I like the modpack thus far, it's a nice new mix of mods. The minimap thing is actually kinda nice once you get used to it. I've always used Rei's Minimap, but this map actually allows you to use it as a map, scroll around, and place waypoints accordingly.
Now, on the topic of difficulty, I'm WAY up there with you. I was on PEACEFUL and almost died multiple times due to the mobs that would spawn by proximity. The archers could harm you even though the melee mobs could not. They're also incredibly powerful and the knockback, like any other skeleton, is ridiculous at times. The sheer numbers of them and the armor that they're equipped with make them even more difficult. So, I would like the difficulty to be toned down a little bit so that playing this solo is actually possible. I would like to play on easy, at least, but the difficulty takes all the fun out of it. I'm more of an easy-going player and, although a challenge here and there is acceptable and welcome, I cannot find anything fun about dying repeatedly.
Now, onto other subjects, there really should be a book that you get at the start, much like the one you get for the odd weapon-crafting mod, that explains how to obtain souls, blood, etc, and what they are used for. I certainly wish that I knew, but I don't. So, maybe if someone could post a starter guide on the forum, that would make the transition from the usual to the unusual much more smooth. Just my own personal opinion. And of course, it's not shoved in people's faces, so those who don't want to be told how to make a wood shovel don't have to be told and can find it out on their own.
Besides all of that, I like the distribution of ores and the Zelda mod, too. I wasn't expecting that one! The damage indicators mod is VERY welcome. It helps me know which weapons are truly doing the best when I've suddenly been introduced to a few unknown types. I've only played the modpack for two or three hours, so there's still much more to see, but thus far, it's a promising one!