New weapon dodging code is huge in this. Weapons that gear towards high strength (axe, mace, sword) races have become easier to dodge now, and weapons that gear towards dexy races (daggers, flails, whips) have become harder to dodge. So now the good dodgers (for the most part, not 100% of course) are getting a boost to their dodge based on the weapons used against them, and the bad dodgers are getting their dodged nerfed further by having to fight the tough to dodge weapons. Also, while I don't have enough of a data pile of evidence to really make this clear cut, it seems to me that more dex/int based skills have bad ass edges than str based skills, which creates even further trouble.

Addendum on weapon dodging: Now, dexy dodge classes like assassins, thieves and bards can tank better against weapons they don't know compared to how they used to, and it has really softened a huge weakness of those three classes. Combined with the ridiculously sick bard edges and the new repertoire boost, it has made them constantly forces to be reckoned with.

Really though, the game will have its ebb and flow and flavor of the month builds, and I'm fine with that. The immstaff is doing their best to keep combat balanced, but we're talking about 300 class/race combos to balance for a volunteer staff. I say we get our (zero) money's worth.