Everyone gives up too early on ZZ, the second half is pretty good. I can easily see why most don't like the first half though. It's probably best viewed right after the end of Zeta actually, since it lightens up the mood after the far more somber end of Zeta.
War in the Pocket was [tornado fang]ing awesome, and it really felt more down to earth than the others.
The ones I've seen, anyway. I'm curious about Turn A.
Which ones did you see? Just so I can get a good idea of what to recommend. If you liked War in the Pocket though, I'd give 08th MS Team a go.
Turn A... well, I enjoy it, but it's a little all over the place sometimes in the writing department.
Do keep in mind that I'm a big advocate of the UC timeline, I like most of it (yes, including Char's Counterattack, although it's admittedly more for the smooth fight animation and music). UC series are generally more down to earth than most of the AU series.