I think the first one was better. The use of grenades is annoying. Why do I need to tell them to throw grenades? The complexity is interesting, especially with the three attack bands, but gameplay suffers too much.
It would be nice if it had more of a story. There's no ending at all, not even a "good job" screen.
If you're having trouble with the final missions, pair 8 repair stations with an upgraded pulse laser.
BUG: I tried to sell a fox to the pirate, and my main character froze. The rest of the world kept going, but there was no sale transaction (the fox I tried to sell just went to sleep and my movement froze)
For cave 5, don't use succubus or magic cannon. They're great, but they can send the invisible goblin flying over your defenses to 1-shot your fortress. Instead, try using mermaids, centaurs, and witches. They push him back well enough, and you don't need to worry about any cheap shots. You can use defensive spell, but he didn't get a shot in when I used this technique.