I never modded SH3 or SH4 but after playing SH3 and Enigma a bit, and seeing SH4's beautiful graphics and generally becoming more interested in subs (which takes time!), I was inspired to bring the best of Enigma (voice command) into SH4. First version is out and working well. So maybe more new people like me will come to the scene (I don't have the inclination to mess with physics, graphics, AI, etc. I leave that to more talented people.)
I think the key is that developing a sub addiction takes a bit of time, especially for younger folks. Now that SH4 1.3 is out and getting a generally positive response, more people might be drawn in. One reason I committed to doing this was the presence of all the other mods, so I also hope that they keep coming and improving. When I'm done with my voice command, I'll want to play an awesome game with it, and I'll need their mods for that. When I test things out in my stock configuration, I sink destroyers by just ramming into them, and they generally ignore me a lot longer than they should, the game doesn't seem like much fun when there's these constant breaks from reality and immersion.
On that subject, sh4speech is all about better immersion through voice command. My general rule is,
if a task wasn't hands-on for the Captain, it won't be in my game either. And beyond the stadimeter, pointing at a spot on a map, and swiveling the periscopes, the Captain didn't really touch a whole lot, so I still have some work ahead of me...
If you can bark orders and not feel like an idiot, it really adds a lot to the game. If you think voice recognition is horribly unreliable, try it, you'll be blown away. The accuracy amazes me still.