I have not had a chance to read the beta yet. How is combat run? is like the old school D&D where you dont have a map with inch increments and the gm just describes where things are in relation to pc and monsters? or is there specific rules for range of weapons, cover, and how do the maps work? Is it just like a city map sort of thing and the gm says you are here monsters are here?

There are several relative distances that range from Engaged (as in, hand-to-hand range) to Far (maybe even further than "Far," but I don't have it in front of me). You basically run attacks the same as you would any other kind of skill check, but WHAT actually happens in game depends greatly upon the imaginations of both the players and the GM. Really a nice system, deep, a little confusing at first, but once you get it, you get it and it's great fun.

Ranges are abstracted to melee, short, medium long etc. You can spend a manouver to cross from one to the next. So you could move from long to medium range to close the range for more accuracy etc. Works well as you don't need to work out if the PC moved inside the 20m range or if he is still 21m away and can't fire etc. They are medium and can fire or long and can't etc.

Your pool of dice can be modifed for cover, range, size of target and any other advantage or disadvantage that fits. Very flexible and easy. Under lots of fire add some bad dice. Opponent is unaware and stationary add some good dice.

That's right. It a system which is in use in WFRP3 which works fantastically if you have imagination. If you don't then it works poorly.

However I will say with particular large engagements with lots of baddies the abstract range distance gets confusing as you move around the combat area. We ended up reverting to rough measurement distances but they didn't need to be exact and could be off by an inch or so, (6 inches close, 12 medium, 24 far or whatever). Online games are no issues as maptools has distance tools built into it and you can interprate there.

The dice we never have had an issue. Learn the symbols interprate the results and describe your actions. Just don't be like "I hit for three damage" as it defeats the purpose of the narrative dice. Be like "I commando rolled behind the wrecked droid, dodged some blaster fire and shot him in the head for three damage" or something.