Here is my two cents:
FS1 might need a "reborn" version in the future, because its gameplay lacks in variety, some missions are just dumb (especially the "Exodus"), the ending is a bit rushed and there are some plot inconsistencies here and there. In the end it's still 100 % playable, but only if you don't expect too much.
FS2 is much better, even after almost 15 years. The plot is taken to a new level, the level design is marvellous and the overall gameplay is solid. So it doesn't need a "reborn" or a remake version. However FS2 has some problematic missions. "Their finest hour" is already mentioned here, but the "Proving Grounds" deserves far more attention IMO.
"Proving Grounds" is the only mission that has a literally impossible secondary objective and another one that is extremely hard. I have played this mission countless times, both in FS2 retail and in FSO. Each and every time I end up with frustration. Let's take a closer look:
1) The first secondary objective tells you to defend a Fenris against Pegasus stealth crafts in training mode. Basically you have to shoot these pegagus' until they break off their attacks. It's very irregular how they behave and the "morning star" helps only a little. So far I have completed this objective twice in FS2 retail but not once in FSO.
2) The second secondary objective is the most problematic of them all. You have to destroy a Shivan Moloch named Tiamat before the Aquitaine escapes. This seems to be utterly impossible. I haven't been succesful at this even once, nor has any of my friends managed to complete it. Even if you know exactly where the Tiamat jumps in, it's not enough. The Aquitaine doesn't have enough firepower do destroy it in time, and the player has no weapons that could bring it below 1%.
In addition, it seems that there is a dialog inconsistency, since the command tells you that Molochs beam has taken Aquitaine down to 50 %. In reality, Moloch doesn't really damage the Aquitaine, the bombers do. It seems that at some point Moloch had a LRed in its nose (in the big circular red spot), but it was later removed, probably for immediate game balance reasons.
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So what the mission "Proving Grounds" needs is that its secondary objectives have to be "reliably achievable". A quick fix would be to lower Tiamats starting HP, but the whole mission probably needs broader overhaul.
With regards to the rest of FS2 campaign, "remastering" would be the word I would use instead of "reborn", if we REALLY want to enhance the overall gameplay experience. Here is what a "remaster" would include:
- Balance tweaks in missions (Clash of the Titans II is so easy that it completes itself, without ANY input from the player)
- Loadout tweaks (I have always wanted to use Infyrno in "Their Finest Hour", because of its awesome anti-cruiser power. No reason to NOT have Infyrno in the loadout)
- Overall small bug fixes
- A slight increase in scale of battle in a couple of missions, now that we have much better computers than in 1999. (High Noon especially deserves more fighter and bomber squadrons, so that Alpha 1 has something to do)
So yeah. This "remaster" version would need no new voice acting, no new briefings etc. It would be only about small changes and a couple of bigger ones (for example "Proving Grounds").
What do you think about this?