Hi skippers!
I just got myself SHIII and it should arrive within a few days. I've been browsing around to answer some of my questions, but I want to clarify a few points. (Please don't harpoon me if these are silly/obvious http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/halo.gif )
On starforce - apparently this is bad for my machine. I understand that some versions of the game carry it, while others do not. How will I know if mine does (I imagine there will be a prompt on install)? How can I make sure I can remove starforce if it gets installed?
On patches - I understand I only have to download 1.4b as it includes all other updates. Is this true?
On Mods - I've heard of a few mods already, namely Grey Wolves, etc. What mods are out there, what do you recommend, and what should be the order of installation? If mods come in a pack, like Grey Wolves, can I cherry-pick which features I want installed? If so, will this affect online play?
Online play - does anyone still play? I imagine they do, but I suspect that mods may make it hard to join.
Map scale - Ok this is a weird one. I read that the map is out of scale in that it's too large compared to everything else. Is this true? and if so, why?
Thanks for your help!

