Alright, at this point, we can safely assume I will not be fixing this mod any time soon. If anyone wishes to make a remake, fix it up, use its resources or anything, feel free at it.
I used that statement to create a fixed version of this campaign, that i uploaded on Knossos a few weeks ago.
In this process i played through this campaign of course.
So time for a review of this campaign.
First of all, what i actually disliked here:
I think that the new weapons are next to useless
. Actually i was never sure, why i should use the Beam cannon for attacks on subsystems, if i can use the Maxim instead, which is a much better and more powerful toy for this kind of work, especially because the Beam drains nearly a third of the weapon energy per shot. Also the machine gun seems only useful on the Phoenix... because it was the only weapon next to the beam that was faster than this ship, but other weapons have better DPS rates. I have to admit, most missions are much easier if i simply stick to the default FS2 stuff, that is already at least 15 years old here.
Especially on Insane, where the small Hitpoints of the Phoenix are much more dangerous for yourself.
The story itself was also hardly believeable... nothing against an army that fights for independence of Laramis. But this one was actually a little over the top with all the new technologies even the GTVA do not have ^^.
And with them, it was too obvious that there have to be much more behind this rebellion. Actually i am not sure if i really like the "terran superpower in the shadows" stuff. Especially because they seemed to be able to create a big fleet with cutting-edge technology unnoticed by the GTVA.
But what i actually liked?
Actually i liked, that the LSR used customized versions of GTVA crafts that have slighty different stats than their GTVA counterpart. Actually i think, that this is more realistic that they are different versions of the same ships available, for different purposes. It looks much easier for me to build in some more hullplates for less speed (or acceleration) on the GTF Perseus instead to create a whole new fighter design for that purpose. Also it make sense, that this version of a fighter is used in only one specific system for example... because of much more Asteroids or something like that. Also it is known that there were at least two different GTF Apollos variants in service during the Terran-Vasudan War, even the fighter variant was the only one, that was available in Freespace: The Great War in the end.
Even i think, that they are too less new fighter types and even weapons in general, at least in capship technologies the GTVA had enough additions, so that you can believe, that this one plays a whole decade after FS2. Also these technologies did not look too different from the established GTA/PVN/GTVA design.
Except for the Venice itself, which looked more like a ship from Wing Commander III or IV.
Also i liked many of the missions. The transition from cutscenes to gameplay was very good. Some of the missions were very special in design, i think "Patriots and Tyrants" was my favorite mission in the end, because in the first part you watch the fight from distance and have your own escort duty and in the second part you are jumping right to that battle you observed in the distance before. But i have to admit, that there were also one or two missions, that could be much better. My low in this campaign was "Battle for Ross 128" for example which i felt very boring with the right loadout.
The backgrounds in the mission were always very good and atmospheric.
Well, i do not expect, that Chapter 2 will be ever released, but atleast the whole independence story got some ending here, even it is revealed as a part of a bigger story. But this campaign is standing alone enough to entertain, what is a good thing.
