Mods that are better than the base game

Europa Barbarorum for Rome 1 and then Divide et Impera for Rome 2. Vanilla Rome 2's improved a lot, though. Pretty much any mod for Vicky 2, as well.

More controversially, I think Black Mesa has evolved to be more fun to play than Half Life 1. It is extremely hard to go back after the new Xen levels.
 
I think Enderal is an objectively better game than vanilla Skyrim, even if the latter has way more content (but it's a mod vs a AAA game, so that can be excused, and quality > quantity anyway, right?)
I admittedly haven't played Nehrim, but I assume it's in the same boat, but with Oblivion.
 
Jagged Alliance 2 1.13
Counter-Life
Give Me Deus Ex
Q3 CPMA
LURK
7,62 Hard Life
Darkest Hour
Fallout: Wanderer's Edition
SMOD Tactical
Heroes Unleashed
Raven Shield 2.0
SEFmod
FO2 Restoration Project
Cold As Hell
I could do this all day, OP
 
Even in its early state I would argue that Tamriel Rebuilt is the definitive Morrowind experience.
 
Even though i loved the base game Europe in ruins for Company of heroes 1, got me playing a couple of months extra, together with my mates, though it started to become pretty elitist in the end that i was involved with it, and certain people were blacklisted and clicks had formed which pretty much only played together, which didn't help the small community to grow, and new users to join.
 
Movie Battles is a multiplayer mod for Jedi Academy that not only adds maps and characters from all movies + popular EU content but also refines the saber combat away from something you had to learn glitches for to something resembling a directionally sensitive dueling system.

Still active even after all these years:
 
pokemon rom hacks. my favorite being sacred gold. makes a decent pokemon game into one of the most fun games i have played.
 
"Dark World Fantasy" for Crusader Kings 2 and the Gamindustri mod for Civ5
 
"Perisno" for mount and blade warband, It's one of the biggest and most well made mods I ever played for that game.
 
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