I like the change to make people use tools etc to make plates and wires. It always seemed a little stupid being able to form them with your bare hands.
What they should do though is let you make the tool, and add it to a special tools inventory on a crafting bench. If you've got it on the bench you can make the stuff directly. Perhaps by putting the plates in the crafting area, then clicking the hammer in your tools section you get plates crafted.
They should even require an anvil to make plates with the hammer instead of just a regular crafting area.
I'd also like them to change vanilla behaviour so you to make an axe from flint and sticks (which are obtained from leaves instead/as well) before you can chop down trees. I saw this kind of mechanic in TerraFirmaCraft and love it.
There is a machine called the Metal Former which basically functions as the Forge Hammer, the Wire Cutter and crafting Wires all in one.
And why should IC2 be like TerraFirmaCraft and change basically every mechanic in the game? I love TFC and all, but I think there's a reason it's normally played by itself.
Also, remember that conflict with mDiyo and GregoriusT? The conflict that made FTB have two separate packs for 1.5 (other than Direwolf20, which never used GregTech anyway)? Yeah. If IC2 changes stuff like that, that's probably gonna happen. IC2 will not be in the future Unleashed.
EDIT: Speaking of TerraFirmaCraft, GenerikB's doing a whole new season!