Sorry I've been neglecting my beta testing duties the past couple of days. Let's start off with a look at the mod list.
AppleCore is a great choice, even if it wasn't required for Hunger Overhaul. With HO, it makes those changes to the food system much more visible and playable.
AromaBackup is a good idea in any pack. Auto-backups save so many problems!
Auto-packager. I used to have some reservations about this one, but the new 3x3 hollow mode sold me.
Bagginses. I'm pretty sure I voiced my opinion on this one. I've never been one to appreciate limited inventory bags without some additional features to compensate. Take a look at Iron Backpacks, it's very configurable, focused on low-lag, and has upgrades that add a lot of functionality.
BD-Lib: You currently have no mods that require this (Gendustry, Pressure Pipes, or Advanced Generators). Unlike some of the other core/library mods, as far as I'm aware this one doesn't do anything by itself. Admittedly I'm a big fan of Gendustry and Pressure pipes, so if one of them gets added, this mod will be required again; but with the current pack it's not
Bibliocraft. Awesome, lightweight. You've got the addons for the two mods that you have in the pack as well.
Binnies Mods. Normally I'd be all for it. But in light of the performance issues that have come from the 1.7 update, and the changes making the genetics manipulation tedious beyond belief? My suggestion would be to switch it for Gendustry. If you want help creating the extra bees lines, I'm sure there's more than a couple of people in the R2R thread (or Reddit) that would be of great assistance on that front.
Blood Magic. YAY! I do love me some blood magic. Have you seen its addons? Sanguimancy, Blood Arsenal, and Sanguine Utilities? (Yes I know there's a Wasliebob addon. I never recommend his work.)
Botania. So much yes. It's useful from the early game to the late game, Vazkii is an awesome mod author, I can't gush effusively enough.
Buildcraft. My suggestion would be to upgrade to 6.3.2 for both being in the 6.3 branch, and for the ability to use Logistics Pipes.
ChickenChunks. There's a reason my 1.7 transition waited until CB came out with a dev build of this. It doesn't require fuel (which is a "balance" decision I detest), it can be set to only work when the owner is online, it's easily configurable, and it seems to be the only chunk loader that actually works on frames. I've alerted Immibis to the issues with dimensional anchors, but unless you plan on using more of his mods, I'd say stick with CB's loaders.
Chisel - Awesome aesthetic mod. You should consider updating to Chisel 2 though. Also a benefit to updating into the 6.3.x branch of BC? ChiselFacades is unneccesary! Even though you don't have it in the pack, hehe.
EnderIO - My go-to tech mod in 1.7. For many reasons, not the least of which is it's got solutions for a lot of things that would have required MFR before, and my single favorite feature All The Pipes In One Block!
Extra Utilities: Yes
FlatSigns. I have never seen someone use this except for one time making a door-mat. But it's tiny so meh.
Forestry. Not a fan of the multifarm direction, but hey; Bees make it worth it in my opinion.
HQM. It's an HQM pack. Enough said.
Hunger Overhaul. The defaults nearly always require some tweaking. Sensei and I have some experience playing with the mod, and depending on how difficult you want this to be will determine how a lot of the options should probably be set.
IC2-EXP. Ah IC2... how I miss the old you. I'm so sad that Player took it in the Greggy tedium=fun direction. It does provide some options that other tech mods don't... but honestly I'd consider using another mod or two in its place. Especially without any of the IC2 addons.
INPureCore - NEI Culling is AWESOME!
Inventory Tweaks - My old friend
Iron Chests. Have you considered Iron Chest Minecarts as an addon?
JABBA. Mmm Jabba.
Magical Crops. As much as I liked the mod in the past, the current paywall-esque behavior revolving around the author's Patreon has soured me on the mod a bit. Consider AgriCraft or Fluxed Crystals as a replacement, with Pam's Mob Drop Crops and/or Attained Drops to fill in the gap?
Magic Bees. Heck yes.
MineMenu... great if you're running into keybinding issues. Not so much otherwise, but as far as I know has no performance impact, so there's no harm keeping it
Natura. I'm of two minds about Natura without Spice of Life. Once you get a berry farm up and going? You probably never have to eat anything else ever again. The things grow like weeds! But the rest of the mod is awesome. I love making "tree forts" in the redwoods. Oh one thing you may want to consider is the removal of clouds from at least the end and overworld. There's a lot of (minor) things that they break. Mostly maps/minimaps, but I find them to be more annoying than anything else.
NEI, and addons, etc. Needs more addons Seriously though, Thaumcraft NEI Plugin, NEI Integration, BuildCraft Compat. There's no such thing as too many NEI plugins as far as I'm concerned.
Obsidiplates. If you plan on adding carpenter's blocks? This functionality is completely replicated in a much easier manner by the Carpenter's Pressure Plate.
Project Red. Why did you only use Base? That adds all the basic components, but nothing to use them on.
Railcraft. Yay rails! This is likely to be a lot of people's workhorse transportation mod because of the late-in-challenge nature of most of the other methods. Plus the boilers are awesome!
Redstone Arsenal. This will probably be very late-game if Maul ever gets to refining the stages past gold, It's also rather easy to make the armor completely insane as compared to the strength of the rest of the gear. Then again it's got the battle
Simply Jetpacks. Thumbs up here. RF jetpacks? AWEOSME!
SolarFlux. I've never played with it in a legit world because it seemed OP somehow... which is odd because I liked solar power in IC/IC2. Can someone that's actually used it before weigh in on the relative power vs cost of this as opposed to say Extra Utilities Generators?
Steve's Carts. Yay! More making use of the rails. It's pretty under-utilized now for some reason, but it's a very nice mod... especially if you can leave your serve on overnight while the cart builds
StorageDrawers. I really liked the concept but I kept forgetting to use them in my world. Do try to keep this mod in, it'd be amazing for people that can actually do thematic builds (which so isn't me)
Super Crafting Frame. SOMEONE ELSE USES THIS! I want to hug you right now.
Tinker's Construct. Before Boni took over I probably would have passed over this in favor of other mods. Very little it adds was really impressive any more. Then Boni added ranged weapons. I'm in love all over again! The main reason I was contemplating taking it out was because EVERYONE uses tinkers tools as their main tools. I mean so many mods add such interesting tools, and they all get ignored because Tinker's. Then the bows/crossbows/shuriken got added... and they are my favorite ranged weapons by far. Utterly overpowered compared to anything else, and I. Don't. Care!
Thaumcraft and Thaumic Exploration. I'd love to know the thought process behind only those two, and if you're planning on Automagy, Thaumic Tinkerer, Forbidden Magic, Technomancy, Nodal Mechanics, Thaumcraft Gates, Thaumic Pipes, or Thaumcraft Mob Aspects.
Thermal Expansion. Good choice.
TiCTooltips. I can't play TiCo without it anymore. The books don't cut it (They're perpetually out of date)
Tinker's Mechworks. Yay! A wireless redstone mechanic AND drawbridges!
Waila. I can't understand how anyone plays without this. Really. Though I might suggest WAWLA over Waila Harvestability. Also WAILA Plugins, don't forget that. Though when you do, you'll require ttcore. Turn off the superDuperFunMode in the config, please. The fireworks on achievement get are amazingly obnoxious.
AromaBackup is a good idea in any pack. Auto-backups save so many problems!
Auto-packager. I used to have some reservations about this one, but the new 3x3 hollow mode sold me.
Bagginses. I'm pretty sure I voiced my opinion on this one. I've never been one to appreciate limited inventory bags without some additional features to compensate. Take a look at Iron Backpacks, it's very configurable, focused on low-lag, and has upgrades that add a lot of functionality.
BD-Lib: You currently have no mods that require this (Gendustry, Pressure Pipes, or Advanced Generators). Unlike some of the other core/library mods, as far as I'm aware this one doesn't do anything by itself. Admittedly I'm a big fan of Gendustry and Pressure pipes, so if one of them gets added, this mod will be required again; but with the current pack it's not
Bibliocraft. Awesome, lightweight. You've got the addons for the two mods that you have in the pack as well.
Binnies Mods. Normally I'd be all for it. But in light of the performance issues that have come from the 1.7 update, and the changes making the genetics manipulation tedious beyond belief? My suggestion would be to switch it for Gendustry. If you want help creating the extra bees lines, I'm sure there's more than a couple of people in the R2R thread (or Reddit) that would be of great assistance on that front.
Blood Magic. YAY! I do love me some blood magic. Have you seen its addons? Sanguimancy, Blood Arsenal, and Sanguine Utilities? (Yes I know there's a Wasliebob addon. I never recommend his work.)
Botania. So much yes. It's useful from the early game to the late game, Vazkii is an awesome mod author, I can't gush effusively enough.
Buildcraft. My suggestion would be to upgrade to 6.3.2 for both being in the 6.3 branch, and for the ability to use Logistics Pipes.
ChickenChunks. There's a reason my 1.7 transition waited until CB came out with a dev build of this. It doesn't require fuel (which is a "balance" decision I detest), it can be set to only work when the owner is online, it's easily configurable, and it seems to be the only chunk loader that actually works on frames. I've alerted Immibis to the issues with dimensional anchors, but unless you plan on using more of his mods, I'd say stick with CB's loaders.
Chisel - Awesome aesthetic mod. You should consider updating to Chisel 2 though. Also a benefit to updating into the 6.3.x branch of BC? ChiselFacades is unneccesary! Even though you don't have it in the pack, hehe.
EnderIO - My go-to tech mod in 1.7. For many reasons, not the least of which is it's got solutions for a lot of things that would have required MFR before, and my single favorite feature All The Pipes In One Block!
Extra Utilities: Yes
FlatSigns. I have never seen someone use this except for one time making a door-mat. But it's tiny so meh.
Forestry. Not a fan of the multifarm direction, but hey; Bees make it worth it in my opinion.
HQM. It's an HQM pack. Enough said.
Hunger Overhaul. The defaults nearly always require some tweaking. Sensei and I have some experience playing with the mod, and depending on how difficult you want this to be will determine how a lot of the options should probably be set.
IC2-EXP. Ah IC2... how I miss the old you. I'm so sad that Player took it in the Greggy tedium=fun direction. It does provide some options that other tech mods don't... but honestly I'd consider using another mod or two in its place. Especially without any of the IC2 addons.
INPureCore - NEI Culling is AWESOME!
Inventory Tweaks - My old friend
Iron Chests. Have you considered Iron Chest Minecarts as an addon?
JABBA. Mmm Jabba.
Magical Crops. As much as I liked the mod in the past, the current paywall-esque behavior revolving around the author's Patreon has soured me on the mod a bit. Consider AgriCraft or Fluxed Crystals as a replacement, with Pam's Mob Drop Crops and/or Attained Drops to fill in the gap?
Magic Bees. Heck yes.
MineMenu... great if you're running into keybinding issues. Not so much otherwise, but as far as I know has no performance impact, so there's no harm keeping it
Natura. I'm of two minds about Natura without Spice of Life. Once you get a berry farm up and going? You probably never have to eat anything else ever again. The things grow like weeds! But the rest of the mod is awesome. I love making "tree forts" in the redwoods. Oh one thing you may want to consider is the removal of clouds from at least the end and overworld. There's a lot of (minor) things that they break. Mostly maps/minimaps, but I find them to be more annoying than anything else.
NEI, and addons, etc. Needs more addons
Seriously though, Thaumcraft NEI Plugin, NEI Integration, BuildCraft Compat. There's no such thing as too many NEI plugins as far as I'm concerned.Obsidiplates. If you plan on adding carpenter's blocks? This functionality is completely replicated in a much easier manner by the Carpenter's Pressure Plate.
Project Red. Why did you only use Base? That adds all the basic components, but nothing to use them on.
Railcraft. Yay rails! This is likely to be a lot of people's workhorse transportation mod because of the late-in-challenge nature of most of the other methods. Plus the boilers are awesome!
Redstone Arsenal. This will probably be very late-game if Maul ever gets to refining the stages past gold, It's also rather easy to make the armor completely insane as compared to the strength of the rest of the gear. Then again it's got the battle
Simply Jetpacks. Thumbs up here. RF jetpacks? AWEOSME!
SolarFlux. I've never played with it in a legit world because it seemed OP somehow... which is odd because I liked solar power in IC/IC2. Can someone that's actually used it before weigh in on the relative power vs cost of this as opposed to say Extra Utilities Generators?
Steve's Carts. Yay! More making use of the rails. It's pretty under-utilized now for some reason, but it's a very nice mod... especially if you can leave your serve on overnight while the cart builds
StorageDrawers. I really liked the concept but I kept forgetting to use them in my world. Do try to keep this mod in, it'd be amazing for people that can actually do thematic builds (which so isn't me)
Super Crafting Frame. SOMEONE ELSE USES THIS! I want to hug you right now.
Tinker's Construct. Before Boni took over I probably would have passed over this in favor of other mods. Very little it adds was really impressive any more. Then Boni added ranged weapons. I'm in love all over again! The main reason I was contemplating taking it out was because EVERYONE uses tinkers tools as their main tools. I mean so many mods add such interesting tools, and they all get ignored because Tinker's. Then the bows/crossbows/shuriken got added... and they are my favorite ranged weapons by far. Utterly overpowered compared to anything else, and I. Don't. Care!
Thaumcraft and Thaumic Exploration. I'd love to know the thought process behind only those two, and if you're planning on Automagy, Thaumic Tinkerer, Forbidden Magic, Technomancy, Nodal Mechanics, Thaumcraft Gates, Thaumic Pipes, or Thaumcraft Mob Aspects.
Thermal Expansion. Good choice.
TiCTooltips. I can't play TiCo without it anymore. The books don't cut it (They're perpetually out of date)
Tinker's Mechworks. Yay! A wireless redstone mechanic AND drawbridges!
Waila. I can't understand how anyone plays without this. Really. Though I might suggest WAWLA over Waila Harvestability. Also WAILA Plugins, don't forget that. Though when you do, you'll require ttcore. Turn off the superDuperFunMode in the config, please. The fireworks on achievement get are amazingly obnoxious.
