I set up a Mindcrack v8 Testing server. Before you continue,

Don't update your modpack when prompted by the FTB client.

I'm experimenting with a new update deployment method which might help streamline future updates.

For the testing server, we'll be using a different launcher (not FTB). If we stick with this launcher, you'll only have to do the first set of steps once. Only the second set of steps will need to be done each time we push out an update.

Initial MultiMC Setup
1. Download MultiMC.

2. Move this file to a folder you can easily navigate to. For example:
C:\MultiMC\MultiMC.exe
(If you don't do this, MultiMC will setup it's folders wherever you downloaded it -- if it's a temporary folder your stuff might get deleted randomly)

3. From this new location, launch MultiMC.exe
This will create subfolders inside the folder you placed MultiMC.exe -- one of which is "instances".

4. Close MultiMC

5. Ensure you now have a directory like¹
C:\MultiMC\instances

n00bfest Server Instance Setup
1. Download the following zip file: http://n00bfest.com/mc/nf-mindcrack-v8.zip

2. Extract this zip file inside your instance folder.

3. Ensure you have a directory like¹²
C:\MultiMC\instances\nf-mindcrack-v8

4. Launch MultiMC

5. You should now see an (additional) icon for the server instance you just downloaded. To run, just double click.

Notes:
¹ Replace "C:\MultiMC\" with whatever base install directory you chose in Step 2 of the first section.
² The instance name will change each time we update the server.

If you do this, please join the v8 testing server at minecraft.n00bfest.com:25567

Note that this server is a fork of the current world a few hours ago, but changes you make in this world will be lost when we officially move from v7 to v8.

If you have any questions, post them here or hit me up in vent.

Additional Notes:
I didn't realize it, but I included OptiFine and a texture back in the instance. If you don't want the texturepack, its as simple as selecting the default from the main menu before joining a server. If you don't want OptiFine, right click on the instance in MultiMC launcher, click "Edit Mods", click OptiFine and click the Remove button.

Changelog:
The updated versions of the mods can be found here. You'll have to consult the individual mods to see what the exact changes were. The ones that I know of:
-- Additional Thaumcraft Research Opportunities
-- Buildcraft Fillers can no longer be used as cheap quarries because the blocks dropped are instantly destroyed
-- New Portable Forge Lexicon
-- NEI Updates for recipes
-- InventoryTweaks sorting greatly improved
-- Added uses for the oil sands and crude oil blocks
-- Teleport Pipes (basically) functionality added to Thermal Expansion
-- Touchscreen ComputerCraft monitors (pretty sweet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dD4gg108Z8)

EDIT: Updated config files here. Simply unzip and replace your files with the ones included.

PS, I'll give you 9 free diamonds if you complete these steps and get on the test server. 3 diamond blocks if you find a bug caused by the upgrade.

Updated the changelog of new things I discovered

Also, thanks to the testers so far:
Rok
Squeakz
Cybr
Lucifer

My hope is that we'll push this out sometime early this week.

Yay! We moved to v8. Some things to check on:
-- Check your liquiducts to ensure they're still working as expected. A bugfix with endpoints made it so the arrows only "force" pull water from the machines as opposed to simply not working before.

so that means we started fresh?

nope, same saves and stuff... just new content... dl the shit and look for yourself

Updated the config files download in case anyone is having issues with things such as storage block crafting and decrafting. Odebram is the only one I've heard of so far being unable to craft iron blocks. If you have similar issues, please download the config files and replace yours. If there are still issues, please inform myself, Gman or Fomenta.

has anyone tried making a new server?
with huge biomes?
does it change things? since biomes are pretty huge

Why don't you find out? lol