Afraid I can't agree with you there, I understand that GC became a great mod when it came into it's own, but I was there for first release, and that first Hoth map was horrendous, it had hardly anything in it and the textures and geometry were basic to say the least. I'm an avid Star Wars fan, and FPS fan, but it turned me right off the game, and when Desert Combat caught my eye I never returned to it (which was a shame as from all the GC vets that hang out around here, and the screenshots and vids I've seen of later releases GC became a really great game).

Give this mod time, and you'll see it do the same.