you guys really do like making it sound worse than it is. all it takes is throwing the mods for 1.7 together and converting the configs for the updated versions (and in most cases you can usually just copy/paste the old configs anyways). mod updates, even when the mod gets restructured, are not that complicated. never have been.
too put it another way: all the legwork is already done. all it takes is copying the settings over into the updated format, whether that be direct config file copy/paste, or manually adjusting the new configs by using the old config's settings.
Unfortunately for packs that use HQM and/or Minetweaker it isn't nearly that simple. HQM relies on IDs for quest detection and rewards. All of that will have to be redone, I'm not even sure the quest book itself will survive without crashing horribly, so I'm almost certain that is a "start from scratch" thing. Minetweaker has changed to version 3, which would require a major overhaul of my scripts anyway, the change from IDs to names just means that it is now an almost ground up rewrite.
Beyond that, Ruins and City templates will transfer...mostly. The rules for each building, that use IDs, will need to be changed. Luckily that is fairly minor. Also, a few things have changed, so I will have to investigate that, and see what needs to be changed and what can be improved with any new functionality. Also, the fixed structures in my map, like the shuttle, will need to be rebuilt thanks to the shift from IDs to names.
Add to that the changes to existing mods, new functionality and such, and some mods still being unavailable means I'd have to rethink and rework the balance.
I'm estimating it would take me a month to upgrade. Maybe two. If I'm lucky.