Like I said for me hqm is a horrible solution. Of course we're talking about a challenge that is apparently constantly evolving and not finished or undefined. So as a work in progress I'm not trying to be harsh as ninja put it.
I am saying that hqm puts the player in a box and constrictes creativity. If that works for you then great.
At a basic level, I agree. I've looked at HQM as have a few others, and it'd be really difficult to set something up that actually worked without constraining the player too much.
That's why I mentioned a couple times that it would be neat if HQM and Custom NPCs could interface a bit more, so that you can offload stage goals from HQM (very structured) and allow Custom NPCs to trigger progress within HQM (like delivering an item to an NPC or following a particular conversation path, or besting a tribal warrior in combat...) Likewise, HQM should be able to trigger or unlock certain quest chains or events within Custom NPCs so that by completing the "Path of the Cloud Serpent" quest chain, a new NPC becomes available to you that you can then interact with, and how you do so will unlock (or make unavailable) other elements.
The way I'd hope to see it evolve, this would give pack makers a little more flexibility in designing story and content-driven packs, rather than the standard mishmash of mods and tweaks, with an HQM monorail leading you by the nose through the pack. Instead, you could change it up so that HQM/*Custom NPCs is there to open (or close) quest chains, not drag you through one grind after another.
*This could be Custom NPCs, Ancient Warfare 2, Mine Colonies, Citizens 2, Minecraft Comes Alive, Helpful Villagers, whatever would provide the most creative freedom to allow me to build packs and challenges in a fashion as I described. Currently, Custom NPCs comes closest for ambiance and general usefulness. Ancient Warfare 2 is good (for me) for villager automation in a non-military form and in having villagers consume resources. Helpful Villagers is ok in that it (sort of) works, but more in a mindless free slave labor sort of way.