To me, I think the biggest issue with War! is: it doesn't fit into a nice, neat little niche.
I do like the book, don't get me wrong, but I can see why some people wouldn't.
One of the sort of hallmarks of 4th Edition until WAR! was: each book was a narrowly defined,
focused on one thing product. We have just setting information in Runner Havens, Corporate Enclaves,
and Feral Cities, we have just plot info in Emergence, we have just 'For use in your game' info in the
Core Books and Running Wild. These books are EASY to go "Well, this book does this. I can use it for my
campaign. I will buy it."
War!, however, breaks this trend. It is Setting Book with all the info on Bogota, it is plot book with the stuff
relating to war, it is rules book with the section of gear and expanded rules dealing with military/merc operations.
It cannot be neatly classified and defined. It does not fit into a neat little cubby-hole where someone can look at it
and go "I want to get this book for THIS." If you buy it for the gear, then alot of stuff in it is useless to you. If you buy
it for the stuff on Bogota, not caring about the war or the geat, a lot is useless to you. If you buy it for the plot info,
but do not plan to have your players as military, nor plan to set it in Bogota, alot of the book is useless to you.
This, by the way, is the same issue that you have with Runer's Companion: If your game is not going to be allowing
players things like SURGE, Metavariants, Karma or Priority Chargen, Sapient Critters, AIs, Spirits, or Infected....well, there is
alot in the book that is pretty much useless for a player. Interestingly, Runner's Companion is also the most looked down
upon of the core books. Coincidence? I think not.
I hate to say it, but the Shadowrun Fanbase seems to fall into two categories: those who just want a game about shooting
people in the face for money....with elves, and those who want to treat the universe as the living, breathing thing it is. The
'net vocal majority are the "Shooting people in the face for money...with elves" crowd. Books like WAR! are not intended for
them. Unfortunately, since War! includes something that are kind of odd(the whole Tree's sub-plot, for instance), some of the
"It is a living, breathing universe" crowd might get turned off. Regarding the Tree's plot? Yeah, it is strange, but, you know what?
We need some strange from time to time. Honestly, since 4th, we have had a little less strangeness in Shadowrun. It's been kind of
bland, really. This, strange, odd though it may be, injects back some of the old 2nd Edition "wait..what? Are you fragging SERIOUS?!"
back into the game.
So, over all, my impression of war is: Ambitious book..it did kind of fall short of what it was aiming for(something that everyone would
want to buy) by being too un-focused. However, it is still a useful book for people like me who will use the stuff as a GM or as a player
(already have a couple concepts going through my head from it for Technomancer and Mage characters, for instance). Good book for
those who want to know what is going on in the universe. If you don't like the trees? Well, duh, Fog of War...it's probably something
else, and people just THINK it's the trees...You can still use the info as presented for runs(steal the shipment of tree related stuff) or
even for your start of the session news bits(You do still do those, right?) Or maybe you are playing a character from Bogota who
is in Seattle, Chicago, LA, Hong Kong...The book, like Runners Companion, is a tool kit.