But the thing is, that was the way TRF was run for ages, years. Practically before the beginning of time. Well, maybe not that old, but you get the picture. The system is hard to maintain, requires quite a bit of knowledge and regular imput, and not only that is highly debatable. The arguments are occasionally fun and interesting, but much more often they're shouting matches between sworn enemies. No one wants to lose ships and no one wants to admit defeat.
That epic quality is still here, it has just been left more open to interpretation. Although at the cost of some of the "Realism" appeal (I admit, it was often fun to watch your assets grow and scheme) the rules have changed to allow for more heroic stories. I think you might have missed a bit of the gist of what was being said, namely that characters and writing help DECIDE combats and stories, but they do not DEFINE them.
Anyways, I think I see what you mean, although I doubt I have presented my position too well. If you give these new rules a chance, and perhaps experiment with what you can do, I would not be surprised to find you can enjoy what you liked about the old rules just as much in the new rules. Feel free to discuss it further.
