Mod Making Research

Hi all, long time modder, relatively recent mod maker. I have my first "real" mod that's not a patch, minor change, or single gameplay mechanic attacked to a larger system in the works, but I've kinda hit a mental wall.

I want to define things like the desired gameplay loop of the mechanics this new mod, but realized that I never really thought about the reasons most people mod the game in the first place.

Some are obvious, like adding new content, extending replayability, and adding new mechanics. But I'd also like to know where the appeal comes from if that makes any sense. I know this is probably a pretty bad explaination, but the idea is that I would like to give the community something that it wants, rather than what I think people might want.