I don't know if it's the right place for suggestion, but there is not suggestions forum =S
So my first suggestion is as in written in the title having all UI texts in a txt file so that people could make translation for their own language, it would expand tremulous comunity a bit, I tried once to make some friends play tremulous, but they couldn't understand anything at english.
My second suggestion would be in the following of the first, making a tutorial with a step by step explanation of the game on a pop up screen on wich you'd have to press "ok" to continue because that kind of tutorials with text while playing usualy let's you get distracted and you avoid reading. Of course this tutorial could be translated as well since it would be text, cool stuff huh?
Now I dunno if this is planned for 1.2 already, but well it would be cool to have a nicer UI, friendly UIs makes you want to try the game, it gives the feel of professional work. I don't know for you but when I start a game for the first time and see a crappy menu, I have that feeling that it's an unfinished game, And most of times this happens to be true.
Next suggestion is probably going to make me look like a troll because some things like this have been discussed again and again, but even tough you don't want to update the graphic engine, I'd think it cool to allow higher resolution texture ON WEAPONS (it's the first thing you see on the screen)
Even if it was possible to implement a cheap normal map or so :-° or even having more polys, but you know, just on weapons ...
Please tell me what do you think of these?