Well, to be brutally honest, they're more often right than wrong when they give someone that treatment (I'm not referring to you)
I'm afraid all of those mods you mentioned have moved on to 1.5 (except NSM, but that one will surely follow as well). If I actually get the add-on it will be because of those outstanding mods and their creators; check lurker's incredible Operation Monsoon, for example. That mod alone is a HUGE temptation that might possibly tear down my objections to getting the add-on!
Still, it won't change the fact that I'm bummed that Ubi didn't release a stand-alone patch for the game, but forces you to get the add-on.
