When 7th. ed first came out, I was so happy they didn't wreck the game that I was perhaps a little giddy. Now that I have had a couple months to play, however, I am starting to feel that the game has been dumbed down- a lot.

The special features are an example. There is very little substance to them, and nothing that a pair of players couldn't come up with on their own. Because they are in the rulebook, I suppose they are official. On the other hand, I had a guy tell me the other night that the 24" empty zone in the middle of the table was not required- it was just "an example" of how the terrain might be set up. (So I stuck a great big 2-level hill right at the center point of the table. Then I put a wood on top of it.)

Things I still like: the streamlining of flee/pursuit rules. The rewording of overrun so that only the charging unit can do it. The rebalancing of the magic lores. Fighting a second combat if you manage to pursue just right. Removing a fleeing unit that runs through a US-5 enemy. Handweapon & shield bonus applies to the front only. Rewording of charge to 'maximize the number of models in combat'.

Things I am missing more and more: redirecting charges. Characters within 5" of a unit safe from shooting. Characters & skirmishers that are never march-blocked. Ranks of only four models. Swarms that don't crumble.

It seems that many of the core rules which allowed flexibility and nuanced play have been removed. No doubt this was done in order to make the game simpler, but I think it will be detrimental in the long run.  Personally, I think any abuses should have been addressed in the new army books, since most of those abuses were made possible by rules in the old army books.