Math Motherfucker

Average Damage from Noncritical Failure: 3 Hits
Average Damage from Critical Failure: All Hits

Damage Soakable by Creatures [by Hits]

5 Hits = 2 Noncritical Failures/1 Critical Failure
6 Hits = 2 Noncritical Failures/1 Critical Failure
7 Hits = 3 Noncritical Failures/1 Critical Failure
8 Hits = 3 Noncritical Failures/1 Critical Failure
9 Hits = 3 Noncritical Failures/1 Critical Failure
10 Hits = 4 Noncritical Failures/1 Critical Failure

Percentage Chance of Critfail by Weapon Type:
Single: 10%
Dual: 10% [two chances]
Great: 20%
Sword+Shield: 10%

Axioms:
1. Shields, granting only 1 Hit, are generally eschewed by those with Hits higher than 8 already [exception: Ponies with Slam]
2. Melee Classes tend to prefer greatweapons over Magic and Ranged classes [exceptions: multiclasses]

Conclusions:
1. Characters with higher hits on average last only one turn longer than those with lower hits, with the exception of the highest possible amount of hits possible RAW [which lasts two]

2. The use of a greatweapon or dual weapons however throws that result out entirely. On average the 10% increase in critfail completely negates the extra round of combat gained by increasing hits.

Damage Soakable by Creatures [by Hits] if Critfails deal 6 Hits:

5 Hits = 2 Noncritical Failures/1 Critical Failure
6 Hits = 2 Noncritical Failures/1 Critical Failure
7 Hits = 3 Noncritical Failures/2 Critical Failures
8 Hits = 3 Noncritical Failures/2 Critical Failures
9 Hits = 3 Noncritical Failures/2 Critical Failures
10 Hits = 4 Noncritical Failures/2 Critical Failures
11 Hits: = 4 Noncritical Failures/2 Critical Failures
12 Hits = 4 Noncritical Failures/2 Critical Failures
13 Hits =5 Noncritical Failures/3 Critical Failures

Conclusions From Rule Change:

1. The number of turns a high Hits character can stay up under noncritical failures remains mostly the same despite the change, however the possibility of instantaneous critfail Helpless is removed, decreasing the odds of catastrophic failure.

2. The number of critical failures a high Hits character can sustain remains relatively stable at only 2 critfails, all the way up until 13 Hits [which is not even close to being possible RAW, with the exception of a very powerful Pet].

3. This moves the importance of defense back to Hits, which are actually supposed to be the measure of the difficulty one has in going Helpless, from skills and weapon choice [which were mathematically faaaaaar more important for defensive PCs than high Hits before the change, with high hits being nearly irrelevant by comparison].