A hard-to-fix problem in H&H is that "combat sucks", and I think it'll be very hard for J&L to go on vague complaints about combat mechanics, or theorycraft until they have a good system.
What does one do when one has a problem like this? One makes the feedback loop really short, and iterate quickly until there's a viable system. I propose a Valhalla server that can be easily rebooted with new formulas, or even changed on-the-fly. Ideally there'd be set time slots when the devs could gather up with some interested players and perform tests (1v1's, 2v1's, 2v2's &c) until there's a reasonably balanced system in place.
Real world example where this worked wonders: The Wright Brothers' Wind Tunnel