Simple Units Version

Hello everyone. Personally I'm a heavy gamer and more rules isn't a problem. But the people I often get to play games with...not so much. Anyway, I think that the core system of the game is simple enough to show this game to my group, but after using the print and play version, I noticed a problem. Each unit has up to 5 abilities, so the volume of unit abilities inflates the complexity by a large amount. Actually, it gets out of hand. None of the abilities are too complex, but putting them all together is overwhelming. So, has anyone play-tested a 'simple' units version where you only use/modify units that use a smaller number of the most straightforward abilities?

One though I have is not using troops or units that specialize in interacting with troops. That would dramatically reduce the number special rules you'd have to keep track of, but that's not a viable idea for people with the base game only.

Does anyone have an idea for how well the game would play if you didn't use any talents (or whatever the abilities are listed under the name) except for block?

I think you'd miss out on a lot of the variation and character if you ignored talents.

The game will come with player aids that list all the talent definitions, and you can easily remember the common ones after a couple of games.

Oh, of course we'd miss out on a lot! Unfortunately, not all of us have a ready supply of decisive players who enjoy complex and diverse games to play with

To put this in perspective, most people that I can actually arrange to play games with prefer games like fluxx, where the rules of the game require less explanation than rolling attack dice in mythic battles. Hand management and use of art of war cards already offer so many options (in a good way) that many people I get to play with would find it very difficult. And sadly, unless the turn is automatic, they think about it for awhile, and the game drags on and on and nobody wants to play it again because it takes too long.

A lot of games have a 'for your first game here's how you can make it simple' option. The goal of course would be to add it all back in, but in my opinion the game as it stands is a bit too much for some people I might try and play it with. If the game is too complicated and/or takes too long (because it's complicated) then it will never see a couple of games. Blood Rage 'takes too long' and doesn't see play, but it's mostly because analysis paralysis.

I agree it could be simple to define a subset of units to simplify the game.
You would however need to use more than the core box (to have enough choice).

Trying to play without troops and focusing on Gods and Heroes without troop abilities (like bolster, leader, phalanx) may be possible :
Gods (very few choice) : Ares, Hephaistos, Hera, Hermes
Titans : all except Gaia (so 4)
Heroes : Achilles (both), Aegistus, Andromeda, Antaeus, Atalanta, Autolycus, Echo, Veteran Heracles, Icarus, Marsyas, Medea, Pandora, Paris, Periphetes, Perseus, Sysiphus
Monsters : all of them I guess except Minos

The current beta is for the core rules, not the getting started book, which will obviously be a simpler subset of this with predefined forces in a set scenario.