(On the other side of spectrum if probably Battlefield engine - modding it must be nightmarish experience, with absolutely no hope of support or getting a commercial contract once the job is done.)
Do you know that the Insurgency mod team looking for a "doorway to the gaming industry?"
Didn't the Mod team of the desert combat mod for BF1 got hired to work on BF2?
It is true that Valve support their modders rather well. However, Epic definitely does too. Make-Something-Unreal contest anyone? Without the help of Epic, I'm sure we wouldn't have had RO:Ostfront.
Oh and by the way, someone from the INS team did actually get a job in the gaming industry (level design), he has to move from Germany to Sweden I believe. I forgot what company he will be working for. IMO the art department for INS are very talented, it's just that they need to fix its most basic things such as the movement and anti-smacktard stuff.
Modding for Source does have its advantages, but it doesn't have much to do with the engine itself. If your mod is at least halfway decent, you know it will have players (see: toss each other off comment).
You mean like RO?What if they're actually doing the mod for fun, or because they thought there was a need for a slightly more realistic modern combat game than CS etc, but not as "simulatorish" as ArmA?
Why would he get hired for making cramped, linear maps...
You mean like RO?
... Did I just made enemies right there?
Because GRAW has cramped, linear maps too?
Because GRAW has cramped, linear maps too?
Well, INS is basically like a modern-day RO already, so....
Oh and GRAW realistic? Lel! (I know GRAW had bigger maps but most of them were pretty cramped... )