Perhaps you are just ill informed, because i would never see the modders works with FoT as "spasms" ... they *literally* cracked it open and made something new. Just to list some of those works we can mention:
1) Custom Campaigns - Each one contributing to add more diverse content.
a) Awaken mod - One of the first to introduce the Roleplay back into tactics.
b) Enclave & New Vegas - Add tons of new content and a new meaning of the word "tactics"
c) Many others being too numerous to list.
2) Open Fallout Mod - Offered a platform to an effective talking system and added more playable material
3) Fallout Improver -- an invaluable mod that grants deep customisation of the tactics editor.
4) Custom Sprites -- Modders effort to add more variety to the game resources by modeling from scratch or porting from other games, just to list three of my favorites additions.
a)
Der Fluger new Hummer.
Darin T51b power armor.
Diablo 7707 Robots.
5) Fallout Mod Launcher -- By Robco, place tactics in equal terms to the present games when it comes to setting up a mod.
6) FreeFT -- As said by the author, N_adult:
FreeFT is an open-source isometric, multiplayer action game engine which uses Fallout Tactics assets [...]
New videos demonstrating early gameplay:
[video=vimeo;91863672]https://vimeo.com/91863672[/video]
-- and those are only the features i know of.
7) and Last but not the least loyal fans, both modders and gamers ... willing to
as many times needed to encourage a single spasm of Creativity.