I just spend a few hours going through the rules and have posted a summary of major changes on the blog:
http://www.manbattlestations.com/blog/2018/09/01/dystopian-wars-3-0-changes/Regarding the points that CW raised:
Been too busy at work to read in depth, however, notes from others summarised -
1. Critical Hits and damage work very differently, simplyfing the latter but reducing the former and their effect.
2. Custom dice will be needed if the system continues unchanged.
3. All ship classes use the same turn template. no mention if they all move at the same rate.
4. Drift and Move allows ships to go backwards. Hopefully, just a glitch in Beta version.
5. Boarding is quickly resolved but heavily biased towards defenders.
6. Torpedoes are no longer in fixed channel form, are much more effective.
7. Again in Beta, all ships are generic; Special wepons are mentioned as upgrades in "Outfitting Cards"
8. Instead of national characteristics or faction advantages, these are bonuses based on the fleets "Patron".
Apart from that, players report the "feel" of the game is still DW though quicker and with less detail.
1. That's pretty much my reaction, too. It will be a lot harder to delete a model in one blow, but at the same time it will be easier to make each attack count and damage something.
2. Custom dice are intended, but not an absolute requirement. Tere are conversion charts that are easy enough to follow. It will be easier to convert than, say Halo dice.
3. Yep, all models have one template now. There is a "Unit Special Rule" (the new equivalent of a MAR) called Lubmering that makes models have to move 1" straight between each turn on the template, though.
4. The rules explicitly state that Drift cannot be backwards, and has to be in a forwards direction. Models can go in reverse up to 1/2 of their move value. Of note, the whole concept of "low speed maneuvers" and going "all stop" have been done away with in 3.0.
5. I'm not sure I'd say its heavily biased. Surface models defending against aerial or submerged assaults get a big boost from being able to use their Aerial or Submerged defenses, but otherwise I think it actually skews to the side of the attacker thanks to the fact that the attacker's dice explode while the defender's do not. Also, the impact of a successful boarding in 3.0 seems to be a bit less than it was in previous editions. On top of that, there is no longer AP to lose, multiple boarding attacks can be made per game, and you aren't prevented from boarding models that you have shot at.
6. Firing arcs in general are greatly simplified. All there is now is 360, and Fore/Aft/Port/Stbd 90s. No more fixed channel, broadside, offeset 180, etc.
7. Unit stats are, by far, the least developed part of what we were shown this week.
8. So, it's not quite clear that there won't be any national advantages, though there is no sign of them in the beta rules we have so far. The Patrons are said in the rules to operate more or less as you describe, but it's tough to say what their real impact will be without having an example to work from.
