You say "seems there's a lot more rules and a lot less planning" -- and I take issues with that statement.
I've done some wargaming at the upper levels before. I've helped design and plan rulesets. If you DON'T have rules, the spirit of the event is broken. Big time. I think the FSO has been around so long that enough people "think outside the box" to the point we need new rules.
Good for them, thinking creatively, from a problem-solving aspect. However, bad for the overall event, bad for getting folks to fight others.
Think of it this way: The rules actually HELP you find the fight. The other rules curtail lame and distasteful actions that one side might do to the other. And finally, the rules help score who wins a setup.
No, there aren't "too many rules" -- but rather there are too many folks that have tried to bend the rules to the point the rules had to be refined, reworded, or reworked. It means we're dealing with smart folks, if this happens, but it also means they have to use their smarts inside a set of limitations for the best results for everyone.
If you have issues with how a CO plans, take it up with them. It changes every week, and you cannot blame one FSO's lack of planning on the next FSO's CO.