The Strengths of the game, as I see it, is that unlike the previous one, its a little more ST driven. But then my own style of ST'ing is more story-based then some that are more combat-oriented.
The werewolf system was based around the newly revamped mechanics engine. I try to have at least one combat senerio invovled so that we all get used to working the same system. Getting a feeling for it is important, as a lot of the tricks and twists of teh actual mechanics are a LOT different from before.
It has the ability to fit the other genre games into it a lot more smoothly. They can be intergrated more easily as the WW team have a core basis to work with for each and every genre setting.
What I don't like is having to buy the corebook, then the others as suppliments. Smacks too much of the "expansion" style D&D.
I have always been a fan of different views on the old werewolf mythos. Now I do have my biases, but I try to keep open minded. I find trying to figure out the "creators" "laws of reality" is what keeps me intrested. Now true there are some things I =don't- like about the new setting, but they are far fewer then others seem to have.
Many who play the WWtA table top and LARP systems are very much split into three camps as of right now. They hate it, absoulutly abhor it with a passion. Others think its intresting and worth trying. Some sit the fence, waiting to see how others react and respond.
For me, again stated, its about the story. If you can get a set of players hooked on a story then you have the ability to ease them into a new system. Of course as you mentioned, Scott, its teh raw FACT that its not an entirely new system. The mechanics and setting are different, but its a re-vamp on the old WW werewolves. The familiarty most people have, and the loyality they have to the old WoD keeps them from allowing themselves to experience the newere version to its fullest.
There is also the notation that instead of working an entriely NEW setting, they took the old one, changed the over-arching story, and merges Tribes and archetypes into somethign different. Its like trying to make sugar cookies with left over cake crumbs.., some people will like it sort of.., others will HATE it and wonder what kind of crack one was sniffing when they were made. ;) heh
But, the one thing I don't like, is though its more beastial and the characters become more and more absorbed with their wolf natures, its very insular. You don't often interact with other werewolves on teh same level that one used to in teh old WoD.
Its your pack and you pack's rules, or death to those who oppose you. Spirits, vampires, humans, what ever.
Your character is a true predator, more so then what vampires ever truely could be. The werewolf archtype embodies teh beast in all its forms and guises. There is nothing HUMAN about a werewolf after the first change. They are.., werewolves.
Some people may be put off by that faucet as well.
The over-arching idea of it, for me, as I said before, is to give it a horro movie psycho-thriller feeling, and let the characters move the plot forward as they will.
I'm still half and half on the game, only because I feel a bit irritated that WW stoped producing ANYTHING for their old lines. Its like they wanted to abort the child they created in order to make room for teh new one. That tastes like ashes to me.
Over all I think Forsaken has some positive aspects to it.., but its going to take a long long while for it to really develop a fan base as potent as the old. It seems to me, though i may be seeing things, that like attracts like.
werewolf players are more passionate and loyal to different aspects of their life, gameing includinded. I wonder if that has anything to do with a lot of the dissention.
heh.,
Gosh ma diggity i'd love to do it again some time but noone around me either likes it or hasn't ever heard of it and just assumes it's just for nerds who live at home with their parents eating nothing but snack food becomeing over weight and never haveing a companion of their very own unless it's their own hand which they aptly name "fleshy left hand" 
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