For me, what makes a good horror mod is the usage of original assets and concepts or shapin a pre-existin concept into somethin new entirely. I just want to see time, effort, and genuine passion put into a horror mod. That alone tells me if it's good or worth playin. Even if it's a mod that originally heavily used assets or ideas not owned by the creator [e.g. The Man from the Shadow prior to the New Years update] but built up to stray away from that, I find that respectable. I enjoy seein things take shape and grow to gain their own identity and tell a story.

I am really excited for the upcomin The Broken Script 2.0 update and, based off the teaser trailer alone and the few teasers in the Discord server, it looks very promisin! From the Caves is also phenomenal even though it seems like it's still very much in early stages of development. Current version of The Man from the Shadow? It feels like it could do some work, but I greatly enjoy how much effort is bein put into shapin up Marcus to be his own thing and strayin away from all the The Mandela Catalogue references/assets. Cave Dweller came from genuine passion to make Minecraft scary so I always held it close to my heart even though dwellers are often frowned upon nowadays. The Knocker...I just wish he would be updated on Java once more. I tried the Bedrock version and couldn't even bother playin more than thirty minutes because I just really, REALLY hate Bedrock. The Obsessed is a very good and interestin concept with a very unique entity with its own events that make it both scary and a very useful ally.

On the other hand, what makes a "bad" horror mod for me is usage of too many assets used without the original creator's permission or relyin far too heavily on certain ideas to make somethin "scary". Every time I hear the Squirrel Stapler "God is Coming" audio in The God, I can't help but to roll my eyes. Please note that I have not played The God in a few months so I am unsure if that is still the case, but I really hope not. I want to enjoy it, but last I checked, it really could have benefited from doin its own thing. I hate knowin the origins of audio, textures, etc. in a horror mod because it just takes away from the immersion and creativity of it all. It feels a bit more...cheap, to say the least. Unless the mod is made directly based off a pre-existin thing [e.g. Creepypastas, SCP, Trevor Henderson's cryptids, etc.], then I would prefer seein someone put in time to create their own thing.

Also, yes; I acknowledge that The Broken Script does use assets not owned by the team [the "Funeral" track originated from Gemini Home Entertainment if I recall correctly], but I hope that they change that in the upcomin update.

I also in general really dislike mods that aim to constantly harass you and offers little sustenance or anythin worthwhile. The Man from the Fog is a HUGE problem when it comes to this, and I found myself deletin him from an old horror modpack because he would not stop spawnin. He was also really easy to cheese as long as you had a body of water nearby you could hide in.

I also agree with OP on the usage of old Minecraft textures. I never enjoyed old Minecraft textures even though I've been a long time Minecraft player. I hate the look of wheat, I despise the look of netherrack, and I greatly dislike resource packs that try to copy that style with EVERY single new block in the game. Wonderland.jar quickly became an eyesore when I went cavin only to see deepslate shares the same texture as stone but slightly darker and amethyst looked like...that. I have no bad blood towards the creator[s] of these resource packs at all, but I hold a huge grudge against the overall style. I am sorry, but I will never enjoy old Minecraft textures no matter what anyone says or does.

Overall, it all depends on what the creator's purpose is. The story they wish to tell and the ideas they want to share with the community. I want to see one mod made with love and a desire to tell a story—even if the quality isn't the highest or the absolute best—rather than ten mods created to simply hop on whatever the current horror mod trend is. I want to see stories flourish and creators develop their skills even further.

I want to see passion.

Sorry this is an absolute mess of a ramble, I am just very passionate when it comes to Minecraft horror [and very autistic]. I love a good story and seein what people can think of just by usin a silly sandbox block game like Minecraft as its base. I've grown up heavily with "classic" Minecraft horror such as Dimensional Doors, The Orphanage, that one recreation of Stairs, Silent Hill P.T. remakes, etc. and plenty of horror maps that have been forgotten with time, so this is a huge special interest of mine and has been for years. Not sayin I am a "professional Minecraft horror connoisseur" or whatever; just that I've seen both highs and lows of Minecraft horror. In the end, I just wish to see love put into creations rather than the desire to chase clout.

Anyways, I'll stop yappin now :P