Frankly, I am disappointed with the patch. I have adapted to it but no longer have as much pleasure in close-combat. It feels harder to cope with larger groups without constantly retreating to slip in a suprise low-stab; duels can take ages as up-stabs are slower to arm, making it so much harder to catch an experienced opponent. Fighting is mostly now people wandering backwards with a prepared low-stab, or people running in circles until one catches a lagspike or bump. No more interesting up/down alternates and feints, the up-chamber is run-of-the-mill now.
Indeed melee has become more casual-friendly, but makes it much less interesting to actually move forward and take the cold iron to the ennemy.
I prefer old melee by far; because you could develop a significant advantage on most players and at least have fast-paced and interesting fights with the few others that were really good at it.
It used to be frustrating enough trying to get close (especially on siege servers) but it compensated that if you actually made it through the hail of gunshot, you could take out a decent few ennemies before dying. Now the unbalance is clearly for the defenders, most players now being capable of a basic up-parry in the extra time it takes to raise the bayonet.
Bring back the up-stab speed to it's previous setting, make sure collapsing horses also knock over the infantry (I mean 1000 pounds of meat travelling at 40mph not event slowing the infantry down...) thus giving fallen riders a better chance to stand up and fight if unhorsed.
However, faster sword and longer cav sword range are good improvements.
Those corrections will improve the game significantly, in my opinion.