarios 1-6. You wouldn't know where I could get them from or any of his Korean war tank scenarios for Tanks? Hoping you can help. Alex 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danfrodo Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Hi Alex, sorry but no idea that is from 20+ years ago I think. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckdyke Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 His legacy lives on in the remake 'The Road to Wiltz'. He designed the original. I remember the original a TD homed in on my Panther and took it out. Which SOB programmed that one I always wondered? Imagine what it must be like to have played him H&H? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benpark Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Wild Bill has a dedication in FR. He was a generous and helpful guy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artkin Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 Berlin easter egg? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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