The id Software engine is at a unique 'juncture' (never liked that word but it fits here) with Q3A Source about to be released, the Fusion Engine reaching maturity, and games galore being ported to Enemy Terrirory...
True Combat 1.x on Q3A is in a unique position where it could easily become a stand alone FPS Shooter, possibly even 'the' Linux/Open Source FPS of gaming with what appear to be all original art assets (textures, models, animations, game code)... WFF would seem to be in a similar position but like Q3TC is in it's own unique 'limbo'...
Both games have engine opportunity galore, and the twin Leviathan talents of ShadowSpawn and Acrid behind them at various points in their histories...
This all begs two questions: Will these mods ever be released as self-standing games? And will they ever be Open Source?
This last question is I feel especially germane as both projects have not even been proceeding at a hobby pace (for obvious and clearly understandable reasons). But especially odd is that id Software Mod communities have been some of the largest beneficiaries of id Software's largess and benefited enormously from generous Open Source contribution -- with tools, source, editors, level editors and goodies galore built on tens or even hundreds of thousands of man hours of effort and shared generously for free... Yet the lions share of Q3 mods remain closed source, insular, niche projects that eventually fade and die on the vine or fall out of vogue from lack of developer enthusiasm, support and commitment.
Open Source offer a unique answer that works.. Open Source avoids duplication of effort and lost work, and is open to and leverages talent world wide...
It's sad to see Weapons Factory and True Combat flounder under the weight of personal difficulties of the developers, and poor to non-existent PR when there could be a vital and thriving world-wide community of interested talent sustaining and even helping raise both these projects to the next level...
It look like Acrid may be back (was spotted in IRC)... And ShadowSpawn is on the mend, and it doesn't seem reasonable that either will remain interested in these projects indefinitely (if they still are)...
I feel that John Carmack's choices that we have all benefited from enormously are the right ones, and hope that the two mods that were instrumental in interesting me and my family in gaming will follow his example...