Some really good comments here. I both enjoyed and benefited from reading these.
@Jah: I actually spent some time with the editor (just for the heck of it) and it's not as bad as people say here. At first it looks complicated and weired, but once you follow the attached documentation carefully it all starts to make sense. True, there seems to be a nasty bug with the textures, but you can find a way around it. So making a new, custom scenario is not more daunting than in any other game. Don't get me wrong, it is daunting in every game.
You can't help it.
Hours spent with 3D Max, textures, models, dialogs, storyline, scripts... blah blah blah.
Perhaps that's the reason why there is always a limited number of participants in fan-made editor contests, no matter what game. It's a heck lot of work!!!
VO: I see your point. Yes voice talents must be expensive to be hired and they would either do a partial vo (only some main dialogs) or limit the text or get same actors to do multiple chars. All are bad solutions. Still, imo VO adds a lot to the game, if done properly.
@onepiece: With all due respect, I disagree. I believe that a good storyline makes or breaks the game. I mean I hear you that whan a game has a lot of technical bugs, inventory problems etc. you can't evaluate the storyline (first things first). Yet I see a game as a form of storytelling (similar to the movies, books, comics etc.)
What attracts people in games? Is it only how fast you shoot or how good the technical fireworks look? I'd say that a storyline catches your attention and you either stay with the game or stop playing it due to the lack of further interest in the storyline.