chris_valera said:
some critiques on why the new rules are better than the old.
My take on it (mostly influenced by BF Evo, it has to be said)
Things such as weapon traits have been "removed". They are still there, but instead of being a reference to the rulebook, each is described in detail on the unit card. The mentally feeble, such as myself, are no longer left trying to remember what such arcane terms as 'LZ (Stream)' or 'Piercing/1' mean. Therefore, the chances are that even if you can memorize a rulebook off by heart, you're now more likely to find an opponent who you can play against without chucking the heaviest miniature you can find at their head when they sit flicking through the rulebook fifteen times during their turn
This makes gameflow a lot faster and makes it easier for newbies to get into the game, without having to dumb the rules down.
This process has been followed as a whole across the entire game, removing the need to remember anything other than the basic rules sheet, because everything else you need to know is on the unit card in front of you. If a weapon does damage to everything within 2" of the unit targetted, it says so clearly instead of expecting you to learn the rules.
Therefore, the available processing capability of the human mind can now be concentrated on tactics to use against your opponent, rather than remembering what special rules you could use this turn from the rulebook.
The Evo ruleset makes it easier to play "visually", as in looking at what is where on the table and working out how to catch that enemy unit in a pincer movement, rather than running game stats through your head and hoping your opponent has forgotten that if that piece is within 6" of that piece they get to move twice. You feel more like a general giving orders to troops, and less like someone moving gaming pieces around a board. Players can't use knowledge of the rules to such an advantage, and have to learn to adapt to learning how to most effectively use their units instead.
In chess terms: playing a miniatures game with a thick rulebook is like someone who knows the rules to chess playing someone that doesn't - the other person forgets what each piece can do so they don't do it. It's unfair, really.
However, the Evo games play more like a chess player playing against a grand master - the grand master who actually knows more about strategy is going to come out on top.
