If you're a fan of how old modpacks would often have many different power systems with interesting ways to convert between them, this is a mod for you. Crossroads implements rotary and thermal power for a variety of machines, a few that use FE, and more that use its color/laser based "magic" system, with various interactions between each of those systems. The mod is balanced around relatively cheap machines that don't individually do the most but can be extremely powerful if you know what you're doing, similar to Botania and Rotarycraft.

The titular "Crossroads" is your choice of which path of the tech tree to go down (configurable, eventually you can unlock all on current versions), between Technomancy (time manipulation, clockwork, entropy management), Alchemy (creating resources via automating highschool level stoichiometry), and Bioengineering (cloning, permanent potion effects at the cost of health, mob farms via respawning mobs, etc). On a multiplayer server this can be very fun with different players specializing in different parts of the mod.

There's tons of potential additions for pack devs as well, everything from the alchemy system and its materials (boiling/freezing points for items, reactions being endo/exothermic or requiring FE) to block conversion when hit by specific colors of lasers are configurable via datapacks. This mod often seems to get overlooked due to pack devs not wanting a separate rotary power system on top of Create, which is really a shame as they work quite well together, you can even use its heat system in place of Create burners.

Textures have improved much since 1.12, and what you don't like can often be covered. Still certainly an aesthetic that many wouldn't be fans of, but it's unique and that has a charm to it.

Due to how much can be done with the mod, there's always many ways to make it laggy, but from our experience if you're responsible with what you build you should be fine, similar to vanilla redstone. The only two times we've had performance issues have been when using it alongside specific other mods, like sound physics or a mod that broke certain saplings.

It's NOT the most accessible mod out there (think Botania or Gregtech, not ProjectE or Thermal Expansion), but if you're a nerd that likes making Rube Goldberg machines and/or war crimes, there's a good chance Crossroads will be up your alley!
Over the years it has evolved and grown so much from its initial release, yet it's retained the complex yet rewarding, nuanced but silly nature that made me love it in the first place. I'm certainly biased as one of the oldest playtesters sorry for getting so many things nerfed! but while I can't describe it in a way that does it justice, I STRONGLY encourage players to give Crossroads a try =)