Ghost Recon Mod Reviews, should I keep on?

[S.p.i.d.e.r.]

Earlier this year I wrote weekly mod reviews for cmg, over a few weeks I improved my way of doing them. After 5 weeks, but something happened, I had to stop, much changed, it's about 3 months later, and I think I should get back to it, if there was any need, here are 3 older reviews?feedback appreciated. Each entry has its own individual post, more organized?

[S.p.i.d.e.r.]

Israeli Defense Forces 1.3
by the DtD Cocobolo mod team.
Homepage: www.planetrainbowsix.com/dtd

The DtD mod team has had a history of working on some very creative modifications for Rainbow Six, Rogue Spear, and Israeli Defense Forces is their first large project for Ghost Recon.

The Weapons 8/10
There is a very wide selection of tools at your disposal in Israeli Defense Forces. New riflemen, support, demolitions, and sniper kits are included, the kit selection is a bit more vast than Ghost Recon's original selection, although since the theme is Israeli weaponry, the kit selection is a bit more focused. On a side note, most weapons only come with 6/7 clips for realism purposes, don't waste them.
   For those who like to blow things up, there are plenty of tools at your disposal, the 60mm mortar can take down anything in a 15+ meter radius. The M79 grenade launcher makes an appearance as well, it has a very large blast radius and is a bit more of a modest choice of a primary kit than the mortar, although taking arc into account can be a bit irritating if not hopeless at times.    
   For support guns, there is not as wide selection of choices like other classes, but there still are heavy weapons for those who like to have some crowd control abilities. The three choices are a FN MK246 Mod-0, which is essentially a smaller variant of the SAW, a M4 fitted with a  Beta C magazine, and lastly there is the IMI Negev, I do not have much to say about this weapon besides that it looks a bit like a SAW mod, but I am just guessing .
   For the sniper class, there are a few more additions that come within IDF. This mod follows a simple line of balance for sound and power (it does seem like that while online) .The Ruger22 rifle may be extremely quiet, you will spend more than one clip just trying to bring someone down(I am starting to think it fires beanbags). There are some long-er ranged variants of the M16 rifle, it comes with or without bush detail on it. The M24 SWS has come to be one of my personal favorite kit selections, it has been re-modeled and has no alpha map bush detail on it.
   Riflemen and demolitionists get the most selection for their selection, m4 variants, the Israeli Tavor series of weapons, there are just too many to go into detail here.

Skins 9/10
Skins are a heavy factor in the atmosphere of any game or mod these days, Cocobolo Ops did a fine job on creating new models, close combat attachments that randomly appear(radios, headsets, helm cams, helm flashlights, not even mentioning the holstering system) one of the most fun things about this mod is watching the models do their work, they fit in almost perfectly in the original maps included with the game(including Desert Siege and Island Thunder). The offline campaign specialists come in a few different flavors.  S.Shayetet(1-2) both wear gear that would seem to fit a more futuristic and higher tech mission situation while the darker CQB uniform of S.Matkal fits in perfectly on darker maps like M10 Vilinus and M09 Swamp. Also included are heavy Urban Police Skins for two of the specialists, there are even some specialists that wear  police uniforms and almost-casual clothing. For those with Island Thunder, there are some diver skins included as well.The random secret specialists that show up every now and then wear some custom uniform that I can not really classify, but they still look great. Overall, these skins are only 2nd to BajaBravo's skins. This is a highly professional and complete mod that I would suggest to everyone.

Israel Defense Forces 1.3 is currently on our hotline server. Located in: gaming ordinance/ghost recon/mods/dtdIDF1.3.zip(or something of the like, the only 58mb file there).
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GRS Map Pack#1

This week's map contains two ported rainbow six maps, Chalet and Killhouse double, two that will really be a challenge for everyone's close quarter combat skills. The mission for Chalet is fully ported(download data, get out), plus there is an original variant of the mission that includes an assasination. Killhouse double gets some real treats when played in mission mode, ported Rogue Spear SWAT characters are enemies. These guys carry MP5s, so you might live another day if shot, just don't count on them to not fill your head with 9mm JHP(which means if they hit your armor sometimes, you will not take damage). Navigating the rooms on killhouse double is maddening at times, but can be extremely rewarding if you can find a way to get your objectives done(grenades). One minor complaint is the extreme frustration of moving about sometimes, maybe that is just me and my hate for close quarter situations.

Maps 7/10
-Chalet
I first encountered this map on the Playstation version of rogue spear(the port itself was horrible). It is a very accurate port attempt, everything is highly accurate and placed how it was in Rogue Spear. I did have some performance issues when facing the main house from the entrance, which was odd, and it does not seem that adjusting map texture detail helps much at all. Textures included are primarily just taken right from Rogue Spear, nothing wrong with those right(exept the alpha maps used for stair cases).
-Killhouse Double
This, I have seen ported before in other map packs, but this one in particular is one of the better reversions, small/medium sized courtyard with boxes for cover, rooms along the hallways in the buildings. Indoor fighting is not what Ghost Recon accels at, but it still can be loads of fun if everyone decides to get a lighter weapon than the usual OICW/SA80.

Meshes 6/10
Maybe I'm a map variant fanatic, but I really enjoy having map variants for a little more variety, the maps contained only have one mesh each, they are both at night, not bad meshes, I just felt there could be more.

GRS MapPack weights at a light 11mb, and can be downloaded here:
http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~damnr6/macmods/download.cgi?http://www.fileplanet.com/dl/dl.asp?planetrainbowsix/damnr6/grsmp1.sit

[S.p.i.d.e.r.]

Standard Upgrade 1.1 by Earl
Homepage : www.baconbomb.com

I usually don't have too much fun with weapon modifications for Ghost Recon, most have some very obvious balance flaws that totally kill all possibilities of a fun game online, and generally there is a steep leaning curve for finding out all the little specifics of the implemented munitions. Standard Upgrade 1.1 does very much to the default RSE arsenal for Ghost Recon. To be specific, it is a cosmetic weapon model addon, totally new models for the FnFal, M24, M82, M4(M203+Masterkey Attachments), M16(Beta C magazines+M203), M9(and its silenced variant), M246 SAW, M246 Para, M4 SOCOM, SR-74 and the M240.

The Weapons 7/10
First off is the SR-74, from the general information I have heard about this weapon is that it was created by Knight Armament for SpecOps units, the trick is that it fires AK74 ammunition, thus a unit can restock on ammunition from fallen enemies, although not implemented in the game, this is still a welcome addition to ghost's arsenal. For weapon variants there is the FN M246 Para, which from what I could observe, is just a bit more inaccurate than the SAW, but has some minor adjustments like the clip size and general appearance. Making its form into this mod is the KAC M4 Masterkey, it is an underslung shotgun attachment for breaching doors, once again, while not implemented in game, it is still a useful kit selection when in close quarters. Also added is the M16 with Beta C magazines that allow for a more support based role for a rifleman with a M16. I have found that only the specialist Buzz Gordon can use this weapon offline, I have not yet tested it online.

The Models 10/10
This section is not usually here, but as this *is* a cosmetic weapon upgrade mod, it is necessary. All the previously mentioned weapons have been totally re-modeled to look even better than in any other mod to date(that has been in my mod folder anyways). Special attention to detail in all the weapons has been made, an upgraded Optics System on the FnFal, the vertical foregrip on the M4 SOPMOD(to mention the least), replacement for the tiny M82 into a behemoth that resembles real life photographs, a M24 with a larger and more visible scope, and the tiny detail differences on the baretta pistol. These changes are highly notable, and give more personality to the original game's Armory.

The Problems
If you do not have the Island Thunder Expansion pack installed, some weapon icons will not show up for you, there are also some sounds that do require IT as well, and without it, you just get a weapon firing with no sound(M4 SOCOM and SR47).

The OS X compatible version is available from the DAMN R6 community
http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~damnr6/macmods/grweapon.shtml
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R02 Industrial
by Rawker

This map I have always had mixed feelings about, I could never run it with decent framerates because of the full rendering range and the fact that there is no fog. Other than that, it is a map that I feel many others have enjoyed(despite my own performance issues). Complete industrial center, sand hills, warehouses, rusty nails, etc.

The Maps 7.6/10
There is a scripted solo mesh that highly resembles other missions in the HX3/HX4 series of mission mods, defend the base while getting attacked by many, many enemies, terminate the warlord and get more ammunition, simple arcade like action in a tactical shooter, I would not suggest playing with AI at all (or people that are worse than the AI for that matter). The map has many secret rooms, easter eggs,  not all will be found in just one session. This is a medium sized map, not really large, although the indoor environments make it seem so. One of the craziest secrets here is the disco dance room complete with lighting and music, shows off the GhR lighting engine, which does not seem as to get too much credit.

Meshes 7/10
Only one daytime mesh, which is fine in this case, sunny with partial clouds in the sky, early morning sun position and lighting, nothing spectacular, but it isn't bad either.

Also provided by the DAMN R6 Community
http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~damnr6/macmods/grmap.shtml

[S.p.i.d.e.r.]

Postcards from Peru
by Jack57

Taking a break from weapon modifications for ghost recon, this week I focused on one of the best third party campaigns out for ghost recon at the moment, it is a seven level campaign that takes place in where the title suggests, Peru. It involves many aspects of the original game that were never fully touched up on, such as stealth, defending a allied base, and some low altitude helicopter insertions while under enemy fire, it may take more than just one try.

The Story: 8/10
One of the factors that set this apart from other scripted campaigns for  GhR is how the story unfolds, in the briefing screen, you read of things that have happened in the past, most are written as if they were meant for a close family member, which adds some level of personality to the story. Usually these messages are very brief and contain some very cryptic clues on what to expect. Most of the objectives are given out in game, this sort of thing helps when in an online co-op and no one cares to read the briefing. The story starts off by a discovery of a few rebels wanting to grab your equipment when you arrive in port, much later on that plays a small role in the campaign much later.

The Missions 9/10
Chaotic insertions, stealth movement through enemy camps, and blowing things up make up most of the action contained within this new campaign. All take place on desert siege maps, with the exception of the first mission. Enemies are more abundant this time around, and a degree more intelligent (or just a bit more intelligently placed), the scripted actions only add to the campaign's intensity , downed helicopters, escaping prisoners, and enemy armor all play a major role. One of the missions that particularly caught my eye was the mission taking place on DS05 Aurora, you are helicopter inserted, only to find that most of your fireteam is scattered around the insertion, with enemies hiding around most rocks and waiting in the hills to take you out, that might be fine if over 20 other rebels did not feel the need to charge your position and further complicate the situation. Later on things get a bit more intense, but some details must be left out to keep some small level of surprise.

Postcards from Peru can be grabbed at this location
http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~damnr6/macmods/grmission.shtml
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The Dam
by Neutron

What it is
A slightly large map that contains one dam at the farthest north area, and a large outdoor range riddled with ruined forts, small paramilitary bases, and some small signs of recent life that suggest something really bad happened there. It also contains two missions, one involves finding your way to the dam, which is guarded by our favorite selection of rebels from georgia and some of their friendly russian tanks, and the 2nd involves a massive assault led by two tanks and a handful of friendly UN peacekeepers.

The Map 8/10
Some maps are great for quake style deathmatch, some are meant for idealistic sniping situations, this one in particular, contains a little of both. Away from the dam is a wide open section of land divided by the river and a very steep cliff, the rough distance between the divisions are around three hundred meters, which although is not much in real life, it is here. Sniping moments like this are rare in the stock maps for ghost recon, most of the RSE maps have 100meter fog and draw plane, There are a few exceptions, but in terms of sniping, the original ghost recon maps left something definite to be desired. The dam itself is setup in a slightly general fashion, control rooms inside, turbine rooms, maintenance vehicles lying around. The whole place is now deserted after an attack on it.

Meshes: N/A
There are no map variants contained, further maps without more than one variant will not contain this section in the review.

The dam weighs at 11 megs and is currently downloadable here
http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~damnr6/macmods/grmap.shtml

[Captain Snorp]

Keep on coming with the reviews --

it's always nice to know if the 80mb download is going to be worth it, and if it'll work on the Mac on top of it all.

And it's a good way for those of us who play MP with PC people to keep on top of what the better mods to tell the PC people to get are.

Thanks!

-Captain Snorp

PS: I couldn't get the IDF mod to work correctly on my machine (but I do have trouble with some of the IT maps due to low-end-systemitis), but that was a while back and a newer version might have been released since.