Overall, the new system sounds much better.
The flat damage (increasing with level) vs the percentage (down with level) will just FEEL better, even if equivalent - the second case makes your character feel weaker over time, the first makes you feel like you improve.
Hybrid classing is viable - how viable depends on the relative ratio of the extra damage vs the base damage. Diminishing returns on the extra would further help hybrids, if that is wanted. As in the past, sticking to one skill tree for damage while dabbling in others for utility will still probably end up best overall.
The scaling with AP cost sounds good, but could occasionally cause some oddities - a high damage vs low damage + utility skill will get the same bonus, despite having different roles. I suppose this is because status effects are now 100% chance, we can't increase their chance like in the original DOS.
I am curious about what is happening with wits and the secondary effects of Str/Int/Fin - in the current system, they provide % bonuses that get worse as you level. I would assume we are moving to a flat (small, eg .1) amount of initiative per wits, but what about the critical chances / dodge chances / armor penalty reduction?
