Mods like Veinminer, Tinker's Construct, and Inventory Pets make playing light weight and can speed up progress. While heavy tech mods such Ender IO, Thermal Expansion, Mekanism and Draconic Evolution can add something to reach for. Magic mods such as Thaumcraft, Astral Sourcery, and Bontania add a bit of magic to the tech based modpack and can help with automation. Mods such as AppleSkin, JER, JEI, and Controlling, etc can help you understand your world