Epic Programmer Brandon "GreenMarine" Reinhart updated his .plan with a lengthy essay focusing primarily on the user-made mod community, and how vitally important it is to the success of games in the shooter area. Brandon points out that "Minh Le, the author of Counterstrike, has effectively more people playing his game online at any one point in time than either Quake3 or UT. Consider this very closely if you work in the 3D industry. This is important." He goes on to repeat his belief we are in the midst of "a 'renaissance' in garage game development," and points out that some of Half-Life's longevity on the sales charts and online are due "to Valve brilliant and unrelenting support of the mod community," saying "This is NOTHING NEW to Valve, but quite new to the rest of the industry." Some of GreenMarine's update serves as a warning to mod authors to make sure they are not taken advantage of. Here's a bit on that:

Here's what I want to say to the mod authors: Remember what I said about companies taking what they can get? They do and they will. If a company offers you some money or a contract, get a lawyer. Do it right. Don't be afraid to ask what you think you are worth. You damn well know that if a company is seeking you out, you are worth something to them.

The garage mod authoring scene is driven both by groups and individuals. Individuals are more likely to find jobs at game companies through their work on notable mods. I think that what Valve has done with Team Fortress is probably an exception. I don't know any of the TF team, what their positions are at Valve, or even if all of them are actually working there. I do know, however, multiple individual mod authors who have found jobs in the industry because of their skill and initiative. Mods prove to game companies that a person has talent and the ability to complete a project.

The lengthy update goes on about the impact mods will have on the future of UT, and gives plenty of good advice to authors on planning and publicity, while warning against over-hyping, making note of our policy here of not honoring any of the dozens of requests we get each day to post screenshots and such of yet-to-be-released mods (so many fall by the wayside, as he admits one of his own past projects did). It's an insightful and informative read throughout, in spite of its massiveness.