September 2002

Island Thunder Review Monday September 30 | Rocky

My three page Island Thunder review is now complete, check it out here. The campaign, weapons, sounds, difficulty, and new game modes are all covered and there are 15 new screenshots to enjoy.

CASM(w)1.2 Monday September 30 | Rocky

Chris Anderson's SWEDISH MARINES (Woodland) mod has undergone a detailed upgrade to v1.2. The new version is a revamped and visually superior version over CASM 1.1 and looks a lot better and runs smoother.

DS compatibility is improved as is multiplayer mode. So if want to take the Swedish Marines onto the battlefield complete with weapons and camo, now you can with this quality mod! Grab it here.

Mail Bag Monday September 30 | Rocky

Time to catch up on this weeks mailbag ...

Retextured Vilnius map from Boitino, download.
Operation Backlash is a new GR mission from Hurricane Force, grab it here and read SOTO Mac's review here.
Weapon Viewer Tool. This tiny application from Olli allows easy access to the technical data of Ghost Recon (and SOAF) weapons. YOu can even compare various mods at the same time and compare the weapon stats! Grab it here and mail the author feedback here. If it fails to run, grab .NET from MSoft.

I also got a couple of neat e-mails I thought I would share with you for a change. CarlE converted a Medal of Honor fan to Ghost Recon, and his sentiments sum up what's so great about Ghost Recon ...

"He has nothing but praise for the graphics, playability, and intensity of the game itself. He asks me everyday, if I saw this or that in a particular mission. He is absolutely pumped!!!!! Tell everyone around that the GR Games ARE the best"

And finally a message from me to RC Hudson in Texas. Mr Hudson, we are a games fan site - not a retail outfit, here's what he mailed us....

"I am looking for the parts to mount a shotgun to an ar15 assault rifle. Please let me know if you sell these parts or refer me to company that does. Thanks"

Sabre Update Sunday September 29 | Rocky

Baja Bravo has taken Sabre Teams to version 1.3 with a host of alterations. You can read the full official update at BajaBravo's site, here's a brief run down though....

Re-coded to run with GR v1.3 and Island Thunder
Win XP bug fixed
Now over 90 weapons
438 kits!
Reticule option (default or modded)

Storm from @war was good enough to upload this monster 60Mb+ mod, you can grab it from here. If you have problems downloading mods of that size, fear not, I have made arrangements with PC Gamer and Sabre Teams v1.3 will be appearing in the December edition - more on that later!

Project Alpha Sunday September 29 | Rocky

Project Alpha for The Sum Of All Fears has been released by Col.Ginge of the R.O.G.U.E. Veterans, check the screenshots out here.

Project Alpha is a weapons and skins mod for TSOAF including new skins : FBI HRT, FBI, POLICE, US SEALS, MR ORANGE, MISS ORANGE and UK SAS. There are also added blood, improved shotguns, new gun sounds/reticules, tweaked NV, new guns/kits and added equipment (clays, at4, drop sensors). Grab the file here.

IT UK Release Friday September 27 | Rocky

As Island Thunder begins to appear in USA stores and ships from Amazon, UK fans have been mailing us asking for news on the UK release date. Official word is, and it's not good - "November". That means UK fans have at least 4 weeks to wait until they can enjoy the helicopter insertions and new jungle based maps of Island Thunder

The Good and the Bad Thursday September 26 | Rocky

There are so many enhancements to Ghost Recon in the new v1.3 patch, it's a little surprising to see only one detail being debated on forums across the community - the removal of the limp! Fans seem to be up in arms over the fact that the new patch removes limping, you can pass your own judgement by voting in this poll.

On the other hand there are some excellent new features, kicking off with new modding opportunities thanks to a new feature that Hot Pants posted about in our forums - add your own comment about the new patch here.

Patch Update Wednesday September 25 | Rocky

The latest news on the v1.3 patch is that it works on UK Ghost Recon versions too, not just USA. So now UK fans can benefit from this huge list of improvements! Download the patch from here, and leave your views in this discussion in our re-opened forums.

IT Music Downloads Wednesday September 25 | Rocky

Bill Brown has new music downloads for Island Thunder fans, stream or download from this page.

New GR Patch v1.3! Tuesday September 24 | Rocky

RSE have put together an awesome new patch for Ghost Recon, bringing it to version 1.3. Note this is for USA gamers ONLY, the Euro version will be out in October.

I have uploaded the 40+Mb file here, although you can also grab it from 3dgamers.

This is another incredible patch for the RSE team, just check out this list of improvements!

Athlete's Village Monday September 23 | Rocky

Low Profile has been working flat out on his next conversion for Ghost Recon - this time it is the R6 map Athlete's Village. It should be released in a few weeks, until then view the images and leave feedback for Low Profile here.

XE Full V2.0 Monday September 23 | Rocky

XE Full is a Sum Of All Fears mod from _xenon_Nerd and _xenon_ManUp that adds the following to TSOAF

New Character Skins with color coded arm bands
New Gun Kits and Guns
Maps With New Spawning Points
Blood Effects
Night Vision Enhancement
Explosion Effects
Realistic FlashBangs

It's a sizeable mod at over 35Mb, grab it from here, and visit _xenon_Nerd at his site here.

IT Shots Friday September 20 | Rocky

Lots of new Island Thunder screenshots are available at swedish site Fragzone, check them out here.

Also, check PCZone who have new images - and movies!

King Camper Tournament Thursday September 19 | Rocky

For the past week or two I have been working with Arachnid of the Black Plague clan on a worthy cause. UnDying, one of their members (and a confirmed Ghost Recon Camper heh) was the victim in a horrific car accident last month, when he was knocked from his bicycle by a car. His injuries were devastating, and he has a long and expensive road to recovery ahead of him.

That's where we come in, the Ghost Recon Community. Arachnid has put together a Tournament, and with help from various sources, including a very generous donation from Ubi Soft UK, there is a tremendous selection of prizes on offer.

Check these Rules and see why this is going to be one fun tournament. Entry is by an honour system, we hope every entrant will do the right thing and make a small donation to help UnDying with his recovery process. Even if you do not plan on entering, consider making a small donation to help a fellow Ghost Recon fan.

TimeBomb! Thursday September 19 | Rocky

Rose sent in a new game type he has come up with, and what a cracker it is! Download this tiny 15Kb zip file and you'll have a new game called Timebomb available to COOP and TEAM games online.

Install as per the small Readme I attached to the mods and you'll be presented with a new challenge on each of the maps. There will be 4 suspect packages spread around the map, only one will be the bomb - and only the designated Specialist can disarm it, with the rest of the team providing cover from the enemy. At 15Kb, you just can't find a better Ghost Recon download!

Sniper's Siege Fixed Thursday September 19 | Rocky

Low Profile has been working with 10mm Auto to bring you a better Sniper's Siege. The original map is now setup to run as a mod, supports all game types and uses Desert Siege skins as well! Grab this improved Sniper's Siege from here.

Soup's Maps Thursday September 19 | Rocky

Soup mailed in his map alterations for Ghost Recon and Desert Siege, I put the 350Kb file here. The included Readme explains how to install the mod and play the 12 game types and well over 50 versions of the original maps with new weather conditions, new respawn points, new start points, and repositioned machine guns!

Five and Counting Thursday September 19 | Rocky

With only 5 days to Island Thunder's release, it's time to hype it up a little!

The Official Island Thunder page can be found here, and our own details page can be found here. If you are not placing your order for it now, maybe you would like a chance to win a copy thanks to CWN! You'll find the full GR and R6 series, books and DVDs in our Store.

Early reports are that the new jungle maps in Island Thunder are breathtaking, it's going to be a long 5 days!

Official Site Update Tuesday September 17 | XianSaint

Busy day at the official Ghost Recon site, with a few news items worth mentioning. The following items made the headlines:

Official Island Thunder page is live. Check it out here.
New Poll - Have you pre-ordered Island Thunder?
New wallpapers...at www.ghostrecon.net (why...thats this place...cool)

Stay tuned, and we will continue to bring you the latest news as it becomes available.

10mm Auto Tuesday September 17 | Rocky

Two of the new maps recently added to the downloads database were Return to Monkey Island, and Sniper's Siege. Both of these maps are Beta's from new GR modder 10mm Auto, and he has just released a fixed mission file for Sniper's Siege. Grab the mission file from his webpage here, and while you are there check out his latest project - Sangatte, Refugee Camp.

Wallpapers Monday September 16 | Rocky

How about this for a cool collection of wallpapers?

There are a total of 5 in this series so far, each one featuring a different member of the Ghosts, and one of the whole squad. To see the other wallpapers from KlausHenkel, and to download them for your own use, check this post in our forums.

Suicide Bombers Monday September 16 | Rocky

Does having Suicide Bombers in Ghost Recon sound, a little out of place? Or does it sound like another barrier broken down by our creative modding community? Whatever you think, check out the cool images Cocobolo have posted in our forums and leave them some feedback.

BattleZone Monday September 16 | Rocky

Battlezone is a new Desert Siege mission from Richard Fournier that promises some neat action for the Ghosts. In order to enjoy this mission you'll need to have FL-ava, GRM4 and HX3 installed, there are download links for those in the Readme included with the mission file. Grab the tiny zip file here.

Adv. Training Sunday September 15 | Rocky

Dan mailed in his Advanced Training map for Ghost Recon. The idea behind this mod is to allow Ghost Recon clans and gamers the chance to try out new weapon mods without the distraction of AI and missions. The mission briefing explains how to reset the targets in each range - grab the file here.

Diemaco C7 Saturday September 14 | Rocky

If you have heard of the Diemaco C7 Assault Rifle you may be interested in this tiny weapons mod sent in by Masiro. It adds the Diemaco complete with an underbarrel M203 and ACOG sight to the Rifleman's kit, grab it here.

In The Forums Friday September 13 | Rocky

Tweaking Ghost Recon : Nemon has posted some great tips in our forums for tweaking Ghost Recon performance, and they have been verified as effective. Read his tips and subsequent discussion right here.

Land Warrior : Delta Sniper has posted some awesome real-world Land Warrior images in our Special Forces Forum, check them out here!

Enemy Realism Mod Friday September 13 | Rocky

Droopy has released another of his Realism mods - this time its an "Enemy Realism" mod which promises longer and more realistic firefights. Replay the original campaign with this mod active for a new challenge, or play it with other mods such as Navy Seals 2 active.

Grab the Beta here, and leave feedback in our forums - this is a beta - so make your opinion known!

IT Official News Friday September 13 | Rocky

Some Island Thunder news from GhostRecon.com; Ubi are sponsoring a new tournament for teams of 4, with Island Thunder prizes - sign up here, and they have posted an ftp link to the new IT trailer right here.

Vympel Progress Friday September 13 | Rocky

After a short quiet spell, Earl is back working on his highly anticipated Vympel mod for Ghost Recon. Nine new screenshots were recently posted on his site, check them out here.

New IT Movie Wednesday September 11 | Rocky

Moby noticed Fileplanet are serving up a new Island Thunder Movie! Watch and discuss.

NVRefresh v2.0 Wednesday September 11 | Rocky

Thanks to SuperBob for pointing out that a new version of NVRefresh compatible with the latest Detonator drivers is now available for download. If you are running Windows XP and Nvidia drivers, and find that Ghost Recon seems capped at 60FPS, visit MajorGeeks now and select a download location. For alternatives check our updated FAQ.

Training Center Wednesday September 11 | Rocky

Drunk Bob of The Fishing Hole fame, is teaming up with Harntrox to bring a new map and new missions with a training theme. The Government Training Center will consist of two seperate areas. There will be the =SEALZ= Aircraft Takedown Instruction Facility and the XRW Weapons Proficiency Center.

For full details and some early images click here, to leave feedback or suggestions for Drunk Bob, visit his discussion in our forums here.

Fisher's Moves Wednesday September 11 | Rocky

Star of Tom Clancy's upcoming Splinter Cell - "Sam Fisher", displays his agility for us today with this short animation.

Splinter Cell

Refresh your browser if the animation has stopped, to see Sam perform his Split Jump. Ubi Soft tell us that this MGS2 beater lasts twice as long as the Solid Snake adventure! Visit the official Splinter Cell site for new goodies including a winamp skin, animated gifs for your e-mails, and some wallpapers and a screensaver!

Ubi.com Upgrade Tuesday September 10 | Rocky

Ubi.com have been working hard on improving their Game Service and are ready for volunteers to test out the new Beta service. If you'd like to be involved e-mail them by clicking here, and include your Ubi username and windows version in the e-mail.

IGN IT Review Tuesday September 10 | Rocky

IGN have reviewed the first two missions in the new Ghost Recon expansion Island Thunder. Read their opinions, and check out the images here. Thanks Koichiro!

Fishing Hole Mission Sunday September 08 | Rocky

Harntrox has scripted a Desert Siege mission for Drunk Bob's Fishing Hole! Grab the file here and have fun - note that this mission is primarily for Coop play, if you try it Solo - make sure you select Recruit!

DS Unlocked Sunday September 08 | Rocky

"Somebody" has released a Desert Siege unlocker which opens up every Ghost Recon and Desert Siege mission and specialist, grab it from the download list on the right, visit Somebody here, and leave comments here!

Mail Bag Saturday September 07 | Rocky

Here's some nuggets from this weeks mailbag ...

This mission from Egil will provide a real challenge for anyone looking for a new Desert Siege coop adventure. Here's what Egil had to say about his mission

"Made this mission because its a cool map, and the missions there is of this map, is to easy. About 140 enemies and you need alot of patience."

Drop the mission file into your MP1>missions folder to play.

Another Desert Siege mission file came in that is to be the first in a series of missions based upon the original missions, but with new twists. Grab the first in the series here, it's called Warlord Takedown.

If it's new weapons to try out that you are after try this mod from the Phantom Soldiers. There are 19 new weapons including three G36's, a Phanton sniper rifle, D745E handguns, and an AK Fiber Force.

Each of these mods come from new Ghost Recon modders, make sure and leave them some feedback in our forums!

Forums Round-Up Friday September 06 | Rocky

With our forums passing the 50,000 posts mark this week, I thought we'd have a little look at the interesting posts today.

Hoptpants is working on a Vietnam mod and has posted some screens here.
BajaBravo has posted some cool Rainbow Six screens here.
Projectile let us know that Sniper Armoury Ver 1.2a is now ready!
Laser sights from Greb here.
Pr3dator let us know he is still working away on his awesome new map, check it out here!

GR Console Site Thursday September 05 | Rocky

Check out this neat new official Ghost Recon site for consoles. There are details on the X-Box and PS2 versions including screenshots, movies and information, all wrapped up in a cool new site.

Splinter Cell Award Thursday September 05 | Rocky

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell picked up Overall Best Game award at ECTS! to celebrate Ubi Soft sent us a batch of brand new images.

Visit the official Splinter Cell site here.

GR Expansion Pack 3 !?! Wednesday September 04 | XianSaint

Surely not already...The second expansion pack hasn't even been released yet and there is already talk of a third expansion pack. The official Ghost Recon site has a new poll asking what the chances are that there will be another one, and Whiteknight77, one of GR.net's Staff Members, noticed a forum at the official site already discussing this issue. Check out the poll here and talk about it in our forum here.

New SOAF Map Wednesday September 04 | Rocky

Low Profile has released Aztec for The Sum Of All Fears, grab it here.

Medics Down Wednesday September 04 | XianSaint

Pyro_Monty, one of GR.net's very own forum regulars, is in the (closed) BETA stages for his mission Medics Down which will be shipping with the 22nd SAS Equipment Mod. I've had the pleasure of playing it both online and single player and it was quite enjoyable. Visit his clan's website here for information about the modification, then come back and chat about it in our forums. A preview will be posted soon, and expect to see the released version in the near future.

New IT screens Sunday September 01 | Rocky

Thanks to ChrisCool for pointing out these new Island Thunder screens!

MP5 Flashlight Sunday September 01 | Rocky

The innovative modding community is on the verge of another modding breakthrough - working flashlights for the MP5. Greb has posted some screenshots of progress so far in our forums, check them out!