The changes how crits work only start to get mathematically significant when targets armour is 6 or higher (the attacker is using a combi rifle). Only few people played ARM6 troopers in N3 because there was no limit cap on troopers and armour was overcosted. If CB removed the trooper cap I'm sure that the "30 Scots with 3 HMGs" would take it's rightful place as the most powerful list. One could make an argument that the biggest losers of the crit change were in fact the 2W troopers who can now die to a single crit from a normal combrifle. While it's a low probability (1%), it's the kind of catastrophic failure can cause the entire game to be lost.
I can see how it might have a big balance impact, but it's not like radically changing or outright axing the system is gonna require a massive redesign of the core mechanics of infinity. Changing how F2Fs or the order pool works would require that, but while crits might have been a part of Infinity since it's inception it's far from a core system. I'd even argue it's vestigial given it's lack of interaction with other parts of the rule set. At most, removing crits would require a game wide balance update - which is something CB should be doing anyway. Maybe it'd require a rework of CC mechanics as well. Fair. While I personally don't like crits ,there are tons of things I'd prefer to see CB address first (lack of interaction as the reactive player versus hacking, balance issues both external and internal, mission design). I also agree to an extent on the CC point. B1 vs B1 is very swingy.
Y'know, it reminds me that game I had in N2, Corregidor vs Steel Phalanx. Linked Ajax came out and fired his Combirifles at my Mobile Brigada (Lt.) in Cover. 3 crits on the dice. Under modern day rules, I'd have to pass 6 DAM 13 saves with effective ARM 7 (cover and native ARM 4) (well okay, as these models stand today, ARM 8 and DAM 14, so still z 7+ being a pass). Not a given, but with some favor form Lady Luck, doable. At least, you have a chance. As the rules stood back then, my 2 Wound HI Lt. took straight 3 Wounds, and fell to Dead. No ARM rolls involved, being in cover didn't matter, simply apply 3 Wounds. I couldn't do a gorram thing, ...so yeah, the current rules are much more to my like, thank you. Edit: Assuming I fed the Infinity Calculator the right way, under current rules, the above situation spreads as follows: 89,3% chance of the Mobile Brigada taking 1 or more wounds. 60,6% chance of the Mobile Brigada taking 2 or more wounds. 28,5% chance of the Mobile Brigada taking 3 or more wounds. 10,7% chance of the Mobile Brigada coming out of the ordeal unscathed. In other words, almost certainly it'd get Wounded likely it'd go Unconscious possibly it'd get killed there's a slim chance it'd shrug it off completely. Compared to the odl rules saying "bang, you're dead, Jim..." that's one hell of a difference.
Crits are absolutely necessary to the game. Crits add an extra layer of risk to the active turn. Without crits, Infinity is going to be even more alpha strike focused then it already is. The fact that your special amazing Rambo unit like the Asawira can die to a crit is what helps keep this game interesting. The whole ARO system is significantly worse without crits. People hating crits is often just negative bias at work. People fixate on that one time their rambo unit died to a crit and cost them the game. They dont remember as much any time a crit had helped them. Often times a crit just saves you some orders in a fight you'd have statistically won anyway. Thats really important with the limited order pools of infinity but it doesnt leave as much of an impression as losing a game to a nasty crit does. Now its true higher burst means the active player will gets crits more frequently but as the active player we pick our engagement to be as favorable to us as possible. So in the end it typically just saves us orders. While a crit in ARO can swing games back in favor of a losing player.
