Vartuoosi's Big Throbbing List of Mod Recommendations

[Vartuoosi]

So I went on a bit of a hunt for mods so whoever of us is making missions could have a quick access to a list of decent mods in case people want to try some different variety of units, equipment and settings.
I set couple of rules so not just any mod can make it to the list, but I’m willing to bend them if the mod is interesting enough (except rule #4, that is unbendable).

Rule #1: There has to be some meat on the bones.
The mod needs some content on it. I'm not gonna bother with mods that add one rifle and an uniform and calls it a day.

Rule #2: The mod should add units that are on the editor/Zeus entity list thingy.
This is for the convenience of whoever is the GM. All that fancy gear and uniforms don't mean much if all of it has to be assigned to troops manually one piece and one soldier at a time.

Rule #3: No re-skins of vanilla Arma 3 stuff.
These mods are just vanilla Arma 3 gear and vehicles that have some camo lazily slapped onto them and then falsely called X-nation pack, with the camo applied dictating what nation the "mod pack" masquerades as. For example the are a ton of mods claiming to be mod packs for Australian forces but all of them are just shitty re-skins of vanilla gear.
These are the lowest form of Arma mods and should be despised and shunned.

Rule #4: You don't talk about the fight club.

I'll be splitting the list into Modern (everything after WW2), WW2 and Misc.


Modern

Let’s start off with the big boys:

Red Hammer Studios packs

https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=843770737

These mods are the benchmark that other mods should aspire to. Top notch stuff here
There’s four packs that add equipment that range from the late cold war to modern day, though heavily leaning on the modern side of things.
Many other mods that add factions also use these packs to equip those factions.
A ton of uniforms, vests, small arms, attatchments to those small arms, vehicles and aircraft.

AFRF – Armed Forces of Russian Federation
USAF – US Armed Forces
SAF – Serbian Armed Forces
Mostly re-skins stuff from the US/Russia packs, though there is some stuff unique to this pack.
GREF - Green Forces
Now while the others are self-explanatory this one might need a bit explaining. Green forces adds the factions from Arma 2 (they use older Soviet/Russian equipment), a military for the Tanoa island called the Horizon Islands Defence Force(using older western gear) and some generic rebel group. Also adds equipment and vehicles/planes that don’t fit into the US/Russia TOE like for example SA-58 family of rifles, western battle rifles and even some WW2 era small arms.
Still in active development

CUP - Community Upgrade Project

https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=583575232

CUP’s goal is to bring all the content (factions, units, weapons, gear, vehicles, maps) from previous Arma games into Arma 3. Everything is conveniently separated in their own mod packs.
Like the RHS packs other mods often use CUP as their base.
Still in active development

Project Opfor

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=735566597&searchtext=project+opfor

This one uses the gear and vehicles from RHS mods to build upon and adds a large number of factions. Just check the list in the Steam workshop description, there’s 32.

Swedish & Finnish Forces Pack

https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=826911897
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=917042703

Swedish stuff is pretty extensive and range from late Cold War to modern day, while the Finnish pack is more bare bones at the moment.
FDF pack requires both the Swedish-pack and Hellenic Armed Forces Mod - Helicopters to run.
Is still in active development.

https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=909320014

https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=743099837
Using this F/A-18 mod with the FDF-pack adds the Hornet in Finnish markings

Hellenic Armed Forces Mod (HAFM)

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=862564410

And speaking of the Greeks here is mod for modern Greek military.
Also has a navy pack which features ships and subs from several different navies.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1543583710

Still seems to be worked on.

Opération FrenchPoint and ArmaModFrance

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2039959656&searchtext=operation+frenchpoint
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1781990846

Modern French military, no older CW-era gear, at least not yet.
Now you might ask; ”Vart, you Olympian specimen, why two mods on the same subject?”.
Because Frenchpoint only has infantry stuff in it at the moment and while ArmaModFrance also has ground and air vehicles, it’s infantry small arms and uniforms are in the arsenal only and not available in the editor as ready made units.

PSZ: Polish Armed Forces

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2098564124&searchtext=polish

Received a big update just last month. Mod comes with modern Polish military, a new map and some single player and co-op missions.
This update also included a stand-alone opfor pack;
PSZ: OP4

https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=2098561878

This might be an interesting alternative to Project Opfor. Sure the factions on this pack are more on the generic side (and fewer in number) but the equipment on those opfor troops is automatically randomized. And in addition to vanilla A3 gear this pack will draw gear from the PSZ and RHS mods.

NCS - NZDF MKII

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1472791101&searchtext=

New Zealand troops, gear ranging from modern day to older Cold War gear. Even includes an Anzac class frigate .

VME PLA Mod

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1562282342

Chinese military. Has the most modern of Chinese equipment and vehicles, still in development so hopefully some older stuff gets added in the future.

Korean People's Army for RHS

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=911881264
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1147224693

Uses the gear from RHS to make a faction for the Best Korea.
I can already hear you saying; ”Vart, you incredibly virile stallion, Project Opfor already has North Korean faction!”.
Yes but this one is better. Opfor one just has basic infantry setup and some vehicles for them, this mod has the infantry separated into shitty militia, normal army troops and special forces all with different setups of gear. It also expands what vehicles are available and adds aircraft which the Norks don’t have at all in Project Opfor.
There’s also a version that uses CUP but I think the one with RHS is better.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=909614957



List will be updated as I come across more interesting stuff.


Next post, hopefully written within the next day or so, will have WW2 mods.


Stay tuned.

 

[Vartuoosi]

WW2

Northern Fronts - Scandinavia in WW2

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1507586063&searchtext=northern+fronts

Currently features infantry assets for the Finnish Army and Norwegian Army (circa invasion of Norway) and the Norwegian resistance fighters. The Finns also have couple of static heavy weapons (76 K/02 cannon, Maxim M/09-21 MG and L-39 AT-rifle).
Mod is still in development and future updates will be expanding the assets of those armies and eventually also add the Danish Army c.1940 and the Winter War era Red Army.
Also has excellent map pack. Couple of the maps are just reworked versions of Chernarus but several of the maps are completely new.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1630816076&searchtext=northern+fronts


CSA38 mod - Czechoslovak army 1938 (Munich crisis)

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=641305739

What if the Munich crisis went hot.
Adds Czechoslovak army and German military of late 30s. Features equipment in pretty much every category except aircraft. Also comes with Sudetenland German militias, German client state Slovakia faction and surprisingly extensive amount of Commonwealth gear and tanks to simulate Czech forces in-exile (there is also generic CW uniforms without the Czech patches).
One annoying thing about the mod is that the web gear is not balanced. Every piece of web gear can hold exactly the same amount of stuff, even if it’s just a bare belt with nothing but a pistol holster or a webbing with multiple smg mag pouches and several other pouches and bags. Also the mines added by this mod are too big to fit into any of the backpacks in the mod. Hopefully that gets fixed someday.
Is still being updated.

Also has a really nice map
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1526918410

September 1939 / Wrzesień 1939

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1348553859

This one requires CSA38 mod and adds the Polish army of 1939. Same deal equipment wise as CSA38, no aircraft and web gear is not balanced.
It’s a bit unclear to me if this is still being developed, last update was in early 2018 but this shares a developer with CSA 38 and he is active on that mod. In any case there is still a good selection of content in this mod.
Even though CUP - Terrains Core is not listed as a dependency for this mod you get an error if you try to run it without it. The stuff in the mod seems to work fine despite the error but running this with the CUP Terrains Core is no big deal since most WW2-era maps require it anyway.


IFA3_AIO_LITE

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=660460283

We’ve already been playing with this one but adding it just for the sake of thoroughness.

IFA3 liberation

https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=950999958

A little expansion mod for the IFA3.
Adds few small arms, several tanks, vehicles and static heavy weapons.
Damage modeling for vehicles has been changed and concussion effect from nearby explosions has been added to infantry.
This one also adds katanas and knifes as working weapons. You guys really should load up this mod and go test them in the virtual arsenal. The animations are hilarious.


List will be updated in future if I find interesting mods or new stuff and updates comes out.

Next post will be dealing with Misc. Mods.

 

[Vartuoosi]

Miscellaneous

Here is mods that don’t fit the two previous categories or do something else than add factions.

We’ll start off with my personal favorite.

Stargate ARMA

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1100647027

This mod has a working stargate system, tons of placeable SG related props and buildings, even spaceships. Uniforms and unit patches for SGC, units and equipment covering Jaffa, Ori and Wraith troops. There’s even Replicators (very WIP) that are able to piece themselves together shortly after being shot.
Doesn’t feature weapons for the SGC troops so I really recommend using NIArms weapon pack to arm the Stargate Command troops.
Speaking of NIArms...

NIArms All in One

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1208517358

The best weapon pack there is for Arma 3. Completely BTFO’s other stand-alone weapon packs. Has very wide selection of weapons and multiple variants of those weapons, top notch models, excellent custom animations, large selection of attachments, magazines and ammo types.
Very nice mod for equipping players in coop-missions.

Aftermath

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1285636607

Modding, modding never changes. Yep, it’s Fallout.
Adds factions, weapons, equipment and props from the Fallout-series, ton of content. Also has maps but they are mega-WIP, I don’t know why they even bothered to include them at this point.
In development.

Operation: TREBUCHET

https://steamcommunity.com/workshop/filedetails/?id=769440155
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1572627279

Have you wanted to try out the Halo universe but those console peasant-tier games keep turning you off? Well here is your chance. This mod pretty throroughly replicates the human forces, UNSC and rebels. The First Contact sub-mod adds Covenant forces, though only Elites at the moment of writing. Comes with several maps.
In development.

There is Only War Mod

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1160452826

In the buggy derpness of Arma 3 modding there is only WAR.
It’s a Warhammer 40k mod.
Includes factions, gear, vehicles, etc. for the Imperium, Chaos cultists, Tau and Orks. And yes, those vehicles include a couple of walker mechs with modeled interiors and everything. Has few maps, kinda rough but playble.
In development.

Universal Ammo System

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1809369854

Adds absolutely retarded amount of ammunition types, different size magazines and explosives and aims to bring as many mods as possible under it’s umbrella to solve issues with ammo incompatability between mods (for example CUP 5.45 AK’s can’t use RHS 5.45 ammo). Check the workshop description for currently supported mods.
In development.

MagRepack

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1593431569

Allows you to consolidate partially spent mags. Very useful for getting more space in your inventory and to stop you from getting into fights with mags that have just few rounds in them.

Endurance++

Steam Workshop::Endurance++

steamcommunity.com

This mod increases the amount of stamina and stamina recovery so the virtual operators aren't quite so asthmatic.

Finnish Defense Forces uniforms

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=804786045

Adds many variants of the M05 and M04 camo pattern uniforms and headgear, as well as the M10 and M13 plate carriers. Very much recommended to be used with the FDF-pack mentioned in the earlier post, since the gear selection is kinda sparse on that one and the M05 vest (only Finnish vest in the mod) is oddly proportioned and weirdly stretched out in places.
This one is an exception to rule 3, added to the list because unlike 99% of retexture mods this one is actually pretty well made (and it helps that one of the vest models is pretty close to what the M10 looks like).
But most important of all it allows me to show up to the battlefield in gona-style.






Mods that deserve a mention...

ACE
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=463939057

TFAR
http://radio.task-force.ru/en/


Next I'm gonna go scouting for maps.