I don't see how it is for survival challenge runs, the enemies are hardly a challenge once you get a metal of any kind sword.When you no longer need to worry about anything, and you got all the kit you ever need, that is when it's time to start a new world in TFC.
It's strongly lacking in the creative builder category I'm afraid.
If i want to build pretty i use a whole host of other mods. TFC is for survival challenge runs imho.
And as you said yourself, just hunt animals to have food for days.
I think the point of the mod was to live on it and build stuff, even whit the hunger system in place I can hardly see anyone having trouble whit surviving in this mod.
PS: Very well said Omicron.