I don't think the new system will be a big hit with any large segment of the game population.
Yes, eliminating the XP debt will make some people happier (myself included), but the item damage will be considered a negative by the vast majority of the population ranging from "it doesn't really matter, but it is a nuisance to repair stuff all the time" (me) to "I hate this, I quit".
Some people on the forum are "defending" it, but I don't think anyone is honestly excited about this change (or, if they are, I suspect they've just gotten worked up defending it to the point where they can't help but like it...).