Overall I like the majority of changes in direction. Centralizing more rules like Holofields and whatnot is generally a very good thing. Other things I liked are the moving the options from the ship description to the list itself, though it might be worth it to keep a box out describing that famous ships with alternate configurations (just to highlight that there are options on the list you need to look at if the default configuration doesn't ring your bell).
I'm a little less positive on the decision to actually break up the main classes into further subclasses, mostly because it makes the verbiage other places more difficult (such as "for every 3 cruisers and/or Light cruisers" in the new Corsair list), though overall I do like the flexibility this gives, and I do sort of like the idea that different escort types have different bonuses. One design issue I see is that larger frigates now approach some of the light cruisers in capability and points, which makes the divisions in things like the gunnery charts and hull points feel a little artificial. Frigates especially feel like they really ought to be 2 hits, rather than 1. The Hellbore would be a light cruiser with 4 hits in almost any other fleet and cost only 15 or 20 more in several of those.
The change I've got a huge problem with are those related to making Eldar rules more standard.
The change to MSM to MMS was a pretty big nerf to Eldar maneuverability, as it also eliminated their unlimited turning capability. Adding the minimum movement distance on top just actively turned Eldar's speed into a liability rather than an asset. The faster craft now have minimum move distances of as much as 25cm (Destroyers moving minimum distance each move going from sun abeam to away or vice versa) without special orders. Keeping escorts in the battle, or sometimes even on the table, could be difficult if you fail a CTNH or BR order at the wrong time, or had to brace the turn before, doubly so for the Escorts that also have ordnance and thus also have to choose between maneuvering and reloading orders.
An Eldar escort, without special orders, can only manuever in a 10x15cm (12.5x15 for the Destroyers) rectangle at best, while most Imperial Light Cruisers and escorts and even Ork Brute or Grunt can actually make a 12.5cm square. In fact, Space Marine and Tau Cruisers can also outmaneuver Eldar Escorts, with the Tau Protector and Emissary classes turning a neat 10cm square.
So, they've lost many of their special movement advantages, and the ones that are left have drawbacks almost as big as the advantage. They can't turn to any direction each move, and in fact can only turn their 45 or 90 at the beginning of their two moves, unlike every other fleet which can turn at any point (respecting minimum move to turn). Their net turn rate is still higher, but the addition of minimum moves means they lose a lot of flexibility in their trajectories as a result. They're faster, especially in the right arcs, but now they're forced to move, and with the limiting of their turn rates, the fastest escorts are actually less maneuverable than many other races escorts. Any other race's escorts can move ahead, say, 2.5 cm, turn left past an asteroid field, and skim right past with the remainder of their movement. An Eldar escort will have to use it's entire first movement (minimum of 7.5cm, more probably as much as 15cm) to get past the same field, and then turn and use it's second movement to go foward, putting it well beyond the field. More potential, but often less maneuverable in reality, because they're stuck with their higher speed.
Aesthetically, to me, it turns Eldar even more into "just another" fleet, and further invalidates a lot of the various fluff about the Corsair ships being able to do things like 'level a fusillade of fire which can match the broadsides batteries of a battleship - and then slip away before the enemy can fire back' (from the Aconite description). Since they're not really much more maneuverable, don't treat celestial phenomena differently, and Holofields have been downgraded to add shields like every other fleet, maybe we should just up their hull strengths to match every other fleet too?
I'd like to understand what the problematic use case for no-minimum movement with Eldar was, and if there might not be another way to handle this that does not make Eldar's natural speed actively counterproductive to their style of play.
