I enjoyed Tactics for what it was, but lamented over what it wasn't. And although we can never introduce the exact thing the game lacked, we can still come close. We can try hard and mod towards a future where the developers of FOT can be proud.

I am talking of making a brand new set of maps or an entire campaign that has fresh tile graphics, entities, etc.

Here is some of my test work for warming up:
http://img10.imageshack.us/i/fbos0000.jpg/
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/6822/fbos0000.jpg
http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/6822/fbos0000.jpg
http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/939/fbos0000d.jpg
http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/6822/fbos0000.jpg

Post here if you are interested.

I'd prefer to have the Multiplayer issues with Tactics addressed~ the game takes longer to set up than to actually play, and then there's no respawn, looting, or other interaction. And I have no clue how to address those issues

There is GameSpy Arcade and Hamachi as options. I also heard for best gameplay on multiplayer the server needs run on something called "Linux Wine". Very few people play multiplayer, because there is no seeable gamelist within the game itself. unless you are on a LAN with your family or friend.

GameSpy Arcade provides a lobby where you and others can host games, and even custom games can be hosted!

Sadly, some custom maps can be unstable or likely to have out-of-sync issues. Out of sync can happen if the host has a poor computer and/or connection or if the client has a poor connection.

I think at the moment, the best hope is to find a dedicated group or community that has a good host setup and you will have to use an additional program and spend time configuring it before you can join them.

Also know that if you want to play a custom map someone is hosting, you need that map and the same version.

Finally, and probably most important use the latest patch which is 1.27, and avoid any maps with a lower version.