So what your saying is the launcher does more than download mods with preset configs and put them in the minecraft folder?
With the new function of the minecraft launcher quite a bit had to change as did the way the FTB launcher installs things.
But that's not the only reason it's taken a while for the FTB crew to start building packs.
The launcher is going to have several new features that pretty much required the launcher to be re-wrought from scratch.
As I recall one of the new features is that you will not have to download multiple copies of individual mods. As it is now each pack would have to have a copy of every mod that's in it. In the new version all mods will be able to assess the same single copy.
So the amount of space that FTB takes up on your HD and the amount of time downloading pack updates is going to be vastly shorter do to not having that redundancy.
Example. Pack A has mod's 1,2,and pie. Pack B has mods Pie,cucumber,*. The launcher will only have to download Pie once. And any time Pie is updated it again will only need to be downloaded once.
I think there was also talk of improving custom pack creation. That FTB users will have a number of mod makers allowing players to make packs with there mods with out each of the makers having to get general permissions. Instead they will give general permission that anyone can make a pack through the FTB launcher.
Now it's bin a while since I read about those improvements so I can't guaranty there accuracy but if true then this launcher will be well worth the wait.
