I also like that we no longer have to keep the centre hex constantly covered to prevent powerful pieces from promoting or kings from winning their side the game. None of our pieces are stuck protecting one hex 24/7 when they could be put to more effective use elsewhere.
That being said, I quite liked Kokusai Sannin, though less so when there was an alliance. I'm a fan of slower games, as you know, so I'm quite happy with it taking a little while to get into the action.