For me, it's definitely an improvement.
I think it is much easier than before for beginners to take in hand the game.
I am such a beginner, and before the new pace, It was too fast to understand what happened:
I didn't know what recruits to buy, the time to think and the ennemy was already attacking me with an army (easy AI). So it was just building a lot of every units and sending them into the battle without understanding anything. I think the new pace allow more reflexion and lower the needs of jerks.
