I'm not sure I like the new templates. I never really thought the ones in 3E were difficult to use. Each type was a simple set of ability score adjustments, determined by type, and applied to the base stats.
Now, it's a matter of applying some modifiers that apply in all forms, then use either the animal's, or the characters physical stats, whichever are higher.
This seems a bit of a step backwards. In most stories, lycanthropes are very powerful...ravenous, strong, etc. Yet, aside from the two strongest lycanthrope breeds (weretiger, werebear), the other three breeds have ability scores that really aren't that far off from what many regular adventurers have, IMO.
Back in 2nd Ed., a character transforming to a werewolf (for instance) was actually getting weaker, if he was higher than about level 5. In 3E, that was fixed. Pathfinder seems to be between the two.
Not a huge fan of clawless werewolves either. Claws on werewolves have been a staple of cinema since the earliest monster movies, I believe. And wolves have them. I was clawed in the eyeball, and it took *a year and a half* to heal. Pretty much every day that eye was in pain, with blinding tears, and almost impossible to keep open. And that was just a medium sized dog that did it.
And what's with the werebear? What type of bear does he turn into? His animal form shows a STR of 16. Yet a grizzly has STR 21. A black bear (apply young simple template) has an STR of 17. A werebear should have his own STR score +2, or the bear's strength score +2, whichever is higher. So, the werebear should be STR 19 or 23 in bear form, depending on which type of bear he turns into, shouldn't he?
Banshee
