I've been a modder and game developer for several years now, prior to NE I was (and still technically am, although taking a break from it) technical director for one of the most popular Source engine mods (we were ahead of Garry's Mod for several years, for those that know their Source). It's always been clear there are two types of mod. With the Source mod I work on, we are very community focused, almost everything we do is for the community and based on their suggestions and criticism (along with our own knowledge of gameplay, we don't just chuck jetpacks in because the majority think they'd be awshum); on the flipside and equally as valid, you have modders who work for their own enjoyment, to create a world they want to play in.
NE seems to be a mix of both, it's definitely a community mod, in the sense that everyones suggestions are taken on board and a lot end up being implemented; however the story and the direction of the mod mainly comes from Merc.