[Bonehead]

I've played through the retail campaign several times, after which I became aware of FSOpen and played that as well.  However, aside from graphical changes, and a few options available in the launcher (3d radar, ship rearm time), I haven't noticed any significant changes to the campaign.  For example, wingmates still don't fire their Trebuchets, or use weapons inefectively (like using a morning star on a fighter without following up with missiles), some missions are still not very polished (like no beams for escort ships in High Noon, Tatanen can avoid destruction in The Fog of War, etc).  Is it the case that there is an updated version of the main campaign somewhere to download, or some separate updates to individual missions or AI Improvement mods?

I'm asking primarily because I'm interested in experiencing the new features of FSOpen.  And also, I want to make my wingmates fire Trebuchets.  Seriously, it was so irritating to watch them just sit there in the last few missions with bankfull of Trebuchets!

[Dragon]

There are a few mods, most notably Fury's AI mod.
Mediavps only modify the looks though, not behaviour.
Also, you may play Blue Planet, which is a campaign that makes use of many new features.

[General Battuta]

Blue Planet will do a lot of what you're asking.

Plus, improved AI (though you'll need the 3.6.12 feature pack.)

The main campaign itself has intentionally been left as close to retail state as possible. But there's nothing stopping anyone from making a fan edit of it to improve it.

[The E]

Yep. The mission statement of the SCP is to update the engine as far as possible, but to keep the retail experience the same. Modders can make use of the advanced features, but retail should stay retail, no matter what.
The FSU team, which produces the mediavps, operates on a similar principle. The MediaVPs are intended to bring the audiovisual part of the original game to modern levels, while keeping the gameplay the same.

The reason for this is that we do not want to create a situation where we make a decision about how we think the game should be played that runs counter to the original intent of :V:. If someone decides to make a mod that alters the way the retail campaign plays, that's fine. But we can't make this part of the "official" enhancement packages.

[SpardaSon21]

Someone (Dilmah G? ) has managed to make updated versions of some of the worse missions in the campaign such as "Their Finest Hour..." and "High Noon", which are missions that should have had more meat to them than what gave them.

[Titan]

Someone (Dilmah G? ) has managed to make updated versions of some of the worse missions in the campaign such as "Their Finest Hour..." and "High Noon", which are missions that should have had more meat to them than what gave them.

One notices that the missions get more rushed towards the end.

[Wobble73]

Of course, if you want to see some canon material, (or do we class it as semi canon?) updated. Check out ST:R (Silent threat: Reborn)!

[Goober5000]

As an exception to the mediavp rule, hasn't Their Finest Hour been modified to free the beams on the allied ships?

[General Battuta]

I'm not sure.

I also believe that some fighter classes in 'Place of Chariots' were tweaked to match dialogue.

[sigtau]

Nothing truly gameplay changing has occurred, last I checked--nothing like when we beam-locked the Lilith's beam in Blue Planet's Forced Entry--nothing that would change balance or affect gameplay at a deeper level than necessary.

At best, all the FSU and FSO teams try to do is just bring the retail game's visual standards up and give the engine more potential, respectively.

[Dilmah G]

Someone (Dilmah G? ) has managed to make updated versions of some of the worse missions in the campaign such as "Their Finest Hour..." and "High Noon", which are missions that should have had more meat to them than what gave them.

Ah yeah, that was me and Thadeus. High Noon was my first proper mission, and as such, I think a few things need tweaking (such as the wing arrival delays etc).

[Scourge of Ages]

If somebody could collect a list of all the retail missions that have been re-worked, you could start releasing a "Editor's Choice" mod of the main campaign, similar to ST:R.

[Woolie Wool]

If someone were to revamp the FS2 campaign, I'd also recommend rebalancing the ships and weapons (no Myrmidon/Helios, nerfed Tempests, etc.), reintroducing the Avenger and Phoenix V (the Phoenix V would be available early in the campaign and supplanted by the Trebuchet) and possibly the Harbinger as well, and trying to make everything more consistent.

[Klaustrophobia]

make it better.  sound advice.

[General Battuta]

If someone were to revamp the FS2 campaign, I'd also recommend rebalancing the ships and weapons (no Myrmidon/Helios, nerfed Tempests, etc.), reintroducing the Avenger and Phoenix V (the Phoenix V would be available early in the campaign and supplanted by the Trebuchet) and possibly the Harbinger as well, and trying to make everything more consistent.

I'd be hesitant to do anything that doesn't have associated voice files or written canon material, which some of these changes would require.

[sigtau]

I'd rather see a rebalancing and a utilization of Fury's AI, as well as a mission that truly takes Blue Planet's "cinematic" feel and adding it to every aspect possible (don't get me wrong, FS2 was awesomely cinematic, but in the end, the official campaign is still based on the 1999 engine).

Oh, and using more SCP features to make things just cooler overall would be nice.

[Fury]

Doing to FS1 and FS2 what ST:R did to ST sounds a good idea. But where ST:R stays compatible with retail, I would personally use fs2_open fully and re-work gameplay as well. If this project could get good fredders, I would be in to work on gameplay, Having Battuta aboard would be awesome, but there's still second half of WiH...

Goddammit, sigtau said pretty much what I was typing.

[Dilmah G]

I'd rather see a rebalancing and a utilization of Fury's AI, as well as a mission that truly takes Blue Planet's "cinematic" feel and adding it to every aspect possible (don't get me wrong, FS2 was awesomely cinematic, but in the end, the official campaign is still based on the 1999 engine).

Oh, and using more SCP features to make things just cooler overall would be nice.

Yeah, what he said.

[Fury]

Actually, if this project lifts off, it might be better not to use old voice-acting. It would impose hard limits on fredders and there wouldn't be improved dialogue. New voice-acting would be total pain in the ass though.

[MatthTheGeek]

I think doing for FS2 something similar to What If could be a good idea, but with less un-canon shifts.