There is more to Spring than BA and SpeedMetal
Do not, I repeat do not, under any circumstances, no matter how heavy the pressure, ever play AA, BA, XTA, NOTA or BOTA. They are bad mods, made out of ten years old material. The all use all the same unit models stolen from a commercial game, with stat randomly changed. There are made of fail.
Play EE, which is at the moment the the best Spring mod, in the sense that is has two different sides (units don't look the same between each side, for instance one side land units are mainly tough tanks while the other side land units are mainly all terrain mechs), each with many units, spread over three factory tech level for each three milieu (sea/air/land). It's been well balanced with lots of multiplayer feedback, and, while it follows the same general line as TA (raid, expand to cap all metal patch, build more factories at base, make defense turrets on key points, and clash with your opponent huge armies of tanks, mech, planes, ships,... while slowly climbing tech levels), there's enough difference (such as how factories can only be built around expensive "hubs", or how planes and helicopter needs refueling after one or two attack passes) that it doesn't feel like a reskinned TA (or worse, a stat change on TA units). Models look original (as in, not a single unit looks like it's reusing a model from Cavedog), although I heard they're mostly made of deformed spare part stolen from elsewhere. Models use the old 3do format instead of the new and better s3o format, and the texturing isn't very good, but weapons effects are pretty good looking.
Expand & Exterminate screenshot
If you don't have time for a long time, or feel overwhelmend by the mass of new units and long learning curve of other mods, play Kernel Panic! It's a very small and fun mod, with:
- Three attack units: small spammable one, heavy one, artillery one.
- One builder unit.
- Two factory, the one you start with and you can't build, the one you can build (only on smoking geovent)
- Couple mines and walls no one cares about.
There is no ressource collection, no teching up, builder can't help each other, and it's meant to be played on a small map called Marble Madness. So basically after playing for 5 mins you will know everything there is to know about Kernel Panic. The rest is all strategy and cunning outhinking. Graphics use a tron like retro style, kinda like Darwinia, but are awesome otherwise. At the moment it's my favourite mod, but be aware that while other mod are too often overlong porcfest with semi realistic tanks and mechs, kernel panic feels completly different with its short and intense gameplay, so if you're looking for hour longs epic games, this wouldn't be the right mod.
Kernel Picture screenshot
Then there is also Gundam, which is about what its name says, the weird and experimental nanoblob, 1944 if you want realistic WWW2 themed mod. StarWarSpring is good, but sadly the current version, although it still plays nicely, is outdated compared to the version the SWS modding team is working on but won't release.
There's also lots of works-in-progress mod in various stage of unfinishedness, for instance yesterday I played some CvC, it had oceans of tiny drones and couple of overlage ubertanks of doom, every unit was looking like fresh plastic toys, constructing was done with fiery flames, and there were so many overlapping shields that everything was covered by bright blue haze.
If you need any files, there are all at
http://spring.unknown-files.net Just type what you are looking for in the top right search box.
Spring has many hidden features, so once you've played a little bit, read the manual and this site wiki. It's easy to overlook the power of Spring's interface, with things such as the repeat button, the zone commands, the "wait" order in units queue, box building, etc.... and mastering those command can really make a difference ingame.
Thou shalt only play Spring with the rigtheous mods such as EE, KP, Gundam, Nanoblob, 1944,... There will be many temptators, do not fall into the sin of TA based mods.
